Geely EX5 Review 2026: Prices, specs and verdict

What is the Geely EX5?

The EX5 is the latest of many Chinese-brand electric SUVs to arrive on UK shores, and the debut model of the Geely brand. Unlike some of these new brands, you might have heard of Geely before.

That’s because the wider Geely Auto Group owns Volvo, Polestar, Lotus, Smart and even the London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC, makers of the London Taxi).

Geely might be one of the newest brands in the UK, then, but its huge resources and existing UK presence means it isn’t messing about.

As well as launching new models including the hybrid Starray, Geely plans to open 100 dealerships by the end of 2026.

But is the Geely EX5, an affordable and surprisingly big electric SUV with some tricks up its sleeve, a suitable car to launch the brand? Or is it one to forget about? Our in-depth review tells all.

Verdict: is the Geely EX5 a good car?

We reckon the Geely EX5 is well worth considering if you’re looking for a large, relatively affordable electric car with space for all the family. The smart interior, spacious cabin and comfortable ride make it a solid commuter car, although it’s not an EV you’d drive for the fun of it. You’ll have to also put up with fiddly cabin technology and a smallish boot, but there’s no arguing with the value on offer here.

Pricing, specs & rivals

Prices for the Geely EX5 start at £31,990 at the time of writing. That’s about the same as cars like the Leapmotor B10 and MG S5, while the Skoda Elroq is slightly more expensive (and gets a lot pricier if you want the same standard kit as the Geely).

The entry-level EX5 SE comes very well equipped, with standard kit including 18in alloys, adaptive cruise control, keyless entry and start, synthetic leather upholstery, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, a 360-degree surround view camera system and wireless phone charging.

The EX5 Pro, from £33,990, doesn’t add all that much bar upgrading the wheel size to 19in and adding a new white interior trim choice.

The EX5 Max pushes the price towards some talented electric SUV rivals at £36,990. However, it does bring some real luxuries including a panoramic sunroof, an electric tailgate, a 16-speaker sound system upgrade, ventilated front seats with a massaging function and a large head-up display.

Rivals

The Geely EX5 is larger than many of its similarly priced rivals, including the Kia EV3, Skoda Elroq, Leapmotor B10, MG S5 and even the Renault Scenic E-Tech.

In terms of outright size, it’s closer to the Citroen e-C5 Aircross, Vauxhall Grandland Electric and Kia EV5. Other options to consider include the Ford Explorer, Peugeot e-3008, Nissan Leaf and Hyundai Kona Electric.

Interior comfort, quality & technology

The EX5’s interior makes a strong first impression, with an attractive design and plenty of plush materials to embarrass some similarly priced EVs.

All versions get faux leather upholstery. Strangely, it’s blue only in the entry-level trim, but you can upgrade to a nice two-tone white and black effect on higher trims.

There’s leather-like trim almost everywhere you touch and look at, and although it’s covering harder plastics the overall effect is pleasant. Everything feels solid and built to last, too.

The EX5’s driving position sits you high up with a great view forwards out of the bonnet. The seat is comfortable yet supportive, and all versions get electric adjustment for the driver’s side. There’s no adjustable lumbar support, but it’s not really an issue here.

Large side and rear windows along with cutouts for the rear pillars give you a decent view out of the back, too.

As with many modern cars, the large touchscreen is the dominant control surface and there are very few physical buttons. You might think the dial on the centre console is a BMW iDrive-style controller, but it doesn’t control the screen and can be set up to be a giant volume knob or temperature dial.

Overall, while the Skoda Elroq, Renault Scenic E-Tech and Kia EV3 don’t look or feel quite as plush, their more user-friendly cabin layout makes them easier to live with.

Infotainment, sat-nav, stereo and connectivity

Every EX5 gets a large 15.4in portrait-angled touchscreen dominating the dashboard.

First impressions of the screen are good, with slick graphics and quick responses to your inputs. There’s plenty of features to play with, too, but it’s not all good news.

