Geely EX5 vs Suzuki E-Vitara

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.

Suzuki really needs you to buy this car.

Not only are cut-price Chinese rivals dicing up the entry-level part of the market where this Japanese brand used to thrive, but Suzuki is also facing pressure to adapt to Australia’s tough new emissions laws.

That’s where this e Vitara comes in.

Built in India on a new platform shared with Toyota, the e Vitara is unlike any Suzuki that's come before it in Australia. Does it have what it takes to crack the super competitive end of the new-car market?

Read on to find out.