Subaru Outback vs Geely EX5

What's the difference?

Over 30 years and seven generations of Outback in Australia, the latest might just be the best.

It's great to drive, even better to sit in, very easy to live and willing to go further than most equivalent large SUVs at its price point.

The styling is definitely divisive, with purists unhappy that the long, crossover wagon silhouette is now gone, but what we have instead is a family-friendly vehicle that pleases on so many fronts.

We’d go as far as saying the latest Outback might be the most-rounded Subaru currently available, and great value to boot. And the base AWD is all the SUV most people will ever need.

That’s not bad for something this square!

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

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.

Historically, Subarus have majored on quirky. Kooky even.

Think buggy ‘60s 360, offbeat ‘70s 1400, spacey ‘80s Vortex, futuristic ‘90s SVX, Alfa-esque ‘00s pre-facelift Tribeca, dorky ‘10s Exiga. We’d go as far as saying that, in over 50 years, only a handful of Subarus have looked normal. And they’ve all been boring. The beautiful ones, like the original Impreza and ’03 Liberty, remain stunning.

But quirkifying such an important family car in such a mainstream segment… that's risky. And we’re here for Subaru’s boldness. We just wish the details weren’t so heavy handed.

Longer, larger and wider than any prior version, the 2026 Outback shares its stretched platform architecture fundamentals with the latest Forester. That’s a sound basis. Just Xeroxed up by about 15 per cent. Boxy shape. Deep glass. Wide doors. Form over function. This is designed to make life easier.

What you make of the Wilderness’ visual features, including the dramatic grille mask, SUBARU wording, painted trim surrounds and cladding-on-cladding (behold the Kia Tasman-like squared-off wheel arches if you dare) is down to personal taste. Eyes be damned! But it is so far-removed from the elegant grace of the previous model that some might argue a name change would at least have silenced the critics.

On the other hand, besides fugly being in Subaru’s DNA, a large, lofty SUV is probably truer to the term ‘outback’ than on any elegant and gracefully-silhouetted crossover wagon.

Meanwhile, the polar opposite is true inside. It’s as if the interior designers strove for class and calm, with none of the exterior styling’s visual noise, or shouting in the Wilderness’ case. And there is the luxury of space, vision and scope, further enhancing the Outback’s usefulness. That you can’t see the body, just the beautiful cabin’s detailing, elevates this Subaru. Unlike in the previous model, which was a bit of an aesthetic and functional mess inside.

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.

Like all Subarus, Outback boasts an interior of very high-quality craftsmanship, being built beautifully, without rattles or noises or jarring trim.

The difference here is just how pleasingly practical and easy yet attractive this environment is, from the moment that wide-opening door opens and shuts with reassuring solidity.

The horizontal dash layout departs from the Tesla-aping portrait screen domination of the previous generation, banishing the confusing and annoying virtual controls for real, live buttons.

But is it original? The layered presentation is attractive and distinctively Toyota… err Subaru. Yes, it is very much like the bZ4X-based Solterra EV’s look inside.

That’s no bad thing from an ergonomic point of view. The driving position is flawless, the seat/wheel/controls relationship considered and the placement of the climate controls, audio system, armrest and storage just right. We’re also happy to see the instrumentation display incorporate various visual choices, including digital analogue-style dials.

A particular callout goes to the slick and speedy tactility of the brand’s latest touchscreen, as well as the (again suspiciously Toyota-like) interface and graphics layout. It’s all good.

But wait, there’s more. The Outback’s front seats are claimed to be particularly supportive, and after hours in them on and off road, they seem to exceed Subaru’s claims.

If you’re expecting regular mid-sized SUV levels of interior space, be prepared to be impressed, because the Outback’s extra sizing outside seems to be multiplied inside. There’s ample room for long legs, big hats, broad shoulders and buxom hips. It all works so well. This is probably one of the best modern SUV interiors, period. Nothing seems to have been overlooked.

The rear seat is presented to please, too. It can seem a bit drab in the lower-line models, but the same virtues of effortless entry/egress, seat comfort, convenience (including air vents, USB ports, cupholders and armrest placement) apply. We noted the lack of road/tyre noise intrusion at speed, too.

Behind the very sixties Jeep Wagoneer-looking rear is a vast luggage area, complete with a low floor, remote rear-seat folding handles, 12V outlet and quality trim. And that space-saver spare lives underneath.

