Geely EX2 2026 Review

The 2026 Geely EX2 range has arrived Down Under in two grades: Complete (from $26,490 + ORCs) and Inspire ($30,990).

Both variants are powered by a rear-mounted electric motor, with measly 60kW/150Nm outputs for the base model and a slightly peppier 85kW/150Nm for the Inspire.

Battery packs also differ, with the base grade nabbing a small 35.3kWh lithium iron phosphate pack enabling it to travel a claimed 252km (WLTP) on a full charge, while the Inspire gets a larger 47.1kWh pack said to offer 345km.

Standard equipment for the base model includes 16-inch steel wheels, LED lighting all round, an active grille shutter, heated side mirrors, dark grey faux-leather upholstery, powered front seats, an 8.8-inch digital driver’s display, four-speaker sound system and a 14.6-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay, navigation and digital radio.

The Inspire, tested here, adds 16-inch alloy wheels, heating for the front seats and steering wheel, rain-sensing wipers, a powered tailgate, contrasting gloss black roof, metallic exterior trim accents, optional white interior and ambient interior lighting.

Every EX2 offers the usual EV perks, such as vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality (3.3kW capacity), a 70-litre frunk and a selection of drive modes.

Geely Connected Services will be offered across the EX2 range – activated in cars from mid-August – with two years complimentary access to voice assist, live traffic alerts, over-the-air (OTA) updates, remote vehicle functions, online media streaming etc.

Moon White is the only standard exterior hue, while fun options such as Nova Pink, Star Silver, Nebula Beige, Aurora Green and Comet Grey cost an extra $600.

While it’s yet to receive an official ANCAP safety rating – Geely says it’s coming – every version of the EX2 comes well-equipped in the safety department, including seven airbags, autonomous emergency braking, intelligent cruise control with lane change assist, rear cross traffic alert, blind spot detection, evasive manoeuvre assist and more.

There’s also an interior camera – and no, it’s not for selfies – mounted above the rearview mirror which Geely says is connected to the e-Call function set to activated in Q4.

In the event of an accident – or if you press the close by e-Call button – it’s able to send data (aka video footage) to Geely’s supplier (which presumably it then shares with emergency services) including the number of occupants on board, whether they’re wearing seatbelts and whether the airbags have deployed, among other things.

The EX2 is covered by a seven-year/unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty and an eight-year/unlimited-kilometre battery warranty, while services are due every 12 months or 20,000km, priced between $131 to $671 per visit depending on the year – a five-year service pack is priced at $1190.

Given the lack of power in the 2026 Geely EX2 – even in top-spec form – it’s surprisingly enjoyable to drive.

Its rear-wheel drive layout lends it a unique edge compared to the plethora of equivalent front-drive EVs it’s up against, including the (cheaper and more powerful but only four-seat) BYD Atto 1, (older and less advanced) BYD Dolphin and the (more expensive) GAC Aion UT.

The MG4 is just about the only direct rival offered in a similar rear-drive layout but at $10K more, it doesn’t come close on value factor.

Another unique aspect is the EX2’s multi-link rear suspension, and that fact we get the European-tuned version Down Under is a boon – it’s surprisingly tied down with lovely damping that allows you to glide over most bumps or rough patches of road without crashing through the cabin.

It’s incredibly quiet and serene on the move too, and it feels like Geely has paid particular attention to the NVH levels here – it’s particularly impressive for a city car at this price point.

Strangely, the steering in the EX2 I drove from Sydney CBD to Manly via Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park’s windy roads during the local launch felt slightly different to the vehicle I then tested over the following week.

My initial impression of the steering, which felt much too light, vague and disconnected from the front wheels even in its Sport drive mode, seemed to firm up and feel much more direct in the EX2 I loaned for the week. Curious, given both wore the same Yokohama rubber and were identical in spec.

There’s a lot to like about the EX2 and it feels like a lot of car for the money. The heated steering wheel (with auto function) is a creature comfort you wouldn’t normally find in a budget city car and the 256-colour ambient interior lighting that extends to the second row’s door cards is a nice touch at night.

Speaking of lighting, the LED headlights do a fantastic job of lighting up a poorly-lit road and are almost as impressive as the huge central touchscreen. The graphics are impressively crisp, even if its responsiveness can be a bit hit and miss at times.

