Geely EX5 vs Lexus LBX

What's the difference?

The Geely EX5 has good bones. It’s well packaged, sturdily built, efficient and jam-packed with technology. But questions remain. The EX5 really needs work on its safety systems and another round of chassis revisions to be competitive. 

Pricing, too, will be crucial for the EX5 to succeed in today’s savage new electric car market. 

If the list of nagging complaints can be fixed and Geely is able to back up its product with solid aftersales support, it could be a winner. The jury is still out on the EX5.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with meals provided.

Lexus has managed to combine two cars in one. A fast, impossibly fun back-road blaster perfect for weekends on your favourite winding roads, and a competent, compact city SUV that will easily handle urban runabout duties every day of the week.

It’s this duality that struck me the most. I would happily live with the Lexus LBX Morizo RR. 

If you need a bit of space, maybe look elsewhere. But if you’re passionate about dynamic driving, and value comfort and a premium experience, this little rocket is hard to beat.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with accommodation and meals provided.

The Geely EX5’s exterior design is conservative verging on anonymous. Perhaps that’s because the brand is unknown here, but forgettable details like the six-rectangle badge rear and haphazard ‘Geely EX5’ badge placement aren’t the height of fashion.

Inside, though, the EX5 improves. The two screens are presented well, as is the cabin with upholstery that isn’t just boring black. The design language is more conventional — in a good way — than, say, a BYD Atto 3 or Tesla Model Y and doesn’t seem to unashamedly copy elements from established carmakers.

Key touch points, such as the rotary volume control, the (wrong way around) window switches and door handles appear to be made of real metal, with knurling in some cases. The dash and door tops are all encased in squishy rubber, too.

As for sizing, the EX5 is the exact same length as a Toyota RAV4, at 4615mm long, though being wider (1901mm) and riding on a longer 2750mm wheelbase should mean more cabin space.

The regular LBX is a spunky little car with a lot of road presence. I’ve been a fan of the exterior design since first seeing one in the metal. Short overhangs, nuggety proportions, well designed tail-lights and a pert rear end - it all works for me.

For the Morizo RR, Lexus has wisely exercised some restraint when it comes to exterior flourishes. It is nowhere near as wildly styled as the Yaris GR, for example. And that makes sense. This is, after all, a Lexus. 

It’s a smart move, too. It’s subtle but still has intent. 

The Morizo RR gains styling tweaks unique to the grade including 19-inch forged aluminium wheels, red brake calipers, a different front and rear bumper design, a rear spoiler, air intakes front and rear and a dual exhaust.

Inside, the main differences are the inclusion of red stitching, sports seats, some unique inserts, and the use of synthetic suede on the centre console, dash and doors.

The LBX interior design is functional and premium with nice materials throughout. 

Finding a comfortable driving position is easy in the EX5 Inspire with the octagonal steering wheel tilting and telescoping through a broad range of motion. The seats are supportive and well-bolstered, too — not a given in this class.

While we wish the front passenger seat was height adjustable, the Inspire’s leg rest and ability to lie the seats fully flat while charging is appreciated. The massage function has six modes, three intensity levels and is remarkably powerful. 

Between the EX5’s front seats is a floating centre console as gear selection is done via the right-hand stalk. It has two small cup holders on top, while under that is a generous, rubberised storage space perfect for handbags, cameras, or the like. It’s where the USB-A, USB-C and 12-volt socket are located for device charging.

There is a wireless charging pad that sits ahead of a large central storage box cooled by the air-conditioning. The Geely EX5’s door cards will easily accept a 600mL camping bottle.

Where the Geely EX5 falls down is the control layout. It is nice to have four physical switches beneath the touchscreen as shortcuts to switch the air-conditioning on or off, engage air recirculation and the front demister, but where’s the hazard light switch? It's on the ceiling.

Then there’s the large rotary dial which generally functions as a volume knob. Press it down and you can choose to have it adjust the temperature, fan speed, or — for some reason — one of several desktop backgrounds, including a computer-generated kitten playing with some wool. In this mode it also works as cursor for the multimedia screen, but never at any other time. Peculiar.

The convoluted menu structure has a strange control hierarchy. There's a shortcut target for the rear fog light, for example, yet to disable the lane-keep assist or adjust the regenerative braking power you need to jump through at least three sub-menus. And some of the text in the Geely EX5’s digital driver’s display is so small it’s almost illegible.

