In September, Automotive giant Geely Auto announced its entry into Australia with a tech-focused electric SUV – the Geely EX5.
The EX5 has already been a hit in China, with recent reports from Geely suggesting over 50,000 EX5 deliveries in just 100 days. This is quite an achievement, given the competitive landscape of the Chinese EV market and the dozens of other options available.
The pricing of the Geely EX5 is likely to be announced closer to its launch in Australia, but is expected to be in the $45,000-$50,000 range. The car’s launch is pencilled in for the first half of 2025.
I got the opportunity to drive it at Ningbo International Speedway in China, and I have to say that it delivers a light, efficient, and spacious experience that we are yet to see in Australia.
Let’s start by going through the numbers of what we’re likely to get with this SUV. It is powered by a front-wheel-drive motor that produces 160 kW and 320 Nm of torque.
This is enough to accelerate the car from 0 to 100 km/h in under 7 seconds, outpacing the BYD Atto 3. It certainly feels it, too, with no sluggishness in terms of pedal responsiveness and the motor’s ability to deliver power when needed.
Part of this is thanks to the innovative motor technology found in the powertrain. This includes an 11-in-1 motor developed and produced by Geely’s drivetrain partner, InfiMotion Technology, which has R&D centres in Gothenburg, Sweden, and China.
This drive unit weighs under 80 kg and is one of the most compact drivetrain units that I have seen.
This unit is fed by a 60.22 kWh battery pack, which delivers 530 km of NEDC range, which is expected to be 430 km of real-world WLTP range. Given the efficiency figures of 11.9 kWh/100 km on the NEDC cycle, I suspect it’s higher than that and likely to be closer to 13.5 kWh/100 km under the WLTP cycle.
The new battery packs are lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) in chemistry and contain Geely’s short Blade batteries with an energy density of 192 Wh/kg, which is above BYD’s current Blade battery found in the Dolphin, Atto 3, and Seal.
The battery is charged with either an onboard 11 kW AC charger or by DC fast charging at speeds of up to 100 kW. This will ensure a quick charging time of 20 minutes when charging it from 30-80%.
This battery pack also forms part of the car’s body, thanks to cell-to-body (CTB) technology incorporated into the vehicle’s structure. This is quite unique and helps deliver more space inside the cabin while reducing the EX5’s weight.
The weight reduction alone will help with those efficiency figures we touched on earlier. Unlike many other electric SUVs, it weighs under 1750 kg, which is lighter than other similar electric SUVs, including the Tesla Model Y.
On the inside, Geely has done a good job keeping it quite simple while delivering a spacious cabin. There is a large infotainment screen in the centre that uses some of the latest chipsets, making it very fast and responsive when switching between different apps, including navigation.
This level of responsiveness and user experience is not seen on many models in our market, and if they are there, they are priced way above where the EX5 is likely to be.
Although the voice command system was in Chinese when I tested it, it was very quick and accurate, following commands without any hiccups. I spotted comparable EVs.
I also got to test out the sound system in the car, which is a huge improvement over cars like the BYD Atto 3. The level of refinement and how the EX5 delivers that experience made it enjoyable to listen to music in it.
This sound system, thanks to Flyme, includes 16 individual speakers, some integrated into the headrests. This helped deliver great default bass levels and made listening to music from a broad range of genres quite enjoyable.
Behind the steering wheel, there is a well-sized screen displaying all the key driving metrics, as well as a heads-up display, so you don’t have to worry about taking your eyes off the road.
There is also a moonroof and a sunroof that can be opened when needed. This sunroof makes the car feel very spacious, even for taller occupants.
The seats in both the front and the back are very comfortable. There is so much legroom in the back, which took me a while to understand. You just don’t expect this much room in a car that is just 4.6 metres in length.
Now, to the driving and it is clear that Geely has put a lot of effort into keeping the noise levels in the cabin low. Everything feels well insulated, and even at high-speed sections of the track, the wind noise coming inside the cabin was minimal.
Putting your foot down, the car does take off, with the front-mounted drive unit doing a good job to ensure there isn’t any lag. There was just the right amount of regenerative braking, which can be increased by tapping on the brake pedal as needed.
Around corners at high speed, the EX5 did not feel too floaty and stayed fairly well-planted. That said, the suspension was on the softer end in the left-hand-drive car I drove and is expected to be adjusted with a local tune before it arrives in Australia.
If the Geely EX5 is priced right for our market, it will likely do very well in the highly competitive landscape. By doing so, it could help lay the foundations for Geely to become a significant player in the Australian automotive landscape in the coming years.
Geely EX5 Video
The future is now!
Meet the electric Geely EX5—designed for everday, built for every adventure.
Who’s ready to join the ride?#GlobalGeelyGoElectrified #GeelyAuto #SeeTheWorldInFull pic.twitter.com/9Deg8yDZM5
— Geely Auto (@GeelyAutoGlobal) November 10, 2024
Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.