As for the rest of the cabin, Geely touts a whopping 30 interior storage spaces, but that’s only if you count the second row’s large under-seat space as three separate spots – bit of marketing fluff going on there…

Even still, the cabin feels more spacious than it should for such a small machine. At 4135mm long and a bit over 1805mm wide, the EX2 is about the same size as a Toyota Yaris, yet it’s able to swallow four adults comfortably and still offer cubbies for said adults’ knick-knacks.

The drawer-style glovebox (with a 10L capacity) is a highlight for me, although the huge open storage under the rear seat really could’ve been better utilised had Geely installed some drawers or pockets to hold items in place.

Finally, I’m very glad to report that what I initially thought was either a glitch or evidence the EX2 listens to everything you say, even when it shouldn’t, is in fact a feature in which the voice assist can perform certain functions without having to activate the ‘Hey Geely’ voice assistant.

Dubbed scenario-based wake commands, it cleverly responds to commands like “next song”, “resume playing”, “open navigation” etc.

I only discovered this after a few random song changes when conversing with my passenger and was convinced the car was fitted with Chinese spyware until I worked out what was going on.

In case you hadn’t worked it out already, the 2026 Geely EX2 is heavily reliant on technology, but that’s not unusual for a modern car, even if it can be slightly disconcerting.

For example, there’s no power on/start button – you just sit in the driver’s seat, hit the brake pedal and it comes to life.

You also rely on the central display for most of the climate control functions and the voice assist, while helpful at times, is far from perfect in its interpretation.

On the move, overzealous driver assistance aids easily annoy but can be easily dampened with a quick swipe down of the shortcut menu on the central display and the press of the ‘Drive Setup’ button, which engages your preset choices.

A concerning power loss experience also baffled.

While taking off at a green light in light rain, the vehicle suffered a brief, micro-second loss of power – accompanied by a quick red flash on the driver's display that had disappeared before I could work out what it was – before resuming normal acceleration.

It didn’t feel like an emergency brake situation – if the front camera had mistakenly identified a rain droplet as another vehicle, for example – and it certainly wasn’t traction control kicking in either (I hadn’t taken off hard and even if I had, it takes a lot of effort to spin the rear tyres).

Which brings us to the powertrain and its measly 85kW/150Nm outputs – barely enough to pull the skin off a rice pudding.

That might seem harsh, because despite an 11.5-second sprint to 100km/h, it feels surprisingly zippy and nimble darting around town.

Even when pushed hard on the faster flowing tarmac we tackled in the National Park, it remains endearingly slow – yet somehow keeps pace, both dynamically and eventually in speed.

Without the opportunity to test the lesser 60kW Complete variant, I’d hazard a guess you wouldn’t want to leave low-speed city streets.

The 2026 Geely EX2 is uniquely compelling and arrives with little competition at this price point. The BYD Atto 1 is smaller and only seats four, the Dolphin is old news and the GAC Aion UT is pricier (although a more affordable version is coming).

If you’re happy to size up, the similarly priced BYD Atto 2 is more powerful and spacious, but its 345km range is on par with the EX2, so you won’t necessarily get much further.

Nothing comes close to being as cute and endearing as the EX2 and no, not just because it comes in baby pink – although I wouldn’t be a hot-blooded female if I didn’t admit I love its pastel colour palette...

With some –or a lot of – effort, it even drifts… or so I’ve heard.

But if you crave an athletic, neck-snapping small EV with ultra-fast charging, run the other way because this is not the car for you.

If you want something a little different and a lot cute, it’s difficult not to be charmed by the EX2. If you’re even mildly intrigued, you should book in for a test drive and if you really want my opinion, go straight for the top-spec Inspire: not only will it get places faster and go further on a single charge but it adds some lovely creature comforts the base model misses out on.

And for the love of all things cute, get the pink one!

2026 Geely EX2 Inspire at a glance:
Price: $30,990 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: Single permanent magnet synchronous motor
Output: 85kW/150Nm
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Battery: 47.14kWh lithium-iron phosphate
Range: 345km (WLTP)
Energy consumption: 15.5kWh/100km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Not tested

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