Then there are the typos and grammatical errors that should have been an easy pre-launch fix. A few include: ‘Distractive. Drive carefully’, ‘Keep safety distance’, ‘Driver is facial detection is missing’ and, a personal favourite: ‘The current battery is low, whether to enable super battery life?’ None of this inspires much confidence. At least the EX5’s processor is responsive for smooth tapping between the many menus.

The Geely EX5’s 1000-watt 16-speaker sound system is punchy and has presets – borrowed from Volvo and Polestar — which promise to emulate the sound quality of a recording studio, concert hall and other locations. Gimmicky in practice, plus, with the volume over 30 per cent, the EX5’s sound quality is disappointingly muddy.

Connectivity promises to be strong in the EX5 but the cars we drove were not fitted with 4G sims for live navigation, app downloads and remote smartphone control. Apple CarPlay will be added via a software update in July and Android Auto before the end of the year, says Geely. 

The Geely EX5’s back seat is very generous, at 188cm tall I had plenty of leg room, respectable toe room and excellent head room even underneath the standard panoramic sunroof. The floor is totally flat and, rarely, the middle seat is usable for adults.

Two more USB chargers can be found along with air vents, door pockets and a fold-down central armrest. There’s even a hidden sliding draw for storing valuables out of sight.

The Geely EX5 has ISOFIX child seat connectors on both outboard seats and three top tether anchors on its 40/60 split-fold backrest. 

The EX5 Inspire has a standard power tailgate which opens up to a total of 410 litres of boot space. If it looks a little shallow in pictures, that’s because the total space accounts for the large under-floor area (108L on its own) where Geely skipped a spare tyre.

There is one LED boot light, two shopping bag hooks and a wet storage area off to the side but, curiously, no parcel shelf.

The LBX is a compact little SUV so if you’re after something to fit a family of four, look elsewhere. But if you don’t need the space, it’s a great city car.

Up front it’s easy to find the right driving position thanks to all of the adjustability of the seat and steering wheel.

Those sports seats are supportive and hug the body, but not too much as some of Lexus’ European rivals do. They’re also very comfortable - almost edging firm but never uncomfortable.

The Lexus multimedia system is functional and has an easy-to-navigate menu set-up, but lacks any pizzazz. Better graphics would help with engagement.

Storage wise, there’s a wireless charger slot at the bottom of the centre stack, a cupholder with a narrow slot for another device next to it, and a deep but narrow secure central storage bin with another cupholder.

You might not fit big bottles into the door bins as it’s pretty tight.

I wasn’t sure about Lexus’ one-touch interior and exterior door handles when they first rolled them out, but I now think it adds a classy point of difference to its rivals.

That second seating row is tight, especially for taller folk. I had just enough legroom (but plenty of toe room) sitting behind my 183cm (6'0") driving position, but I wouldn’t want to sit back there for a long road trip. Headroom, however, is ample. My noggin didn’t even scrape the headliner. You’d struggle to fit three adults back there but a couple of kids should be fine.

Amenities include a pair of USB-C ports and two map pockets, but the rear row lacks any adjustable air vents or a fold-down centre arm rest. And the bottle holders in the rear doors won’t fit much at all. 

The rear row folds 60/40 and if you need to haul lots of luggage or shopping, you’ll definitely need to lower that rear row because the boot is small.

Lexus says it can swallow 266 litres, which is tight. There’s no spare wheel of any kind, just a tyre repair kit.

The regular Lexus LBX line-up consists of three hybrid grades (Luxury FWD, Sports Luxury FWD and AWD) running from $47,550 to $56,990, before on-road costs.

Naturally the Morizo RR takes its place as the flagship of the LBX line-up and is priced accordingly. It will cost you $76,490 which is close to $20K more than the entry grade.

Purely looking at SUVs, rivals could include the BMW X1 M35i ($92,300) or Volkswagen T-Roc R ($64,290), while performance hatchback competitors might include the Mercedes-AMG A35 ($87,900) or VW Golf R ($70,990). Either way, the Lexus sits somewhere between the two, but closer in price to the VWs.

There are other offerings that cost quite a bit more than the Lexus.

For that money you get leather-accented sports seats, aluminium pedal trims, 19-inch forged alloy wheels, a 9.8-inch multimedia touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, sat nav, a 12.3-inch digital driver display, dual-zone climate control, a powered tailgate and heated front seats. 

