Geely EX5 review

When Netflix launched, its entire business model was to distribute content created by other studios. One day, however, it decided that it would be much easier (and profitable) to skip the middle man and make its own content instead. The new Geely EX5 is the product of similar thinking. 

You see, you might have actually heard the name Geely before – it already owns stakes in over 10 other car brands, including Lotus, Polestar, Smart, Volvo and even LEVC electric black cabs. 

The all-electric EX5, though, is the first of 10 models that Geely Auto is launching itself in the UK. It looks like it might have learned a lot from those other brands too, with the EX5 seeming to offer everything from a cheap price tag and loads of equipment to generous interior space. 

If it’s going to be a success, it’s going to need all that experience, largely because it goes head-to-head with some tough foes, including the Kia EV3, Skoda Elroq and Tesla Model Y. Can it stand its own? That’s what we’ll find out in this review.

How fast is it and which motor is best?

Every Geely EX5 comes with a 215bhp electric motor powering the front wheels, giving it an official 0-62mph sprint of 6.9sec (7.1sec if you go for the top Max trim). That’s a fair bit quicker than the Kia EV3 and Skoda Elroq 50 or 60. 

So far we’ve only driven the slightly slower Max and can say it doesn’t feel quite as fast as that 0-62mph figure suggests. Even so, put your foot down and you won’t struggle to get up to motorway speeds, or gain enough burst for an overtake – especially if you swap it into Sport mode

Is it agile and is the ride comfortable?

Unlike many electric cars, the EX5 is quite softly sprung, helping to make it quite comfortable to drive around in. Indeed, at slow speeds around town, it manages to soak up lumps and bumps with far more ease than a Leapmotor C10. 

When speeds increase, the EX5 is quite good at minimising vertical movement but struggles a bit more with side-to-side sway, moving you around in your seat over undulating roads. It stops short of feeling uncomfortable, but the Elroq is a more comfortable alternative. 

Both that rival and the EV3 manage to find a better balance between comfort and handling, too, with the softer EX5 leaning far more through fast corners. In fact, it feels far removed from any kind of sportiness; something that isn’t helped by steering that’s too light to give you any real feedback in Normal mode, and then becomes way too heavy in Sport mode. 

The thing is, it wasn’t designed for a blasting down B-roads. As such, leaving the steering in Normal mode will give you just enough weight build-up at normal speeds to let you know what the front wheels are up to, and its lightness around town makes slow manoeuvres easy.

Is it quiet and how easy is it to drive smoothly?

You have three different levels of regenerative braking to choose from and a separate automatic mode. Regardless of which level you opt for, the effect isn’t very strong, with even the top setting doing little to slow the car when you let off the accelerator. There’s no one pedal driving mode, so you’ll have to manually slow the car to a full stop. 

Speaking of which, pressing the brake pedal takes a bit of getting used to, with the first inch of travel not doing much and then feeling quite sharp. It’s still more feelsome than the Volkswagen ID 4’s brake pedal, though, making slowing to a smooth stop easy enough. 

Even at 60mph, the EX5 remains impressively refined, producing very little road noise and perfectly acceptable levels of wind noise. You’ll also hear a small amount of motor whine at low speeds, but it’s far from intrusive.

What’s the range and efficiency like, and how quickly can it charge?

No matter which EX5 trim level you go for, it’ll come with a 60.2kWh (usable capacity) battery. That gives the entry-level SE version an official range of 267 miles, which is around the same as the EV3 Standard Range and Elroq 60. 

Stepping up to the top Max trim reduces the range to around 255 miles. That isn’t ideal when it costs a similar amount to the EV3 Long Range and Elroq 85, both of which officially manage 375 miles and 355 miles respectively. 

Where charging is concerned, plugging into a 160kW fast charger will get you from 10-80% in 28min – the same as the Elroq 85. Meanwhile, plugging in to a 7kW home charger will get the EX5 from 10-100% in around six hours, which is much quicker than its rivals. 

“I’d suggest keeping the steering in Normal mode – Sport mode is way too heavy, while the Comfort mode is super light and always feels numb.” – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

What does the interior look like and is it well made?

If you go for the entry-level Geely EX5, you’ll get a blue faux-leather upholstery, while upgrading to either Pro or Max trim gives you the option of swapping that for a white and black cabin. 

Whichever you go for, the EX5 has plenty of showroom appeal, with leather-looking materials on almost every surface and a centre console that’s reminiscent of wood grain. It’s certainly impressive and looks plusher than the EV3’s cabin. 

Start tapping around, however, and you’ll find that even many of those leather-covered surfaces aren’t all that soft to the touch – they’re more a thin bit of leather over a hard plastic. Of course, not many people spend their time prodding around their cars, so that might not be an issue for most.

Is the driving position comfortable and is it easy to see out?

While the EX5 doesn’t sit you as high above the road as a Range Rover will, the driving position will appeal to those that like the lofty feel of an SUV. Better still, the seat lines you up perfectly with the steering wheel and pedals. 

No matter which trim level you go for, you get a manually-adjustable steering wheel and an electric driver’s seat comes as standard, making it easier to tailor the driving position to your preferences. It’s just a shame that it doesn’t get adjustable lumbar support, regardless of trim level. 

Thanks to the high driving position, you have a great view out over the bonnet, while the thin front pillars help to give you a clear view out at junctions. Rear visibility is good too, with large rear windows and cutouts in the rear pillars helping to increase the view over your shoulder. 

A large back window makes reversing and parking easy, while every EX5 comes with rear parking sensors and a 360-degree camera as standard. Top-spec Max trim makes parking even easier, with the addition of front parking sensors, too.

