Geely Galaxy EX5 2025 Review

Ahead of an expected launch in early 2025, there’s no word yet on Australian pricing for the EX5. But given its affordability in China we’re expecting the EX5 to arrive as one of the most attainable electric cars in the market. In its native China, base models start at just RMB 109,800, the equivalent of $23,500 here, and rise to RMB 145,800 or $31,200. That’s actually cheaper than the smaller Atto 3 and petrol Omoda C5s in China, suggesting pricing could be quite appealing indeed.

For the price, the EX5 comes with a healthy range of equipment, both standard and optional. While bearing in mind that local specifications may differ, standard equipment includes a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster and a 15.4-inch 2.5k central screen running Geely’s own 7Nm Dragon Eagle chip and the Flyme Auto operating system. It’s a slick system too, with a wide range of functionality, including phone mirroring and a digital assistant.

The base model gets a six-speaker sound system, but we’re likely to see only the full 16-speaker Flyme Sound set up, which includes two speakers in the driver’s headrest for things like navigation instructions. There are even speakers for outside the car, which can advise people it’s safe to cross the road, although it’s unclear whether that we’ll be available in locally-delivered cars.

All models come with a pair of USB-A and USB-C sockets in the front and the rear, while more expensive versions get a 50W vented wireless charger in the front. There’s also V2L (‘Vehicle to Load’) functionality up to 3.3kW as standard, enabling you to power camping equipment and other external devices.

High-end models are equipped with features including a large head-up display screen, 256-colour ambient lighting, and a sunroof with electric sunblind built-in, as well as rain-sensing wipers. There’s also the option of 19-inch alloys if the standard 18-inch variants don’t suit.

There’s no word yet on local warranty information so we’ll cover that closer to the local launch date.

The EX5 hasn’t been tested yet by any of the major agencies but Geely was keen to stress the company expects five-star ratings based on in-house testing.

At least in China, every version comes with six airbags as standard, including front and side airbags for both front-seat occupants, as well as curtain airbags covering the front and rear. A whole raft of active safety features as standard includes ABS, EBD, ESC, curve braking control, an electronic anti-roll system, and all-weather traction control. Some features that only make it to higher-end variants in China but are either mandatory or desirable in Australia include AEB, blind-spot monitoring, door-opening warning, rear cross-traffic alert, and rear collision warning.

There’s also lane-departure warning, standard and emergency lane-keeping assist, traffic sign recognition, and front pre-collision warnings, as well as automatic high- and low-beam switching and a function where the car makes extra space when passing large vehicles with cruise control set.

For those who do a lot of highway mileage, the EX5 comes equipped with level two autonomous driving features including adaptive cruise control and intelligent cruise assist. We found these worked quite well even in heavy rain.

Buyers will also get automatic locking and unlocking of the car when the key is in the driver’s pocket, and a bunch of app-based features for the phone, such as locking the car, cabin and battery pre-heating, and even turning on the seat heating and ventilation or opening the skylight. There’s also a high-definition driving recorder, so no need for a dashcam.

For now, there’s just the one drivetrain option, which is a 160kW front-mounted motor producing 320Nm of torque. That’s more power than the Atto 3, Omoda E5, and the upcoming fully electric MG ES5, and gives it a sprint advantage over all of them, hitting 100kph from a standstill in just 6.9 seconds. That’s handy to have when zipping around town and makes the EX5 feel quite nippy for a car of its size. Being front-driven, however, there is wheelspin present when making a quick exit from a junction, particularly on wet surfaces.

The EX5 is Geely’s first model fitted with the Aegis short blade LFP batteries, which are similar in style to BYD’s familiar blade batteries, but pack greater energy density (192Wh/kg compared to 150Wh/kg) and offer faster charging speeds, resulting in impressive range figures for their modest size.

In Australia we’re expected to get only the larger 60.22kWh battery, which achieves a range of 430km on the WLTP cycle, besting the similar spec Atto 3 by 10km and equalling the Omoda E5. Geely claims efficiency of 15.8kWh per 100km (WLTP) and our real-world testing achieved 16kWh per 100km driving from Ningbo to Hangzhou, primarily at highway speeds and in torrential rain, which is a solid outcome.

Charging is also faster than for the Atto 3 and Omoda E5, taking 20 minutes to charge from 30-80 per cent, compared to 30 and 28 minutes respectively for the other two. DC fast charging at 100kW is standard, and 11kWh AC charging is available too, faster than both rivals could manage. With the right charging pile, you can add 135km of range in just ten minutes.

Geely took the unusual step of letting us loose on their Ningbo-based race circuit and, while nobody is likely to be launching their EX5 into heavy braking zones on a daily basis, the test nevertheless revealed the main characteristics of the EX5, namely that it’s very softly sprung with a decent dose of body roll when pushed hard, as well as fairly numb steering that’s not particularly precise around the top-centre position. It does, however, have impressive braking ability and feels stable at top speed. Geely actually claims it’ll run the Elk test (a European crash avoidance test) at 78km/h.

Geely has assured us that EX5 models shipped to Australia will have modifications made to the steering and suspension to make it more responsive and generally firmer in a way that better suits our somewhat patchy roads, but the reality is most people buying the EX5 don’t need it to be overly performance focused. For everyday driving it’s a very simple car to get along with, easy to place thanks to good visibility, and generally very comfortable to drive, while being just fast enough to give you a head start at traffic lights.

Compared to an Atto 3 or Omoda E5, the EX5 is really quite a pleasant place to be. The larger overall footprint makes it more spacious all round than competitors, particularly in the rear where the EX5 really excels for foot, knee and headroom, while an appealing variety of interior colours and materials gives the EX5 something of a premium feel on a budget.

Seats, steering wheel, and most upper surfaces are covered in soft synthetic leather materials, and there’s even some microfibre seat elements with the dark pink upholstery option, while the centre console gets wood-effect plastic and metallic elements.

The driver’s seat is adjustable in six dimensions to the passenger seat’s four, but the latter does also come with a lift-up leg rest on top editions in case you need somewhere to lay back while charging. There’s even the option of heating, ventilation, and eight-point massaging functions on both front seats for higher-spec models. Rear seats miss out on that, but do get two-stage backrest angle adjustment as standard and an armrest with twin cupholders on premium versions.

Additionally, copious storage is on offer, with a large cavity under the dashboard, a fairly large drawer neatly concealed beneath the rear bench, and a dual-floor boot that features additional deep storage under the floor. Luggage capacity is usefully large at 461 litres anyway, and is expandable to 1877 litres with the 40/60 split-fold rear seats laid flat. But there’s no frunk.

On the available evidence, the EX5 compares very favourably to its core rivals in this segment, the BYD Atto 3, Omoda E5, and the upcoming MG ES5, by offering more space, power, and range than all three rivals, as well as very impressive equipment levels.

If the price comes in at the same ballpark figures as those rivals it’s going to be very difficult to look past the EX5, and when you factor in the brands Geely is synonymous with these days (Volvo and Lotus), you get the sense it’s worth taking a punt on the ‘new’ name.

2025 Geely Galaxy EX5 at a glance:
Price: Expected around $45,000 to $55,000
Available: First quarter 2025
Powertrain: Single permanent magnet synchronous motor
Output: 160kW/320Nm
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Battery: 60.22kWh lithium-ion short blade
Range: 430km (WLTP)
Energy consumption: 15.8kWh/100km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Not tested

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