Volkswagen Transporter vs Geely EX5

What's the difference?

The Transporter boasts a level of mechanical refinement, engine performance, ride quality, heavy load-carrying ability and general driver comfort that sets a high benchmark in this category. If not for its lack of an ANCAP rating and unacceptably high internal noise levels at highway speeds, it would be hard to fault.

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.

Our test vehicle’s 3400mm wheelbase is 400mm longer than the standard model, resulting in a corresponding increase in overall vehicle length to 5304mm and a 300mm increase in turning circle to 13.2 metres.

Its 1904mm width is an easy fit in most loading zones and the standard roof’s 1990mm height means it can access most underground and multi-storey carparks which typically cap vehicle heights under 2.2 metres. It comes standard with a kerbside cargo bay sliding door and single-lift tailgate.

The well-developed front wheel-drive chassis is simple and robust with MacPherson strut front suspension and semi-trailing arm coil-spring rear suspension, the latter equipped with stout rubber cones inside the spring coils to provide a second stage of support under heavy loads. Optional heavy-duty and rough road suspension packages are also available. Brakes are four-wheel discs.

You can always pick a van designed for hard work by the amount of black plastic in body areas prone to high wear and/or scrapes, chips and dents and the Transporter has most of those covered, including the front and rear bumpers, lower rear pillars, hubcaps, door handles and mirrors.

The cabin has a back-to-basics look and feel as highlighted by numerous plastic caps blanking dashboard slots where switches are fitted to higher-equipped models. However, it has most of what you need and none of what you don’t for this working role. Even so, the lack of fold-down inboard armrests and a driver’s left footrest are notable omissions and both would be welcome for long stints behind the wheel.

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.

With its 1865kg tare weight and 3000kg GVM, our test vehicle has a genuine one-tonne-plus payload rating of 1135kg and up to150kg of that can be carried on the roof. It’s also rated to tow up to 2500kg of braked trailer but that would require a sizeable 583kg reduction in payload to avoid exceeding the 4917kg GCM or Gross Combination Mass, which is how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time. Or you could keep the full payload and reduce the towing limit instead, from 2500kg to 1917kg, which may be a more useful compromise depending on work requirements.

The cargo bay, which offers 5.0 cubic metres of load volume, is 2975mm long, 1700mm wide and 1410mm high with 1244mm between the rear wheel housings. That means it can carry two 1165mm-square standard Aussie pallets, or up to three 1200 x 800mm Euro pallets, secured by a choice of eight load-anchorage points. However, the single-lift tailgate could make rear forklift access tricky, depending on forklift design and reach. The sliding door has a generous 1017mm opening for kerbside loading.

Although the load floor is bare and there’s no standard cargo protection for driver and passenger (optional rubber load floor mats and cargo barriers are available), the cargo bay walls and doors are lined to mid-height and the roof is also lined, with two roof lights providing ample illumination.

Cabin storage includes a large-bottle holder and huge storage bin in each front door, with a narrower second-tier storage shelf above which is ideal for holding smaller items like wallets, keys etc.

The dash provides another small-items cubby to the right of the steering wheel and the top dash-pad has small-bottle/cup holders at each end plus a steeply-angled open tray on the driver’s side which is ideal for storing clipboards, paperwork etc.

There’s no overhead sun-glasses holder but the passenger side of the dash offers two tiers of open storage and a large glovebox, plus another small-bottle/cup holder to the left of the gearshift console. An overhead storage shelf would be handy, given that there’s no centre console.

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.

This engine and transmission combination is the jewel in the Transporter crown with its energetic, flexible and efficient performance. The 2.0 litre, four-cylinder, direct-injection TDI340 turbo-diesel meets Euro 6 emissions using AdBlue and produces 110kW between 3250-3750rpm and 340Nm of torque across a 1500rpm-wide torque band between 1500-3000rpm.

The closely-spaced ratios in the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic are tailored to get the most out of this willing engine, with crisp and virtually seamless shifting. It also offers the choice of manual sequential-shifting, when hauling heavy loads in hilly terrain or simply for those wanting a more ‘sporting’ driving experience, but the seven-speeder usually does its best work when left to its own devices.

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.

We covered 283km (with auto start/stop disabled) which included about one third of that distance with a maximum payload. The dash display was claiming an average combined consumption of 8.1L/100km when we stopped to top-up the 80-litre tank. Our own figure calculated from fuel bowser and tripmeter readings came in even lower at 7.7 and both undercut VW’s official combined figure of 8.3L/100km. Needless to say, that’s outstanding real-world economy, which based on our figures should deliver a huge driving range of 900-1000km from its sizeable 80-litre tank. Possibly even further with auto start/stop enabled.

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.

Four-coil suspension provides a noticeably supple unladen ride quality, which is impressive for a commercial vehicle with a one-tonne payload rating. It also feels sure-footed and well planted on the road, particular on the many wet roads we encountered during a rain-affected week of testing.

With its upright steering wheel angle and nicely-weighted steering feel, it offers a comfortable almost car-like driving experience. The driver’s seat has height, backrest rake and lumbar adjustment; there’s no rake adjustment for the base cushion but it doesn’t really need it. There are also clear eyelines to all mirrors, a nicely-positioned gearshift and an uncluttered dashboard/instrument layout that’s easy to read and operate.

The 2.0 litre turbo-diesel has energetic response in its peak torque band between 1500-3000rpm, where most city and suburban driving occurs. Snappy, seamless up-shifting occurs between 1500-2000rpm, providing brisk acceleration with excellent fuel economy. At highway speeds, good gearing ensures the engine needs only 1800rpm to maintain 100km/h and 1900rpm at 110km/h.

We only have two criticisms. One is the size and limited wide-angle effect of the left-side mirror, given the huge blind-spot that a solid-walled long wheelbase van like this creates over the driver’s left shoulder. Although the Transporter is (thankfully) equipped with blind-spot monitoring, a larger kerbside mirror with a more convex shape to increase its angle of view would be welcome.

The other is high internal noise levels at highway speeds emanating from the rear wheel housings. On some grades of coarse bitumen it can sound like the roar of a jet engine, which is too loud for sustained periods and could be a deal-breaker if you do a lot of highway work. We have recently tested rival vans without cabin bulkheads which have appreciably lower cargo bay noise levels at similar speeds (most notably a Chinese brand), so it can be done.

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.

Five years/unlimited km warranty with 12 months complimentary roadside assist. Scheduled servicing every 12 months/15,000km whichever occurs first. Capped-price servicing for first five scheduled services up to five years/75,000km of $3082.

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.