New Geely EX5 to launch in October priced at £31,990

On sale October Price from £31,990

Chinese car giant Geely, which owns Lotus, Polestar, Volvo, plus London taxi maker LEVC, has entered the UK car market – and its first model, the Geely EX5, will be delivered to customers in the coming weeks.

The EX5 will be a mid-size electric SUV, and it’ll take on the likes of the Kia EV3 and Skoda Elroq.

At the heart of the EX5 is a 60.2kWh (usable capacity) battery, good for an official range of 267 miles. That’s three miles less than the standard range EV3, but it's further than most versions of the Elroq can manage. Larger batteries are a possibility, according to UK boss Mike Yang, and they could be offered if there was sufficient demand from customers.

The EX5's battery can facilitate charging speeds of up to 160kW, which means a 30-80% top-up should take around 20 minutes. The EX5 will also be capable of vehicle-to-load charging at up to 3.3kW, allowing you to power external devices using the car's battery.

A front-mounted electric motor will pump out 215bhp, allowing the EX5 to sprint from 0-62mph in 6.9sec. That means you get more punch than in an EV3 and most versions of the Elroq.

Inside, the EX5 gets a 15.4in central infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and a 10.2in driver’s display behind the wheel, as well as heated and electrically adjustable front seats and a heated steering wheel. If you opt for top-spec Max trim, you also get a 13.4in head-up display. There’s a noticeable lack of physical buttons, but you do get a rotary dial on the centre console.

We were able to briefly sample the infotainment system, and found the screens to be responsive in operation, displaying bright and crisp graphics. Interior quality impresses, particularly given the price, and there’s a high level of practicality, with 33 storage spaces around the interior – including drawers which pull out from under the rear seats.

There’s an impressive amount of room up front, and there’s plenty of leg room in the rear, with space for passengers to comfortably slide their feet under the front seats. Head room is plentiful, even in cars fitted with a panoramic roof – a feature which traditionally lowers the interior roofline.

The boot is wide, but appears quite shallow with the boot floor in place, but there’s a large area underneath which increases its usability significantly.

Three trim levels are available: SE, Pro and Max. Entry-level SE trim comes with 18in alloy wheels, LED lighting, rain-sensing windscreen wipers, keyless entry, a 360-degree parking camera and adaptive cruise control.

Mid-spec Pro trim adds 19in alloy wheels as well as the option of a different colour interior. Meanwhile, stepping up to top-spec Max trim gets you a host of additional creature comforts including a panoramic sunroof, a powered tailgate, ambient interior lighting, ventilated and massaging front seats, a 16-speaker audio system with speakers in the driver's headrest and the head-up display.

All models feature an eight-year, 125,000-mile warranty, with eight years of battery cover, four years of breakdown cover and two years of free maintenance.

Deliveries of the Geely EX5 will start in October, with prices starting at £31,990 for the entry-level model – putting it in the same ballpark as a Skoda Elroq, while the Kia EV3 is slightly more expensive.

Pro trim bumps that price up to £33,990, and you'll pay £36,990 for the range-topping Max trim.

While the EX5 is not currently eligible for the Government’s Electric Car Grant, Geely is funding its own discount of between £2300 and £3750, and is offering an extra £1000 on petrol or diesel models which are part-exchanged against a new model.

Additionally, Geely can arrange an Andersen home charger to be supplied and fitted for £499, or offer £500 of free public charging.

Geely has already appointed 25 dealers, with a further 25 due by the end of the year. By the end of 2026, that figure will double to 100 around the country.

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