The Geely EX5 just cracked Australia's top 10 sellers at $41,990 plus on road costs. Here is what you get for the money, and where the real risks hide.
By Varun Punyamurtula · · Updated
The Geely EX5 is the best value family electric SUV in Australia right now, with real space, strong range and a long warranty for low $40,000s money. The risk is the brand, not the car: resale and dealer reach are unproven. Buy the Complete and keep it for the long haul.
From $41,990 plus on road costs
About $46,300 drive away in NSW. See VIC and QLD
In September, 2,008 Australians bought a Geely EX5. That made it the eighth best selling new vehicle in the country, ahead of household names that have been here for decades, from a brand most people could not have pronounced two years ago.
The reason is simple. At $41,990 plus on road costs, the EX5 is a full size family electric SUV for roughly the money of a small one. It is about $17,000 cheaper than a Tesla Model Y and around $13,000 under a BYD Sealion 7.
So here is the question every sensible buyer is asking: is it cheap because Geely is buying its way into Australia, or cheap because something is missing? We went through the specs, the fine print and the ownership numbers to find out.
Quick answer: The EX5 is the best value family EV in Australia right now. The 2026 update fixed its biggest weakness (range), the safety rating is five stars and the warranty is long. The real risks are not the car itself but the brand: an unproven resale record and a dealer network that is still growing. Buy the Complete, and buy it if you plan to keep it.
Geely sells two EX5 grades in Australia. Both got a bigger battery for 2026 and a $1,000 price rise.
That range jump matters. The original EX5 quoted 430km on the Complete, which was fine on paper but tight on a highway run in winter. At 475km WLTP, a realistic highway figure in the high 300s is now on the table, which puts Sydney to Canberra or Melbourne to Ballarat and back within one charge.
Right now Geely is also offering a 0.09 per cent comparison rate on a 36 month loan with no deposit, available until 31 October 2026. That is about as close to free money as car finance gets.
The 100kW DC peak is the one spec that looks a bit budget. It is fine for a coffee stop, but a BYD Atto 3 Evo Premium charges much faster and a Model Y faster again. For most families who charge at home, it will barely matter.
This is where the EX5 earns its sales numbers. The base car does not feel like a base car.
EX5 Complete highlights:
Inspire adds:
The Inspire is nicely loaded, but $4,000 extra and 25km less range is a lot to pay for a sunroof, massage and better speakers. The Complete is the sweet spot.
Testers and owners commonly report a cabin that looks and feels more expensive than the price suggests, with soft touch surfaces and a clean layout. The common gripes are about software rather than hardware: some driver assist warnings can be naggy, and plenty of everyday functions live in the touchscreen. Geely does push over the air updates, so this is the kind of thing that can improve over time.
The EX5 is a genuine midsize SUV, close to a Toyota RAV4 in footprint. Published specs put boot space at around 460 litres with the rear seats up and close to 1,900 litres folded, which is a useful family number (check the exact figure for your grade with the dealer, as we could not confirm it on Geely's Australian site).
Because there is no engine or transmission tunnel, the rear floor is flat and rear legroom is generous. Early reviews consistently rate back seat space as a strength, with room for adults and plenty of space for child seats.
The EX5 has a five star ANCAP safety rating, awarded in 2025.
Those are solid, not class leading numbers. ANCAP noted some welds at the base of the A pillar came apart in the frontal offset test, which cost points even though the structure held up. Standard equipment includes autonomous emergency braking for cars, pedestrians, cyclists and junctions, lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection, emergency steering assist and a door open warning.
Bottom line: cheap does not mean unsafe here. The EX5 meets the same five star bar as rivals costing much more.
This is Geely's big answer to the "is it risky?" question.
On Geely's published EV service schedule, the first five services add up to $1,487 and seven years comes to $2,052. That is cheap to run. Add home charging and the EX5 can cost less per week to keep than a small petrol hatch.
Here is where we would be careful.
Resale value is the big unknown. Geely has been on sale in Australia for less than 18 months, so there is no track record. The 2026 update added a bigger battery for only $1,000 more, which instantly made 2025 cars less desirable. Discounted demo stock and strong finance deals also push used prices down. If you trade cars every two or three years, expect steeper depreciation than a Toyota or Tesla.
