A couple of decades ago a blank or amused look would have been the response to anyone suggesting the Sportage – a more or less unknown model – would become one of the UK market’s best sellers. Or that Kia would be a consistent top-three brand; even number one during the occasional quarter.
Remember too when Volkswagen nabbed the top spot from Ford, or when BMW shot past both Audi and Mercedes? Being a big, established name is no guarantee of remaining so. Which brings us to the reality of the greater European car market in 2025 as multiple new China-based marques appear with others coming in 2026.
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Now bigger than VW in China, second only to BYD
MG we all know about, and increasingly, BYD too. Then there’s Chery Auto’s Jaecoo and Omoda. Each has speedily found mainstream success, especially in Britain, cars and dealerships being seemingly everywhere. Might Geely, a recent arrival in multiple European markets and right now launching in the UK, be the next big name?
The Hangzhou-based OEM, which will celebrate 40 years as a car maker in 2026, remains the biggest volume division of Geely Auto, while also being part of Geely Holding. The latter is a giant group which also comprises Volvo, Polestar, Lotus, Proton, Lynk & Co, LEVC, Zeekr and other names.
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By GlobalDataThere will soon be 25 Geely brand dealerships in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland with a further 25 promised by year-end. This will double again to 100 sites by late 2026, at which point today’s single model, an electric SUV, will have been joined by three other vehicles, not all of which will be EVs.
None of these ambitions would matter much if the product was either average in ability, quality or less than ideally suited to the UK. Unhappily for existing brands, the EX5 is not only good to drive, but it’s aggressively priced and comes with a first class suite of extras such as an eight-year warranty, two years’ free servicing and four years’ breakdown cover.
Fully loaded for just a little over GBP32,000
Geely Auto UK is presently letting the British media loose in a fleet of press test vehicles, the EX5 available at launch in three trim levels, the most expensive of which costs just GBP32,240 when all available promotions are applied (an up to GBP1,000 discount for trading in any ICE car is but one example). So this is far from a half-hearted, soft or quiet debut.
In short, the EX5 should be taken very seriously indeed by the Volkswagen Group, Hyundai-Kia, Stellantis, Nissan, SAIC, BYD, Chery, and even makers of higher priced EVs such as BMW, Mercedes and Tesla. Ever since the trail was blazed by MG, buyers have been especially open to trying Chinese brands and their popularity will surely only continue rising.
Most buyers should choose Pro or Max trims
Starting at GBP31,990 in SE trim, this 4.6 m long and roomy family vehicle is going to tempt many a buyer away from established makes. Even the base model grade has levels of standard equipment which most of the German premium brands can’t or won’t match. Moreover mid-spec Pro (GBP33,990) and top-level Max (GBP36,990) – and these prices exclude the suite of launch promotions – add niceties such as cooled/heated/fully flat-folding front seats, head up display, a huge glass roof and a sixteen-speaker sound system.
Geely is keeping it simple when it comes to the powertrain, drive sent to the front axle via a 160 kW motor and a 60 kWh (net) battery for all variants. Performance is brisk and the handling has been set up with a bias towards comfort, though there are claims that the UK market EX5 had its suspension fettled by Lotus. Steering is light but perfectly fine and while AWD isn’t available that’s no issue with traction being good albeit in what were dry-only test conditions.
When it comes to the interior, the design team has done an excellent job with lots of soft surfaces, very commodious door pockets, a deep and wide central cubby, one main screen for most functions, large windows and all the technology you could ask for.
Deactivating ADAS takes a little time
Less ideal are certain mandated features of the ADAS systems. Specifically, lane keeping and lane assist can be a little intrusive, plus deactivation takes multiple presses on that central screen. One actual button would be so much better: Hyundai, Kia and Genesis tackle the same issue in just such a way.
For those who do prefer the tactility of other physical controls there is at least a large multi-functional dial on the central console. From here the driver and front passenger can adjust music volume, ambient lighting options as well as temperature/fan speed and other HVAC settings. It’s a relaxed place to be, and with the higher trims, a big glass sunroof – which has a proper UV-blocking blind – really improves the feeling of space.
Luggage capacity: 410 litres but no extra boot up front
Room for luggage is great, Geely claiming that the EX5 is a C segment model with the space of a D segment vehicle. I wouldn’t dispute that, though some owners might wish for a boot up front as well as in the usual place. The backrests split 40/60, there’s a handy drawer for hiding things below the rear seat, and up to 1,877 litres of stowage capacity with the seats flat. The boot itself takes 302 litres but there’s another 108 if you drop a panel to a lower level while a further compartment below this adds a further 51 litres (ideal for charging cables).
Those wondering about range will want to know the WLTP numbers, which are 255-267 miles, the lower of those two being for the well-equipped Max trim. Geely reckons from 10-80 per cent capacity takes 28 minutes via a 160 kW charger while just over 80 miles can be added in as few as ten minutes.
Additional Geely badges needed?
No doubt other EV owners at public chargers will be wondering what sort of vehicle it is, as other than Geely and Made in China etched into the glass in tiny letters, the name and model identifiers appear only on the tailgate. Elsewhere, such as wheel centres and bonnet edge it’s the brand’s emblem.
Geely Auto isn’t stating any official sales targets but three other vehicles will be joining the EX5 in 2026: a similarly sized plug-in hybrid SUV, followed by a smaller electric hatchback with a D segment PHEV crossover/SUV by year-end. There is also talk of an eventual up to ten models before we enter the 2030s.
Summary
As a statement of intent, this new EV is a strong first product for the UK market and the pricing will likely make many have a good long think about the MG, Jaecoo/Omoda, Skoda, Kia, Ford or Volkswagen they may have originally intended to buy.
Including a Geely-funded grant, PCP monthly payment launch deals for the new EX5 are GBP339 (SE), GBP359 (Pro) and GBP389 (Pro). A cash deposit of GBP3,750 is required for Max trim and GBP3,500 for SE and Pro.
