Geely EX5 Review: The $42k Electric SUV That Out-Ranges a Model Y

A Tesla Model Y RWD costs $58,900 before on-road costs and claims 466km of range. A Geely EX5 Complete costs $41,990 and claims 475km. That $16,910 gap is why the EX5 was Australia’s eighth best-selling new vehicle in August, according to VFACTS, ahead of every Toyota except the RAV4, HiLux and Prado.

This review covers the 2026 Geely EX5 Complete Extended Range, the base grade with the new 68.39kWh battery, and notes where the $45,990 Inspire differs. Rather than rehash other road tests, it runs the EX5’s official numbers through the costs Australian owners actually face: range per dollar, charging time and seven years of ownership.

The Geely EX5 Verdict

The EX5 Complete is the value benchmark for electric SUVs in 2026. It offers more claimed range than a Model Y RWD for about $17,000 less, a seven-year warranty and a genuinely roomy cabin. The compromises are a zero towing rating, a touchscreen-heavy interface and a ride tuned more for comfort than control.

Why it’s worth buying

• The cheapest claimed range of any mid-size electric SUV compared here, at about $88 per kilometre
• Seven-year unlimited-kilometre warranty, with eight years and no kilometre cap on the battery
• A spacious, well-finished cabin with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Light for an EV at 1766kg, which helps efficiency

What holds it back

• No tow rating at all on the current model
• A 100kW DC peak that makes road-trip stops slower than rivals
• Too many everyday controls buried in the touchscreen
• Soft suspension that can feel bouncy on undulating roads

Inside: a cabin built around one big screen

Both grades get a 15.4-inch central touchscreen, a 10.2-inch digital instrument display and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which arrived with the 2026 update. The Inspire adds a 13.4-inch head-up display, a 16-speaker 1000W stereo and front seats with massage, ventilation and an extended leg rest.

That screen runs almost everything, and it’s the EX5’s biggest weakness. CarExpert’s review found most tasks need an extra press or two compared with rivals that keep physical buttons, and even the headlight controls have moved into the display. It’s the same trap the industry is now climbing out of, as covered in why physical buttons are returning.

Space is the strength. At 4615mm long with a 2750mm wheelbase, the EX5 is a genuine mid-size SUV, and the rear bench sits over a flat floor with plenty of room for three across. Boot space with the seats up is modest for the class, but it grows to 1877 litres with them folded.

How far does 475km really go, and what does it cost?

The Complete’s 475km WLTP claim comes from a 68.39kWh lithium iron phosphate battery. CarExpert recorded 15.6kWh/100km in its Inspire test, which works out to roughly 438km from a full charge. That’s Sydney to Canberra with about 150km in reserve, or a week of suburban driving for most households.

Divide price by claimed range and the EX5 Complete costs about $88 for every kilometre of WLTP range. A Model Y RWD costs about $126, and even Zeekr’s long-legged 7X Long Range sits near $104. The Inspire’s heavier kit list pushes it to $102, which is why the base car is the smarter buy.

How long does the EX5 take to charge?

Geely claims a 30 to 80 per cent DC top-up in about 20 minutes from a 100kW peak. At home, the maths is slower. Using the full battery, a 10 to 100 per cent charge takes around 27 hours on a 10-amp cable, nine hours on a 7kW wallbox and under six hours on three-phase at the EX5’s 11kW AC limit.

The 100kW peak is the number that dates the EX5, because rivals such as the Zeekr 7X accept up to 420kW. For households that charge at home, it barely matters. Where the new Solar Sharer plans are available, a 7kW charger running through the free three-hour midday window adds about 21kWh, or roughly 130km of range.

On the road: soft, quiet and a little too eager to beep

The single front motor makes 160kW and 320Nm, and Geely claims 0 to 100km/h in 7.4 seconds. That’s brisk for a family SUV. Front-wheel drive and a 1766kg kerb weight make it light by EV standards, a good 500kg lighter than a Zeekr 7X Long Range, which helps it stretch each kilowatt-hour.

The tune favours comfort. CarExpert found the suspension soft enough to turn bouncy over undulating roads, and the driver assistance intrusive, with an insistent overspeed warning and oversensitive collision alerts. The alerts are software that Geely can refine through over-the-air updates. The suspension is hardware, so test drive it on a rough road before signing.

Safety, warranty and seven-year running costs

The EX5 carries a five-star ANCAP rating from 2025 testing and seven airbags. Geely’s warranty runs seven years with unlimited kilometres, and the battery is covered for eight years, also with no kilometre limit. That beats the Zeekr 7X’s five-year warranty, whose battery cover stops at 160,000km.

Capped-price servicing totals $2,052 over seven years at 12-month or 20,000km intervals, which averages about $293 a year. Resale is the open question for any newer Chinese brand, and EV depreciation has been unkind to early buyers. EV insurance premiums are also rising, so it wouldn’t hurt to get a quote before you commit.

Geely EX5 price and value against the Model Y and BYD

The Complete Extended Range costs $41,990 and the Inspire $45,990 before on-road costs, each $1,000 more than before the battery upgrade. The Model Y RWD asks $58,900 for 466km. BYD’s Atto 3 Premium claims 420km, which leaves the cheaper EX5 Complete 55km ahead on paper.

Buyers have done the same maths. Geely’s Australian sales grew more than tenfold year on year in August, and the EX5 finished eighth overall with 1,947 registrations. It’s part of the same shift that saw BYD take second place in the market, and anyone cross-shopping should read the BYD Atto 3 long-term review first.

Same parent, different price: the EX5 against the Zeekr 7X

Geely owns Zeekr, so the 7X is the EX5’s most revealing rival. The 7X Long Range costs $63,900, or $21,910 more than the EX5 Complete. For that money it adds 140km of claimed range, 150kW more power, rear-wheel drive, a 2000kg braked tow rating and DC charging at up to 420kW, more than four times the EX5’s peak.

What the extra money doesn’t buy is a longer warranty. The EX5 matches or beats the 7X on cover, costs less to service over the long run, and weighs about 570kg less. For a family that charges at home and never tows, the EX5 does roughly 80 per cent of the 7X’s job for about two thirds of the price.

Complete or Inspire? And who shouldn’t buy either

Buy the Complete. It has the longer 475km range, the same screen, motor and warranty, and leaves $4,000 in your pocket for a home charger and its installation. The Inspire only makes sense for buyers who want the head-up display, premium stereo and massage seats, and will accept 25km less range to get them.

Skip the EX5 if you need to tow a trailer, because the current model has no tow rating. A 750kg-rated version appears in government approval data reported by Zecar, but it isn’t on sale yet. Skip it too if you road-trip often and want fast charging, or if physical buttons matter more than price.

The EX5 doesn’t beat the Model Y at everything. It charges slower, its interface is fussier and its resale is unproven. But it offers more claimed range, a longer warranty and a comfier cabin for about $17,000 less. For most families, that isn’t a compromise. It’s the answer.