The dealer network is still growing. Geely is expanding quickly, but it is nowhere near as large as Toyota's or Hyundai's network, and regional coverage can be thin. Before you buy, check how far your nearest Geely service centre is, and ask the dealer how long parts typically take. Geely says it runs a 2,000 square metre national parts centre, which is reassuring.
The parent company is not a startup. Geely is one of China's biggest car makers and also owns Volvo, Polestar and Zeekr. This is not a brand that is going to vanish overnight.
Want one? Tell us what you're after and we'll use our network to find the best deal anywhere in Australia, on a new, demo, near new or used Geely EX5. Get the best deal. Got a car to move on first? We can help you sell your car too.
From $41,990 plus on road costs for the Dynamic (420km WLTP), or $46,990 for the rear drive Premium (510km and much faster charging). The Atto 3 is a smaller SUV with less rear space and boot.
Winner: EX5 for families on space and standard kit. Atto 3 Evo Premium if you road trip a lot and want faster charging.
From about $54,990 plus on road costs. More power, more range and a sportier feel, but you pay roughly $13,000 more for a car that is not much more practical.
Winner: EX5 on value. Sealion 7 if you want performance.
MG's small electric SUV now comes in Essence 49 and Essence 62 grades with drive away pricing in the low to high $40,000s depending on current offers. The 62kWh car quotes 450km WLTP. It is smaller inside than the EX5 and its warranty package is different, so compare carefully.
Winner: EX5 for space and range at the price.
From about $58,900 plus on road costs. Better charging network access, sharper efficiency, slicker software and stronger resale history. But it costs around $17,000 more.
Winner: Model Y if you can afford it and value resale. EX5 if you want the most car for the money.
Buy it if: you want a properly roomy family EV for low $40,000s money, you can charge at home, you plan to keep the car for five years or more (and lean on that seven year warranty), and you have a Geely dealer within reasonable reach.
Skip it if: you change cars every two or three years and care about resale, you do frequent long road trips where faster DC charging matters, or your nearest Geely service point is hours away.
Our pick is the EX5 Complete. It has the longer range, nearly all the important kit, and it leaves $4,000 in your pocket.
The EX5 Complete is $41,990 plus on road costs and the Inspire is $45,990 plus on road costs. Drive away prices vary by state, and dealers may offer demo or run out deals.
The 2026 EX5 Complete claims 475km WLTP and the Inspire 450km. Real world range depends on speed and temperature. Expect less on the highway and in cold weather, with a realistic highway figure in the high 300s for the Complete.
Yes. It has a five star ANCAP rating from 2025, with 86% for adult occupant protection and 87% for child occupant protection, plus a full suite of active safety tech as standard.
Geely is a large Chinese car maker that also owns Volvo, Polestar and Zeekr. The EX5 is too new in Australia for long term reliability data, but it is backed by a seven year unlimited kilometre warranty and an eight year battery warranty.
That is the biggest unknown. Geely is a new brand here, and the 2026 battery upgrade has already made earlier cars less desirable. Expect resale to trail Toyota and Tesla, at least for now.
Prices checked on 7 October 2026 and shown before on road costs unless stated. Rival pricing is indicative and changes often, so confirm with the dealer. Sales figures from FCAI VFACTS. Images: Geely Australia (manufacturer media).
An estimate for a private buyer. Pick your state.
| List price | $41,990 |
|---|---|
| Stamp duty (NSW) | $1,320 |
| Rego and CTP, 12 months | $1,000 |
| Dealer delivery (typical) | $2,000 |
| Drive away, about | $46,300 |
Drive away by state: NSW $46,300, VIC $46,800, QLD $45,600.
Why a new car loses value so fast: about $4,320 of the drive away price is stamp duty, rego, CTP and dealer delivery. You never get that back when you sell, because the next owner pays their own. GST and any Luxury Car Tax are built into the list price, so they fade with the car's value over the years rather than vanishing on day one. The rest of the drop comes from age, kilometres and demand.
Estimates only, using 2026-27 rates. Rego and CTP depend on the car's weight, your insurer and postcode, and dealer delivery varies (some brands sell at one national drive away price). Ask the dealer for a written drive away quote.
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Sell your carTags: Electric, Budget, Family
Sources
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