Other gear includes a 13-speaker Mark Levinson premium audio system (with a sub-woofer), five USB-C ports, access to 'Lexus Connected Services', synthetic suede trim, auto power-folding and dimming exterior mirrors, an auto-dimming interior rear view mirror, eight-way power driver’s seat adjustment, rain-sensing wipers and keyless entry and start.

Two-tone paint will set you back an extra $1750.

On top of the long safety features list (see the Safety section), there’s nothing obvious missing from the features list. Lexus has always offered sharp value-for-money and that remains the case with the Morizo RR.

Geely claims the EX5’s front axle-mounted 11-in-one motor, transmission and power unit is the lightest and most compact in class. Though power and torque outputs of 160kW and 320Nm are nothing groundbreaking it was perfectly adequate for the EX5’s 1765kg tare mass.

In Eco, Standard and Sport modes the tip-in response is intentionally dulled to minimise wheel spin. Three are three regenerative braking levels; medium felt most natural, though High was acceptable. There’s no one-pedal drive mode in the Geely EX5.

The front-drive Geely EX5 Inspire's claimed 0-100km/h time is 7.1 seconds and its top speed is limited to 175km/h.

Powering the LBX Morizo RR is an excellent 1.6-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine, which is the same unit found in the Toyota GR Corolla and Yaris hot hatches.

The Lexus loses some power and torque compared with those models so the outputs are 206kW and 390Nm. The Toyota cousins offer 221kW/400Nm each.

This engine is paired with an eight-speed torque converter automatic transmission and it has electrically controlled all-wheel drive with a Torsen limited-slip differential.

You can race from zero to 100km/h in just 5.2 seconds.

Real-world efficiency is one of the EX5’s most impressive attributes, with the Inspire’s WLTP-range being 410km dependent on returning energy consumption of 14.7kWh/100km.

Over a 100km distance taking in suburban, motorway and country roads, the EX5’s dash showed a lower-than-rated energy consumption of 13.5kWh/100km, representing nearly 460km of real-world range from Geely’s 60.22kWh ‘Aegis’ lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack.

Along with the motor, some of the efficiency can be put down to the Geely EX5 Inspire’s quality 235/50R19 Goodyear EfficientGrip tyres.

Charging is middling for this pack, with the EX5 using a 400-volt architecture that allows DC power up to 100kW. Rejuicing from 20-80 per cent takes 28 minutes, says Geely, which is faster than the Deepal S07 and Leapmotor C10 but a long way short of the XPeng G6 and Model Y.

Three-phase AC charging caps out at 11kW, meaning you can take the EX5 from flat to full in around five and a half hours at home.

While the hybrid versions of the LBX are known for their fuel efficiency, it’s less of a focus for the Morizo RR performance model.

It has an official combined (urban/extra-urban cycle) fuel figure of 9.2 litres per 100 kilometres, which is more than twice the figure of the hybrid.

CO2 emissions sit at 209g/km and the LBX has a 50-litre fuel tank. You will need to fill up on the expensive stuff though as the Morizo RR requires 98 RON fuel. Theoretical range between fills is around 540km.

Underpinning the Geely EX5 is the new Global Intelligent Electric Architecture, or GEA for short. It is a newer and lower-cost version of the group’s SEA platform as used in Volvo, Polestar, Zeekr and Smart products and the bones are good.

The Geely EX5’s body doesn’t rattle, creak or shimmy over nasty road surfaces. Some solid knowhow has made its way into the brake pedal calibration which is light but delightfully smooth. It’s impossible to detect where regenerative slowing ends and hydraulic begins.

It has allegedly undergone Australian suspension localisation but don’t expect outright handling excellence, the EX5’s ride is still pillowy — verging on melted marshmallow — soft. Some will find this acceptable, however there’s plenty of potential for improvement.

Over large bumps both in town and at speed it takes the Geely EX5’s rear end between two and four rebound cycles to settle. There’s also a large amount of lateral ‘head toss’, with both attributes key ingredients in making back seat passengers car sick.

I also experienced a low-frequency boom in the EX5's cabin over concrete and rough coarse chip surfaces common on Sydney roads. Otherwise, the EX5’s is a mostly quiet car.

The sharp steering is light around town but weighted up unnaturally through corners. With high quality tyres and stability control that intervenes very early, you’re unlikely to get out of shape in the EX5 on a twisty road at least.

