Geely EX5 vs Toyota BZ4X

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.

The Toyota bZ4X base variant is an uncomplicated car to drive. It has some decent features for its grade level and it is plenty big enough for my little family of three but it doesn’t always come out ahead of its rivals.

It would be an easy EV to dip your toes in if you’re wanting something economical to maintain yet able to fit the family. But it's expensive for what it is.

My seven-year old likes the cool looks but has been confused about Mummy is reviewing the same car again.

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.

There’s not much separating the bZ4X from its Subaru twin other than badging and ever-so-slightly different front and rear fascias. The differences are so small only diehard enthusiasts will be able to tell them apart. To me, they look the same on the outside!

The overall look is sporty and fun with lots of pleating in the panelling to give it a futuristic vibe and sharply defined tail-lights for some edginess.

Against our test model's 'Liquid Metal' paintwork the heavy black plastic moulding wrapping around the base of the car doesn't stand out too much but will on a lighter colour.

The internals do differ somewhat and the best change is the more traditional round steering wheel. I prefer the look and feel of it compared to the squared-off shape of its twin's.

The 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster is set a fair way back on the dashboard and looks disjointed from the rest of the tech. The steering wheel also cuts into my vision of the screen and while I could shift my seating position to better accommodate, I'd be compromising my driving comfort to do so. A head-up display would be welcome here.

The dashboard, doors and seats all feature a grey knit-like fabric that looks warm and inviting but the cabin is elevated by synthetic leather trims throughout. Overall, the cabin is quite pleasant but wouldn’t be out of place on a much more affordable car.

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 cabin is very spacious with generous leg- and headroom. I have plenty of room for my 168cm (5'6") height but my 183cm (6'0") father was also very comfortable in both rows.

The seats in both rows are well-cushioned and up front, the driver’s side has ample support from the two-way powered lumbar. I also like the way both front seats are heated. You could handle a long trip even as a passenger prince/ss.

Individual storage is less generous than you’d expect for the class given you don’t get a glove box but there are still enough nooks and cubbies for some items and a shelf underneath the console can fit a small handbag.

My seven-year old discovered a secret pocket underneath a removeable box in the middle console where Toyota has stored the manual and logbook.

Up front you also get two cupholders, four drink bottle holders (two in each door) and a handy cubby behind the rotary transmission shifter. In the rear you get map pockets, two cupholders and a device holder in the fold-down armrest and a large drink bottle holder in each door.

No complaints from my kid regarding the amenities in the back and he likes having his own directional air vents and reading lights. But it's the 182mm ground clearance we all love because the bZ4X is super easy to get in and out of. Definitely no grunts in this one!

There's no frunk storage but the boot's 421L capacity will suffice for your bigger grocery run or odd trip but the capacity is lower than some rivals. Underneath the level loading space there's a retractable cargo liner, two cable pouches, a first aid kit and the tyre puncture repair kit. I like the powered tailgate on the base model. I find them handy with a kid in tow.

Technology is well-rounded and upmarket. The 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system is responsive and easy to use but the customisations for internal features are a little lacking. The built-in satellite navigation is clear and there is a dedicated Toyota services app, too.

The wireless Apple CarPlay is simple to connect to and I didn't have any dropouts with calls or connections, which is great. There is also wireless connectivity for Android Auto users.

Charging options throughout the car are solid with each row getting two USB-C ports, while the front also features a USB-A port and 12-volt socket. However, there’s no wireless charging pad or V2L (vehicle-to-load) capability which might annoy over long-term use.

There are two variants for the bZ4X range, with the base model tested here being a front-wheel drive and only sporting a single motor. This entry-grade is priced from $66,000, before on-road costs, and the top AWD variant is $74,990 MSRP.

Compared to the bZ4X's single-motor rivals, this price tag positions the Toyota right in the middle for costs with the most affordable rival being the Tesla Model Y RWD for $55,900 MSRP, then the Kia EV6 Air at $72,590 MSRP.

Although very similar, Subaru is offering its base variant as a dual-motored AWD, but for price comparisons it is $69,990 MSRP.