Subaru seems to have designed this car from the inside out and it shows. A rare 10/10 from us.

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 EX5 joins a new Chinese competitor set that’s bringing electric car prices down to — and below — size-equivalent combustion and hybrid-powered cars. 

Problem is, we still don’t know the exact price, but Geely has at least provided a guide. The Geely EX5 will be priced between $49,000 and $55,000. It has either 430km (Complete) or 410km (Inspire) WLTP-rated driving range and enough power to get out of its own way. 

When you consider high-spec combustion-engined mid-size SUVs like the Toyota RAV4 Cruiser ($51,410, before on-road costs), the Geely EX5 is shaping up to offer stellar on-paper value.

The entry grade EX5 Complete features 18-inch alloy wheels, privacy glass, full LED exterior lighting with auto high-beam, rear parking sensors and roof rails that accommodate up to 50kg.

Inside, a huge 15.4-inch touchscreen with built-in navigation and 10.2-inch digital driver’s display should embarrass any combustion-engined rival. The upholstery is artificial leather, the front seats are heated and power-adjustable, the sound system has six speakers and there’s keyless entry with pop-out door handles.

Moving up to the tested Inspire brings larger 19-inch alloy wheels, a power tailgate, front parking sensors and a sunroof. Cabin niceties improve with illuminated vanity mirrors and 256-colour ambient lighting, though it notably lacks dual-zone climate control.

Veritable luxury features include driver’s seat memory and an ottoman for the front passenger, ventilation and massaging for both front seats, a 16-speaker sound system putting out 1000 watts, 13.4-inch head-up display and optional ‘Cloud’ cream upholstery colour.

With exact pricing still to be revealed, it’s impossible to say whether the Geely EX5 is better value than the Leapmotor C10, Deepal S07, Kia EV5, BYD Sealion 7 or XPeng G6, but it certainly shapes up well against the updated Tesla Model Y that has climbed north of $60,000.

Five paint colours are available; Arctic White is no cost, while Shadow Black, Volcanic Grey, Moonlit Silver and Aquatic Green attract an extra charge.

The Geely EX5 is capable of outputting electricity either to a load like hairdryer, coffee machine or power tools at 3.3kW and to another vehicle at 6kWm adding 40km of driving range in an hour.

Don’t worry, Subaru traditionalists. The Outback again offers a pair of horizontally-opposed 'boxer' four-cylinder engines.

The regular Outback versions are powered by a 2.5-litre twin-cam petrol unit making 137kW of power at 5800rpm and 254Nm of torque at 3700rpm.

Choosing the Wilderness switches things up to a 2.4-litre turbo version delivering 194kW at 5600rpm and 382Nm between 2000rpm and 3600rpm.

Both use a continuously variable transmission (CVT) with eight artificial ‘steps’ for a more torque-converter-like experience. Sadly, no manual gearbox is available.

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.

Where the Outback regresses compared to its predecessor is efficiency.

Despite a modest 50kg weight rise, the substantially boxier shape is probably behind the jump in petrol consumption, rising nearly one litre per 100km compared to before in the Outback, and nearly 2.5L/100km, in the heavier Wilderness.

The combined average consumption figure for the 2.5-litre naturally aspirated engine is 8.1L/100km, for a carbon dioxide emissions rating of 183 grams per kilometre, while the 2.4-litre turbo manages 9.7L/100km and 228g/km.

Filling the 63L tank, expect an average range of about 777km in the former and just 648km in the latter. Surely, the coming hybrid version can’t arrive soon enough for some buyers.

At least both engines can drink from the standard 91 RON petrol bowser.

So much for the theory. Out in the real world, over a solid day's testing on- and off-road, we found there was a difference of about 1.5L/100km between the regular Outback and the Wilderness.

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.

Confession time. The way the previous Outback drove was profoundly disappointing. The steering felt numb, the ride was too stiff and the car seemed wilfully dull, even in the turbo version.

The contemporary Forester ran rings around it for driving pleasure and refinement.

But Outback number seven is completely different and maybe the best-driving non-WRX Subaru right now.

From the moment you climb on board this vast SUV from Japan, everything feels right – from the driving position and relationship with the controls, to the sumptuously comfy seats and commanding vision all around the vehicle. That’s a promising start.