That said, with good bones like McPherson struts up front and multi-link rear suspension we would love to see Geely revise the EX5’s chassis to bestow the sort of fluency that makes the Kia EV5 and combustion equivalents like the Toyota RAV4 and Mazda CX-5 so much more pleasant to drive. Doing so would provide the EX5 a clear point of difference from the XPeng G6, BYD Sealion 7, Deepal S07 and Leapmotor C10.

I had high expectations for the LBX Morizo RR and I’m pleased to say they were met.

What a phenomenally capable little car.

Lexus is at pains to point out that its mechanical cousins - the Toyota GR Corolla and Yaris - are motorsport bred and therefore more raw and hardcore.

The premium brand knows it needs to be able to attract new buyers with a car like this, while also satisfying its loyal base.

Lexus did this by building a hot hatch (okay, it’s an SUV) that you can easily live with day to day.

I spent an enjoyable few hours behind the wheel of the Morizo RR on a stunning Autumn day in Victoria’s Yarra Ranges driving on some incredible roads. The twists, bends, undulations and more showcased how tight this car is.

First up that engine is an absolute gem, and I don’t miss the extra kilowatts found in the Toyota models. There’s very little turbo lag and the LBX picks up pace quickly but in a focused, fun manner.

The engine note is also a delight to behold, especially when you push it hard. Although on coarse chip roads a fair bit of road noise creeps in, to the point that it's boomy.

The transmission is a perfect pairing for the engine, too, offering slick shifts without holding gears unnecessarily. I didn’t miss the manual box found in the Toyotas, either. But the paddle shifters and a true manual mode (it won’t shift unless you flick the paddle) adds to the experience.

The brakes are strong but not too pinchy and the steering is as sharp as you’d hope, while offering just enough weight. 

Then there’s the grip. The all-wheel drive system “automatically distributes the front-rear torque according to road conditions and grip”, according to Toyota.

That AWD grip always inspires confidence during dynamic driving in a car like this and the LBX sticks to the tarmac like nobody's business. Despite some damp sections of road higher up the ranges, no slip was detected. It feels glued to the road.

If that’s not enough, the Lexus surprises with its compliant and even comfortable ride quality. Many hot hatches (or hot SUVs) have a firm ride due to a chassis set-up geared to performance driving. 

Somehow Lexus has ensured the damping settings shield the occupants from the worst bumps. Only deep potholes make their presence felt.

And that’s the beauty of this car. It feels so beautifully engineered, with a clear focus on performance, but it’s not a brutal experience. You never feel like you could easily lose control in this thing. You can punt it into a tight bend and feel confident it will stay the course.

ANCAP awarded the hybrid versions of the LBX a maximum five-star rating in 2024, but the turbo-petrol Morizo RR is unrated.

The standard safety list is lengthy and includes auto emergency braking with pedestrian (day/night), cyclist (day/night) and motorcyclist (day) detection, intersection collision avoidance, adaptive cruise control, emergency steering assist, lane trace assist with lane departure warning, speed sign detection, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, safe exit assist, Lexus 'Emergency Driver Stop' (automatically decelerates the car within its lane if the system detects the driver has become incapacitated), front and rear parking sensors, a reversing camera with camera washer and seven airbags including a front centre bag.

Geely is doing its best to ensure smooth parts supply from launch, having run around for 12 months stocking inventory and partnering with DB Schenker for logistics.

To promote the EX5, Geely’s launching with three years complimentary servicing and one year (or 1000kWh) of free charging on the Evie network for those who order an EX5 before February 28.

Geely has yet to announce warranty details. The brand will want to aim for more than five years, as seven years is fast becoming the minimum standard for new vehicles.

Service pricing is also yet to be confirmed, though maintenance will be due every 12 months or 20,000km.

Lexus covers the LBX Morizo RR with its five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty and capped-price servicing for five years at a cost of $695 a service.

The schedule for servicing is tight at every six months or 10,000km, whichever occurs first, so you’ll be at the dealership a bit with this one. These are the same servicing terms as the GR Corolla and Yaris.

Lexus’s 'Encore' owner benefits program includes some cool stuff, too, like a valet parking service at certain venues, and you can even swap your Lexus for a different model for a set amount of time with the On Demand service.

Lexus Encore also offers exclusive access to events and venues, as well as special offers at hotels and restaurants.