For a base model, you get some solid features like heated front seats, built-in satellite navigation, built-in Toyota connected services app and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The upholstery also features synthetic leather accents rather than just plain black cloth and you get an upgraded JBL sound system.

Like its Subaru twin, only the driver's seat is powered with lumbar support but both feature those heat functions.

Other standard features include keyless entry, push-button start, dual-zone climate control, Bluetooth connectivity, a tyre puncture repair kit and digital radio.

Technology is also rounded out by the 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia screen, 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster and four fast USB-C ports.

There are a few items missing in this variant that feature in a lot of its rivals, which reminds you this is a base model. Things like heated rear outboard seats, a heated steering wheel and a sunroof, all of which would be easy to accept if the car wasn't edging close to $70K.

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.

The bZ4X base variant is a front-wheel drive and has a single electric motor producing 150kW/256Nm - which sounds a bit schlumpy compared to its rivals but its pick up is great and you don’t feel it's underpowered, even when you’re on the open-road.

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.

The official energy consumption figure is 16.9kWh/100km and I averaged 16.1kWh over a mix of urban and open-road driving. The consumption is good and on par with some of its rivals but the official driving range from the large 71.4kWh lithium-ion battery is up to 436km, which is lower than most of its rivals by a good portion.

The bZ4X has a Type 2 CCS charging port which means you can benefit from faster DC charging speeds, up to 150kW. On a 150kW DC system you can go from 0-80 per cent in around 40-minutes.

On a 7.0kW AC charger, you can go from 10-100 per cent in 9.5 hours and that drops to seven hours on an 11kW system. All the bZ4X figures are good enough to avoid the inconvenience zone but aren't as fast as some of its competitors.

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.

You don’t often notice this base model is a front-wheel drive until you accelerate too quickly from a standstill and tlose a bit of traction. Otherwise, power delivery is smooth and while you don’t get a tummy-sucking-sensation when you put your foot down the power satisfies for city and open-road driving.

The steering feels light and there's a fair bit of understeer when tackling winding roads. This made the handling a bit lacklustre at times but it’s not too intrusive in an urban environment. Just remind yourself it’s not a performance EV if you ever start thinking ‘fast and furious’ thoughts.

Ride comfort is very good and I’d attribute that to a well-cushioned suspension set-up. While you notice bumps, you’re not bothered by them, even in the back seat. The cabin is peaceful and quiet most of the time but road noise creeps up a lot at higher speeds.

Visibility is excellent and despite a few little things, like the steering, it’s an uncomplicated car to drive.

The bZ4X isn’t too hard to park because the reversing camera is relatively clear but this grade would benefit from the 360-degree view system which is available on the top-grade model. The 4690mm length, 1860mm width and 1650mm height makes it a happy-go-lucky friend in a small car park.

The bZ4X comes with some good standard safety features like a full suite of LED lights (including the DRLs), lane departure alert, lane keeping aid, traffic sign recognition, seatbelt warning, adaptive cruise control as well as a reversing camera supported by front and rear parking sensors.

Unfortunately, the base model misses out on items the top model features like blind-spot monitoring, 'Safe Exit Assist', driver attention monitoring, rear-occupant alert and rear cross-traffic alert. All of which are fairly big-ticket items and available on much more affordable Toyotas.

Still, the bZ4X achieved a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing done in 2022 and has seven airbags, including a front centre bag.

It has AEB with forward collision warning as well as car, pedestrian and cyclist detection which is operational from 5.0-80km/h (and up to 180km/h for car detection).

There are ISOFIX child-seat mounts on the rear outboard seats and three top-tether anchor points. Two child seats will fit best, though.

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.

The bZ4X comes with a five-year/unlimited km warranty and the battery is covered by an eight-year or up to 160,000km warranty. Both are usual terms for the class.

There is a five-year or up to 75,000km capped priced servicing plan and annual services cost just $180, which is very competitive.

Servicing intervals are more in line with a fuel-based car at every 12-months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first.