Living with the Geely EX5: What’s it really like?
Not that long ago, new brands arriving from China tended to focus almost entirely on value. Big screens, lots of equipment and tempting prices were usually the headline acts, even if the overall experience still felt a little rough around the edges compared to established European rivals.
The EX5 feels different. Value is still a huge part of the appeal here, but what stands out most after spending proper time with it is just how complete the whole package feels. The quality, refinement and day-to-day usability are all far closer to what you’d expect from a more premium European badge than a relatively new player trying to break into the market.
And perhaps most impressively, Geely has managed to do that while keeping pricing genuinely competitive. For roughly the same money as a hybrid Jaecoo 7, you’re getting a fully electric family SUV with strong range, loads of standard equipment and an interior that feels surprisingly upmarket.
That immediately makes it worth paying attention to.
EX5: First impressions
The EX5 doesn’t try too hard visually, and honestly, that’s probably a smart move. A lot of newer Chinese brands seem desperate to stand out with overly complicated styling, massive grilles or aggressive lighting signatures. The Geely takes a more restrained approach.
It’s clean, modern and fairly understated overall, with slim LED lighting, smooth body surfacing and proportions that feel very European in their design influence. If you didn’t know what it was, you could easily assume it came from a more established mainstream brand.
That’s especially true inside. The cabin is where the EX5 makes its strongest first impression. Close the door and there’s an immediate sense of solidity that genuinely catches you off guard. The materials feel good, the layout is clean and minimal without being confusing, and there’s a surprising amount of soft-touch trim throughout.
Even after a week, it continued to feel impressively well screwed together. There’s clearly been a huge focus on perceived quality here, because the EX5 rarely falls into the trap that some rivals still do – where flashy screens distract from cheaper-feeling basics underneath.
Talking of flashy screens, that’s one thing we’d perhaps like to see an improvement in future. The menus take some getting used to, and learning exactly how to deactivate warnings or bringing up the right area of the screen proved tricky to remember – even after a week.
EX5: Living with it
What stood out most during the week wasn’t any single standout feature. It was how easy the EX5 was to live with. The driving position is comfortable, visibility is good and the cabin feels airy without becoming overly minimalist.
Space is another strong point – rear passengers get plenty of room, while the flat floor helps the cabin feel properly open. The boot isn’t class leading, although you can extend the 410 litres of space to more than 450 if you take advantage of the hidden underfloor storage.
At motorway speeds, the EX5 stays quiet and composed in a way that feels noticeably more premium than its price point might suggest. Wind noise is well suppressed, road noise is nicely controlled and the suspension deals with rougher roads without crashing over imperfections.
That relaxed nature quickly becomes one of the car’s biggest strengths.
EX5: Electric performance and range
The EX5 isn’t trying to be sporty, and that’s absolutely fine. Instead, Geely has focused on smoothness and ease of use – which suits the car far better.
The electric motor delivers power progressively, acceleration is more than quick enough for everyday driving and it never feels strained. Like most EVs, it feels particularly responsive around town, where the instant torque makes pulling away from junctions or overtaking traffic effortless.
Range figures are competitive too, with official numbers putting it comfortably in the territory most family buyers will realistically need. More importantly, the efficiency during our time with it felt believable in real-world conditions. Even with mixed motorway and urban driving, the projected range didn’t wildly collapse in the way some EVs still tend to.
Charging speeds are decent rather than ground-breaking, but again, that feels perfectly acceptable given the likely pricing position. And that’s really the key thing with the EX5. Nothing about it screams excess or gimmickry. Instead, it feels like Geely has focused on getting the fundamentals right.
EX5: The bigger picture
The most interesting thing about the EX5 is what it says about where Chinese brands are heading. Because this no longer feels like a car bought purely on price.
Instead, it feels like a genuinely credible alternative to established European and Korean family SUVs – one that just also happens to offer strong value at the same time. That’s a significant shift.
There’s a level of polish here that would’ve been difficult to imagine from newer Chinese brands even five years ago. The refinement, material quality and overall cohesiveness all point towards manufacturers like Geely moving rapidly upmarket.
And unlike some rivals that still lean heavily on aggressive styling or oversized tech features to grab attention, the EX5 feels confident enough to be understated. That maturity arguably makes it more convincing.
EX5: Should you consider leasing one?
If you’re still sceptical about Chinese cars, the EX5 might be one of the models that changes your mind. Not because it reinvents the family SUV formula, but because it executes it so competently across the board.
It’s comfortable, refined, spacious and impressively well built, while the fully electric drivetrain gives it an edge over some similarly priced hybrid alternatives. The fact you can get a fully electric EX5 for the sort of money that might otherwise put you into a hybrid Jaecoo 7 only strengthens the case further. And once competitive lease deals start appearing, it could become a genuinely compelling option for family buyers who simply want a high-quality EV without paying premium-badge prices.
A week with the EX5 doesn’t just leave you impressed by the car itself. It leaves you realising just how seriously the rest of the industry should now be taking brands like Geely.