Is the dashboard and infotainment system easy to use?

As with many modern cars, you’ll struggle to find physical buttons inside the EX5. Instead, almost every feature is managed through a 15.4in infotainment touchscreen that sits along the centre of the dashboard.

We certainly can’t knock the screen resolution or the speed at which it responds to your taps. Some features are hidden deep within multiple menus, but it’s helpful that you can swipe down to access many of the things you’ll use most often, while the permanent shortcuts at the bottom of the screen can be customised. 

You may have also noticed from the pictures that the EX5 gets a physical rotary controller, but that isn’t to manage the screen. Instead, its default use is to turn the volume of the stereo up and down. That isn’t all that it does, though. Holding it down allows you to temporarily change what it does, including the temperature, fan speed and, weirdly, options like changing the touchscreen’s wallpaper.

As standard, every EX5 comes with built-in sat-nav and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring, with Android Auto support set to come later down the line. Going for top-spec Max upgrades the standard six-speaker stereo to a much punchier 16-speaker Flyme system, which even includes speakers in the front seat headrests.

“It’s nice to have the physical controller, but I found that its limited uses meant that I often just dived into the touchscreen to make changes instead.” – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

How much space does it have for people?

Even if you and your front seat passenger are over six-feet tall, you’ll have no trouble getting comfortable in the Geely EX5, with loads of head, leg and shoulder room on offer. 

It’s the same story in the back, too, where the EX5 gives taller people lots of head room and limo-like leg room. Indeed, it gives you more space to stretch out than the Kia EV3, Skoda Elroq and VW ID 4. Even the Tesla Model Y only offers slightly more space. 

Three adults sitting abreast will have enough shoulder room to get comfortable. Even better, the person sitting in the middle seat has no central tunnel to straddle, meaning lots of foot room, and the seat isn’t raised, affording them the same generous head room as the outer seats.

How much room does it have for luggage?

Look around the EX5 and you’ll find loads of handy storage spaces. In the front, they take the form of large door bins, a pair of cupholders, a pair of phone holding spaces, a cubby underneath the centre armrest and a space below the centre console. 

In the rear you get large door bins, a pair of cupholders on the centre armrest that folds down from the middle seat and, most useful of all, a 14-litre drawer that pulls out from under the middle seat. 

Unlike the Model Y and Renault Scenic – which both have 40/20/40 split-folding rear seats – the EX5 makes do with a 60/40 split and doesn’t have a ski hatch. That makes loading long items through from the boot more difficult, requiring you to sacrifice one of the outer rear seats. 

With the adjustable boot floor in its lowest position, the EX5 gives you up to 410 litres of boot space to play with. On paper, that’s a decent amount less space than the EV5 and Elroq, but the Renault Scenic and Tesla Model Y are far more generous. 

Luckily, the EX5 has a trick up its sleeve – a 51-litre cubby beneath the boot floor. That gives you plenty of space for the charging cable or shopping, while removing the floor gives you 460 litres of boot space, bringing the EX5 pretty much in line with the EV3 and Elroq. 

“You don’t get a frunk in the EX5, which is a shame, but I found that the large cubby beneath the boot floor does help to make up for that.” - Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer 

How much does it cost and what equipment do you get?

Going for the entry-level Geely EX5 SE will keep the list price around the same as the Skoda Elroq SE 50 but less than all of its other rivals, including the Kia EV3, Leapmotor C10, Renault Scenic and Tesla Model Y. 

Despite that, the SE still comes with loads of standard equipment, including 18in alloy wheels, keyless entry and start, wireless phone charging, privacy glass, a heated steering wheel, heated front seats, a 10.2in digital driver display and the other bits that we’ve already mentioned. 

Stepping up to Pro takes the price to around the same as the EV3 Standard Range Air and Elroq SE L 60, and doesn’t add all that much equipment. Indeed, it only adds 19in alloys and the option of the white interior. 

Top-spec Max costs as much as a mid-spec Elroq and gives you all the bells and whistles. The spec list is impressive given the price and includes a 13.8in head-up display, a panoramic sunroof, power tailgate, standard metallic paint, front seats with heating, ventilation, massage and memory functions, and a front passenger seat leg rest, which extends from the base of the seat.  

Is it reliable, and how long is the warranty?

As you might expect, given how new they are, neither the EX5 or Geely as a brand were included in the 2025 What Car? Reliability survey. 

Even so, the standard warranty of eight-years/125,000-miles should give you some peace of mind. That warranty also covers the battery.

On top of that, Geely offers four years of roadside assistance and two years of free maintenance, which includes the car’s first service.  

How safe is it, and is it easy to steal?

When it was tested by the safety experts at EuroNCAP in 2025, the EX5 was awarded the full five star rating. 

That’s largely because it comes with loads of standard safety equipment, including automatic emergency braking (AEB), blindspot monitoring, rear-cross traffic alert, emergency manoeuvre assist and door opening warning. And to stop thefts, every trim level comes with an alarm and an immobiliser unit.  

“I find the price of the EX5 very compelling … and that’s before you consider all of the discounts that Geely offers. Indeed, with all applied, the top-spec Max significantly undercuts its rivals.” – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

Buy it if...

-You want an electric SUV with a cheap price tag and loads of equipment

-Having loads of front and rear space is important to you

-You’re after an interior with loads of showroom appeal

Don’t buy it if…

-You want an electric SUV that handles well

-Having loads of boot space is important to you

-You want a car with a proven reliability record

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