Push the ignition and press the accelerator down, and the regular Outback 2.5 quietly, gently and smoothly moves off the line. With modest power outputs and a CVT, you might expect it to also sound revvy and droney, but instead the acceleration is strong and throttle responses determined.

We drove this for hundreds of kilometres and never found the performance lacking, even with three adults and their luggage on board, over hilly and even mountainous terrain. Yes, it is possible to have the CVT whining at higher revs, but not within normal driving scenarios. And the quietness and lack of road noise is terrific.

Moving to the Wilderness and its 2.4-litre turbo powertrain, the same applies, except of course mid-range response is significantly faster and with a slicker, more refined delivery. Press and squirt, this is deceptively quick, because the car does a great job in masking the noises and vibrations that working an SUV hard often elicit.

We only wish there was a manual option. With steel wheels, cloth seats and without the Wilderness' add-on gargoyles.

Now, it also seems that Subaru listened and learned from previous criticisms like ours, because the Outback’s newly-redesigned steering is a delight, with a natural, fluent sweetness and ease that’s combined with a pleasing connection with the driver.

The result is balanced, controlled and enjoyable handling, backed up by reassuringly stable road holding. We drove through a sudden, heavy thunderstorm near Bathurst on the first, hot summer afternoon’s test session, and found the Outback to feel impervious through such slippery conditions.

And this all largely applies to the Wilderness as well, though its 20mm-higher ground clearance (to 240mm) makes it feel a little less composed than the glued-down regular model. Both feature a stiffened body and multi-link rear suspension, by the way.

More progress has been made in the Subaru’s ride quality. Gone is the hard suspension feel, for a far-less firm set-up, providing a comfortable and queasy-free ride. Even in the loftier Wilderness. This is the model’s greatest advance over its predecessor and we’re extremely happy with the outcome.

Finally, other than the at-times over-eager driver-attention monitor, the ADAS tech provides subtle, nuanced back-up, with quiet lane-keep intervention, a measured adaptive cruise-control functionality and no jarring buzzes and warnings.

We also enjoyed a session taking both grades off road, to show off their 4WD prowess. The clearances are ample, the hill-descent tech effective and the ability to scramble over wet rocks impressive. The Wilderness especially may even live up to its name!

This is a difficult SUV to fault. The Outback’s breadth of capability on and off the beaten track give it an unusually wide bandwidth for what is a monocoque bodied family convenience. That there is so much sophistication and fun to be had as well make this so much better to drive and live with than the disappointing old version.

We can’t wait to get to know the latest Subaru better on more familiar roads.

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.

The Geely EX5 is yet to be tested by ANCAP or other relevant safety testing body. 

The EX5 has seven airbags including a front centre one, a Short Blade battery that has been extensively tested to minimise fire danger along with 16 advanced driver assistance features including auto emergency braking, driver attention monitoring, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist and more.

It is all well and good to tick the safety aid boxes but in practice, the EX5 leaves a little to be desired. Various mysterious beeps and bongs are semi-constant but more soothing than some rivals.

The EX5’s lane-keep assist worked well enough in the morning but was flummoxed by brighter afternoon light and shadows, once grabbing control of the wheel and pointing the car at an upcoming vehicle, another time towards the grass. Sometimes the system simply didn’t work to keep the EX5 in the lane at all.

The adaptive cruise control has an ‘Intelligent’ program that convincingly changes lanes by itself when prompted by the indicator. Unfortunately, like the lane-keep system, shadows on the road caused a few phantom-braking episodes.

Activating the adaptive cruise control is not intuitive because the steering wheel controls are poorly labeled. It’s the left directional and ‘ok’ button set, if you’re wondering, and you cancel cruise by hitting the cross button below the similar looking asterisk customisable hot key.

The standard surround-view camera is high quality with plenty of different angles to minimise kerb strikes.

Like the suspension tuning, Geely ought to send out engineers with a fine tooth comb to iron out issues with the safety systems before hitting start on public sales.

Subaru offers a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, and that also comes with 12 months of roadside assistance.

Now, that's pretty average nowadays, so nothing special, particularly when other SUV companies like Mitsubishi, Nissan and MG offer conditional 10-year warranties.

Service intervals are at 12 months or 15,000km for both engines. There is a capped-price servicing offer covering this timeframe. They are currently listed at approximately $350, $530, $405, $705 and $370 for an average of $472 per workshop visit.

There are 128 dealers or authorised Subaru service centres across Australia as of January 1, 2026.

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.