Nearly a decade ago, I interviewed Li Shufu, founder and billionaire boss of Geely, which at the time I dubbed ‘the biggest Chinese car company you’ve probably never heard of’.
I asked him then when his firm – it now owns brands such as Volvo and has a near 10 per cent stake in Mercedes-Benz owner Daimler – would be selling specifically Geely-badged cars in the UK. ‘Too early to say,’ was his non-committal reply. But he hoped to at some point.
Well, that point is now. Geely – Chinese for ‘lucky’ – has just enjoyed a launch in London, after which I took a test drive of its first model for British roads.
The EX5 is a large, comfortable, well-specced and keenly-priced all-electric SUV, with much to recommend it including a smart interior, a big boot and an eight-year warranty. Expect a hybrid version next year.
But there are a few irritating quirks, such as an over-reliance on the touch screen and control- freakery tendency to ‘nanny’ the driver with warnings and alerts.
Built in China, the EX5 has been fine tuned for UK roads at Geely’s engineering base in Coventry, with input from Lotus.
Quirks: The Geely EX5 all-electric SUV – prices start at £31,990
With prices starting from £31,990 (before discounts), there are three trim levels – SE, Pro and Max, of which I drove the middle one. Riding on 19in wheels (18in for SE trim), and powered by a 218hp (160kW) single-motor front-wheel drive electric motor, the five-seat EX5 sprints from rest to 62mph in a sprightly 6.9 seconds, up to a top speed limited to 106mph. The 60kWh battery promises a range of up to 267 miles – it might get you from north London to Durham.
The front seats are incredibly comfy, folding back to near flat. There’s also plenty of leg and headroom in the back, plus a 14-litre pull-out drawer under the rear seat.
It drives well enough. The default Comfort mode I found energetic and engaging, although Sport mode was almost too much. Eco is fine if you are having sweaty palms about finding a public charging point that works.
Most things are directed Tesla-style via the touch screen, which no doubt will take time to master. But the real bug-bear is the constant nannying from the digital safety system going ‘ping ping ping’. So please, Geely, give us the freedom to decide for ourselves.
The five-seat EX5 sprints from rest to 62mph in a sprightly 6.9 seconds, up to a top speed limited to 106mph
Most things are directed Tesla-style via the touch screen, which no doubt will take time to master
The 60kWh battery promises a range of up to 267 miles – it might get you from north London to Durham
Remember, whether it’s a childminder, car or a nation state, nanny doesn’t always know best.
But there are practical features.
Flexible boot space increases from 461 litres with seats up (and includes underfloor space) to 1,877 litres with the rear seats folded flat.
A rotary dial controls media volume, ambient lighting, and acts as a quick access button for heating controls including fan speed and temperature.
- Entry-level SE trim level from £31,990 comes packed with standard kit including 18 inch alloy wheels, surround view cameras, a 15.4 inch central infotainment screen, a 10.2 inch LCD instrument cluster, navigation, keyless entry and go, wireless charging, Apple Carplay, privacy glass, a synthetic leather interior, heated steering wheel and comprehensive electronic advanced driver assistance and autonomous braking aids.
- Mid-range Pro priced from £33,990 adds 19inch alloy wheels and extra interior trim options.
- Range-topping Max costing from £36,990 adds yet more including a vast panoramic sunroof, a 13.8-inch head-up display, power tailgate, metallic paint, 256 colour ambient lighting, a16-Speaker FlyMe Sound premium audio system, front parking sensors, front seat ventilation, massage seats, memory settings and power adjustable front passenger seat leg rests.
There are 8 year warranties on the car and the battery, four years’ roadside assistance for private buyers, and two years of free maintenance servicing.
To entice new buyers to the Geely brand, the company is also making some intriguing cash and finance deal offers.
This includes cash discounts of between £2,300 and £3,750, a £1,000 part-exchange offer on an existing petrol or diesel car.
There is also the option of a subsidised Anderssen EV home wall-box charger for £499 or a charging card with £500 of credit with Octopus Electroverse.
There are 8 year warranties on the car and the battery, four years’ roadside assistance for private buyers, and two years of free maintenance servicing
There’s also plenty of leg and headroom in the back, plus a 14-litre pull-out drawer under the rear seat
The range-topping Max costing from £36,990 adds yet more including a vast panoramic sunroof
The front seats are incredibly comfy, folding back to near flat
Flexible boot space increases from 461 litres with seats up (and includes underfloor space) to 1,877 litres with the rear seats folded flat
So the buyer of a top of the range Geely EX5 Max could see the headline £36,990 list priced reduced (via a £3,750 discount) to £33,240, and by a further £1,000 to £32,240 if they trade in an old petrol or diesel car.
There are also tempting pcp car finance deals from £339 per month with a deposit from £3,500.
Fast DC charging promises up to 80 per cent in 20 minutes, or 100 per cent in just over 6 hours from a 7kW home-charger.
As well as Volvo, other brands within the Geely family include Lotus, Polestar, Smart, Proton and LEVC, which builds the ubiquitous electrified London black cabs.
While the Geely name itself may not yet resonate here in Britain (give it time), its global footprint is huge with 3.3million worldwide sales in 2024. That includes across its brands selling 4.2 per cent of cars in the UK, including 1 in every 14 EVs. It also does satellites, microchips, smart aircraft and green tech.
That’s quite an achievement for Geely’s billionaire founder Li Shufu, who has adopted the anglicised name Eric and usually speaks through a translator but is known to understand and speak English. Born in 1963, the late baby-boomer Chinese entrepreneur began his fledgling business in 1986 selling refrigerators before expanding into motor bikes and then, in 1996, Geely motor cars. It’s come a long way since those early days.
But then again, the Chinese are renowned for taking the long view. As Chinese premier Zhou Enlai reputedly (and probably apocryphally) told US President Nixon in the early 1970s when the American asked him his view of the impact of French Revolution: ‘Too early to tell’.