Geely EX5 — Excitement, Curiosity, and Anxious Questions

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Last Updated on: 8th May 2025, 01:29 am

I’ve seen it all before. Every time a new car is released on to the Australian market, someone starts a Facebook group and the cycle repeats. It reminds me so much of when mobile phones came out and my teenage kids would sit around the table and share tips and apps. The Geely EX5 is making a splash down under, and although only a few have been delivered, thousands are on order, and new customers are on the edge of their seats. You can visit the group here.

The almost frenetic search for answers has led the group moderator to say in an almost Yoda-like fashion: All the answers you seek have been given. On almost a daily basis. It looks like Geely is having the same hiccups as any new electric car that has arrived. The same questions, the same learnings: charging, what to install at home, accessories (floormats), wifi glitches, “how do I use the app?,” etc. I saw this with Tesla and then with BYD. Sales ramp up, deliveries ramp up, problems are found and solved, staff are recruited and trained — sometimes on the job!

Here is the experience of a recent purchaser. She is one of the lucky ones who already has her car. 

For some, the waiting game has taken over their lives. Daily schedule of those waiting to get car:

1. Wake up and check Geely EX5 Facebook page for new posts.
2. Brush teeth and then think which charger you are going to get — 10A and 15A ports, etc.
3. Take a shower and then check who got their cars today and say “Congratulations.”
4. Catch a train and then check Geely EX5 Facebook page for any new updates.
5. Work for a bit and then check if someone else reviewed the Geely EX5.
6. Get home and then check Geely EX5 Facebook page for new posts.
7. Eat and watch YouTube videos of Geely EX5 and admire the beauty of it.
8. Go to bed and learn something new about Geely EX5.
9. Sleep with nice dreams of picking up Geely EX5.

Those who have placed early orders offer advice to new comers:

Lots of offers coming through as Geely looks for the sweet spot. The new offer is better value than the launch offer. For those with novated leases, especially short-term ones, the $AU2000 gift card and charging cable are a better option. Up to half of servicing costs can be claimed back through novated lease, and the presence or absence of included free servicing has no impact on resale value.

The free charger isn’t smart as opposed to MG’s ChargeHub that comes for free with with MG S5, and people are struggling to sell it even for $300 at FB marketplace. I won’t be installing it. The Evie charging voucher doesn’t provide much value either, as their charging network is poor and slow.

Given that the Australian EX5 price is 70% higher than in China, I believe every new offer/discount would be more attractive than the previous one.

This feels unfair to early buyers like myself. We took a gamble by buying the car without long-term reviews and ended up with a worse deal.

And the test drive experience?

I did a quick test drive in an Inspire at the end of March. I am used to driving my husband’s BYD at times. I love the smoothness and quietness of the car/s. I have ordered mine green + midnight but due to delays, changed it to green and cloud to get it in May under novated lease. I will have to adjust to the gears on the right and blinkers on the left but didn’t mess up on the test drive. I also looked at the price and the value is really good plus the perks and hope it is stilled honoured next month. It’s on the paperwork to get the perks. Looking at the forum, it looks like this will be an excellent car. Can’t wait to get mine. If I didn’t get this car, I was going for a BYD Sealion 7 which was way more expensive.

More test drives

My workmate and I have both been test driving cars at the same time. She has ordered the Sealion 7 and I’ve ordered the Geely EX5. She actually really liked both but the indicators and controls were the thing to her. I don’t think it will bother me as much and I’ll be able to adjust to it, but we both equally like the drive of the EX5. And in the end it’s about $AU 15,000 less. I can’t wait for mine to arrive.

We did do a Leapmotor test drive. My hubby drove first and I refused. The car was nice, but not for me. I am coming out of a lease in June and happy to get the EX5 financially, as I will end up with more money fortnight in my pocket. That works for me.

To help with comparisons, one poster even devised a spreadsheet to compare the various offerings. It is available here. All prices are in Australian dollars. The author states:

“I started this spreadsheet about 6 months ago to help us shop for a car for each of the wife and I. The wife wanted a city car that could do a 2 hour trip down south once or twice a year. We test drove the MG4, EV5, BYD Dolphin and ATTO 3.

“The MG4 just felt cramped and the interior wasn’t appealing, the Kia EV5 was nice but the cost to get decent inclusions is expensive. We went to only drive the Dolphin and really liked it but the clever salesperson offered the ATTO 3 as soon as we returned so the wife said why not. She really liked the extra room and said she’d be happy with that.

“So now knowing she wanted something that size I asked her to give me a little while longer to keep researching. At about that time we knew the EX5 was on the horizon and the more I researched it the more it sounded and looked ideal from the reviews. When the Launch offer and pricing were revealed we didn’t hesitate. About 2500km done now and we’re very happy. It’s very easy to just get in and drive. If you’re patient you’ll slowly learn all the extra tech and it’ll just get better as you learn more.”

I researched the Sealion7, MG4, Atto 3, Xpeng, Zeekr, Leapmotor, and Deepal. The Geely EX5 was the first one I test drove. I was so impressed I just discounted the rest and bought.

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It’s a blur lol. Looked at so many ICE and EVs within a fortnight. I didn’t even bother test driving any prior as we knew the moment my husband sat in the passenger it wasn’t going to work. The Geely ad popped up one night. We looked the next day and immediately on entry we knew it was the one and a test drive confirmed it. My husband could safely get in/out with his mobility issues, was comfortable in all the seats and the large leg space in the back row for my son. Everything beyond that was a huge plus!

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Did a test drive with BYD Atto 3 — nice to drive but wife & I did not like the interior (has guitar strings and weird aircon vents). Also looked at Kia EV3, can only afford the base model but lacks features. EX5 Inspire has all the features but still affordable, plus the Launch Offer is irresistible. The wife also likes the massage function.

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We have an Atto3, and wanted a second EV. Test drove the BYD Dolphin, too small for our needs, BYD Sealion 7, a bit big for our needs, Kia EV5 not enough inclusions for the extra money. Love the EX5.

We checked out the Xpeng G6, Leapmotor C10, Zeekr X, Deepal S07 & Tesla Y. I wanted something bigger than the Tesla 3 we already have & a different boot capability. We landed on the Geely EX 5 for value for money. Decent tech, and really good features for the money. Would have loved a little more range, but this was a good compromise while the market settles and we find out which brands are a stayer in Australia.

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I test drove the BYD Atto 3, Sealion 6, VW ID4 and sat in a few others at the car show. For me it came down to which had the best drive, features and price, which was the Geely. I did lots however this was far better value than all the others. It is actually similar to some makes $20k more expensive. The Geely was a no brainer.

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The only negative comment I came across was that the tiny cupholders are annoying.

Looks like Geely is a hit down under, with the recurrent theme of value for money. I expect this will place downward pressure on the prices of similar size vehicles. Perhaps the expected EV boom is getting closer?