Like many Chinese EVs, the screen controls almost everything bar the steering wheel adjustment. But the menus can be complicated – adjusting the heated seats involves delving through sub-menus, and even opening the sunroof is done via the screen.

It’s also a faff to turn off some of the over-zealous driving assist tech, unless you’ve spent time customising the menus to suit. Even then, rivals with physical buttons for key controls are more intuitive.

Built-in sat-nav and wireless Apple CarPlay features in all versions, but Geely says Android Auto support will arrive later in an over-the-air update.

The standard digital dial display is feature-packed but has some small fonts and icons. Max versions have a large head-up display as standard, however.

One of the two phone holders is a wireless charging pad on all versions, while both USB-A and USB-C ports are available around the cabin.

We’ve not tried the standard stereo, but the upgraded ‘Flyme’ system has 16-speakers for great sound. It even includes speakers in the headrests to let you take calls discreetly while passengers listen to music.

How practical is the Geely EX5?

The Geely EX5’s dimensions of 4,615mm in length, 1,901mm in width and 1,670mm in height make it quite a bit bigger than a Skoda Elroq or Renault Scenic E-Tech. It’s even fractionally larger than a Volkswagen ID.4.

That translates to exceptional cabin space. Those up front have plenty of head, leg and elbow space to spare, and Max versions have a luxury touch – an electrically deploying leg cushion for the front passenger seat.

All versions let you fold down the front backrests to create a makeshift bed – car camping is a popular endeavour in China.

The rear is equally as impressive, with even six-footers finding plenty of room to stretch their legs out and acres of headroom to spare.

Even three adults can get comfortable, with plenty of cabin width, a flat floor and enough foot space to avoid fighting for room. It’s roomier than almost every rival in the £30k-or-so electric SUV class, and not far off a Tesla Model Y.

Storage and boot space

Geely’s practicality focus in the EX5 gives you loads of storage spaces. You’ll find big door bins able to take the largest bottles up front, along with a large space under the centre console, a good-sized under-armrest storage cubby and a pair of phone holders.

Our only gripe is that the pair of cupholders and the glovebox aren’t as large as you’d expect. In the rear, you’ll again find big door bins, a pair of cupholders and – unusually – a big drawer that slides out from under the middle seat.

The EX5’s boot capacity of 460 litres isn’t huge given the car’s size, however. 410 litres of that space is above the boot floor (in its lowest position) with a 50-litre storage space underneath the floor.

Some of that is taken up with the charging cable and tyre repair kit, however. There’s no front storage under the bonnet, either, and there’s no ski hatch in the 60/40 split rear seats. Overall, a Scenic E-Tech or Skoda Elroq are both more practical.

Performance & drive: What is the Geely EX5 like on the road?

All versions of the EX5 come with the same 218hp electric motor driving the front wheels only, offering good performance levels for the money.

It’s quicker than entry-level versions of the Elroq and all versions of the EV3 or Scenic, but a little behind the performance of an MG S5 Long Range. Unless you’re an enthusiast, you’re unlikely to find situations where you feel wanting for power.  

In some front-wheel drive EVs the power can overwhelm the front tyres and cause wheelspin, but in the EX5 power is reigned in a bit a low speed to avoid this.

It still feels eager enough, though, and getting up to speed on the motorway is no chore with plenty of power in reserve. The throttle response can take some getting used to, as it’s sharp and tricky to hold at a constant speed.

There are three levels of regenerative braking to choose from, but choosing between each doesn’t seem to change much and you have to fiddle about with the touchscreen to do so. There is an adaptive mode (which is far from the best we’ve come across), but there’s no one-pedal driving mode to bring the car to a complete stop.

Power, 0-62mph times

• Geely EX5 SE/Pro: 218hp / 6.9 secs
• Geely EX5 Max: 218hp/ 7.1 secs

Ride and handling

The EX5’s driving experience is nothing to write home about, but it isn’t bad by electric SUV standards.

