Geely EX5 vs Hyundai Kona

What's the difference?

You’re not alone if you’re struggling to grasp the sheer number of new names from China popping up in the Australian new-car market. There’s more than ten and the list is only growing.

Geely is yet another marque with an ambitious plan to break into Australia's top-10 auto brands. It might have a leg-up on rivals, though, because Geely has been dabbling in international marques for some time.

Volvo, Polestar, Lotus and Zeekr are either majority or entirely owned by Geely, and the father brand — like Volkswagen in its eponymous group — therefore benefits from years of engineering know-how from other brands. Clever.

The first car launching here Australia is the EX5, an electric mid-size SUV pitched at families. Think of it as a direct rival to the Tesla Model Y, Kia EV5 and XPeng G6 but (yet unconfirmed) sharp pricing might see buyers cross-shopping with Toyota RAV4s and Mazda CX-5s.  

Geely even proclaims Australian-tuned suspension, something Ford, Toyota, Hyundai and Kia have used to huge success. But does that mean the 2025 Geely EX5 is top-10 material? A spin in an early production model should give us some answers.

The Hyundai Kona is the Korean car giant’s best-selling model in Australia, by a reasonably comfortable margin. And in 2025 it managed to battle its way to the top of the ludicrously competitive ‘Small SUV under $45K’ new-vehicle sales category.

Chery’s breakthrough Tiggo 4 Pro, GWM’s Haval Jolion, the MG ZS and close to 20 other well-credited segment rivals can all dream on because currently the Kona has their measure.

So, what’s all that about? Why are so many Aussie SUV buyers choosing to put a Kona in the driveway?

In an attempt to answer that question we slotted a Kona Hybrid into the CarsGuide garage, in this case a new mid-spec Elite version, to explore its relative strengths and weaknesses.

So, if you’re in the market for a compact SUV, with the Kona on your shortlist (and odds are it already is) stay with us for a detailed examination.