Geely EX5 vs Lepas L6

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 Chery has most definitely popped and the Australian launch of new brand, Lepas, is only the start of what’s to come in 2027.

The Lepas L6 EV is the brand’s first entrant locally and it’s an electric mid-size SUV rival to the likes of the BYD Atto 3 Evo, Geely EX5, Hyundai Elexio, Kia EV5 and Leapmotor C10. The list goes on…

Lepas is doing everything it can to stand out on its own from the namesake Chery, as well as the Omoda Jaecoo brands in Australia. It’s also set to have its own dealer network.

Is the L6 EV a worthy addition to the Chery Group stable? Read on to find out.