It’s clear that Geely wasn’t chasing sportiness when setting up the EX5, with its soft suspension soaking up lumps and bumps better than a Scenic or Vauxhall Grandland. That makes it great around town.

On the motorway, too, the EX5 is pretty smooth. It’s less composed on challenging country roads with varying surfaces, however, where it feels more unsettled and throws you around in your seat.

There’s plenty of body roll and the steering doesn’t give you a sense of connection to the front wheels. Switching to Sport mode adds too much gloopy weighting to the steering, too.

In Normal mode, though, it’s light and easy to steer around town, and for regular driving there’s nothing too bothersome for the average motorist.

Noise and refinement

You might expect the EX5 to be unrefined next to more expensive alternatives, but it isn’t. Road noise is well contained, and while there is a little wind noise it’s far from intrusive. The suspension doesn’t make clunking noises over bumps, either, although you can just about hear the electric motor whirring away as you accelerate.

Euro NCAP: is the Geely EX5 a safe car?

The Geely EX5 is a safe choice for families thanks to its maximum five-star Euro NCAP crash test rating.

High scores of 86% for adult occupant protection and 87% for child protection combined with strong pedestrian protection and safety assist scores to make the EX5 competitive with the best affordable electric SUVs.

There’s no shortage of standard safety kit, too, with every version including the usual automatic emergency braking, lane keeping aids and driver monitoring, alongside blind spot detection, rear cross-traffic alert and a safe door exit warning to stop a door being opened into the path of cars or vulnerable road users.

Charging, range and running costs

One key area where the Geely EX5 can’t embarrass more expensive rivals is when it comes to range on a charge.

With just one battery option giving a usable capacity of 60kWh, the EX5 promises an official range of up to 267 miles in WLTP combined testing. That reduces slightly to 258 miles in Pro trim and 255 miles in Max trim.

While those figures are competitive next to cars like the Ford Puma Gen-E and Leapmotor B10, it means the Geely lags behind cars like the Scenic E-Tech and long-range variants of the Skoda Elroq and Kia EV3. It also can’t quite match the MG S5.

Some will consider this a fair compromise given the sheer amount of car and standard equipment Geely offers for the money. And that applies to the entry-level version, but in Max trim we reckon it’s too close to those longer-range rivals in price.

At least a heat pump is standard across all versions, meaning the EX5 should be heat the cabin more efficiently in winter than rival EVs where heat pumps are optional.

Range on a charge (WLTP figures)

• Geely EX5 SE: 267 miles
• Geely EX5 Pro: 258 miles
• Geely EX5 Max: 255 miles

Some affordable electric cars don’t allow very fast rapid charging speeds, but the Geely EX5 isn’t one of them. Its peak DC charge rate of 160kW is more than the MG S5 can manage, and on a par with the Leapmotor B10.

Although it’ll be unlikely to sustain that peak charging speed for more than a few minutes, a quoted 10-80% charge time of 28 minutes is perfectly good for an EV at this price point.

What’s more, the EX5 accepts AC charging at up to 11kW, meaning it’ll make use of faster three-phase home or destination chargers. The same can be said of most rivals, bar the MG S5.

Every EX5 comes with Vehicle-to-Load technology, meaning you can power household appliances or camping equipment from an external adaptor on the car’s charge port.

Charging speeds

• 7kW charging: 9hrs 45 mins
• 11kW charging: 6hrs 30 mins
• 50kW rapid charger (10 to 80% charge): 59 mins
• 150kW+ rapid charger (10 to 80% charge): 28 mins

How much does the Geely EX5 cost to insure?

The Geely EX5 may be more expensive to insure than several rivals due to high insurance groups. The entry-level model sits in group 35, with the Max version in group 36.

That’s considerably higher than a Skoda Elroq, while it’s also more than fellow Chinese brand rivals from Leapmotor and MG. Part of the problem is Geely’s new arrival in the UK, meaning parts supply and support isn’t as well-known as established brands.