Geely EX5 SUV spearheads brand’s big UK launch with immediate £4,750 discount

Chinese car maker Geely has launched in the UK with all discount guns blazing, offering up to £4,750 off its top-spec Geely EX5 Max electric SUV. The move exemplifies the downward price pressure Chinese car makers are exerting, with the Leapmotor C10 matching this discount and MG and Changan also offering four figure incentives.

The 4.6m-long Geely EX5 rivals big electric crossovers such as the Kia EV6, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Changan Deepal S07, with prices starting from £31,990 on the road (before discounts). 

The front-mounted electric motor offers decent performance, with a 6.9-second 0-62mph sprint. But the 267-mile range is not so clever, though the 160kW DC charge rate – superior to several Chinese rivals such as the Changan’s 90kW max – is good for a 30-80 per cent refuel in 20-minutes.  

Geely is stepping into the market with 25 dealers across the UK, from familiar groups Sytner, Stoneacre, Greenhous and Hendy. The sales company is in advanced talks to open another 25 outlets by the end of the year – and double this total to 100 by December 2026. It’s all part of a huge Chinese retailer rollout across the UK: Auto Express research reveals there are now a staggering 755 dealers selling Chinese vehicle brands here.

The EX5 uses the typical Chinese car playbook: lots of hi-tech kit at affordable prices. SE-spec cars (subject to £2,300 off) get 18-inch alloys, keyless entry, 360˚ surround cameras and a storage drawer beneath the rear seats. Whip off the head restraints on SE and Pro trims and both front seats fold flat, creating a couple of beds for camping trips. Apparently this use case is a thing in China: we may stick to using it to carry long loads along the passenger side.

Move up to the Pro trim for 19-inch alloys and 256-colour interior lighting for £33,990 – less a £3,200 ‘Geely EV grant’ – and at the top of the range there’s Max, which costs £36,990 and gets a panoramic sunroof, auto tailgate, heated and ventilated front massaging seats plus a 16-speaker upgraded stereo including speakers in the head restraints. The car is available to order now, with deliveries due before the end of the year.

We clambered all over the car at Geely’s UK launch in Greenwich, London. You can use the central touchscreen to play a Candy Crush-style game, or swipe through photos and videos added to the car, features appreciated by Chinese owners. It’s a big car, with space to stretch out in the rear though this impacts boot space: the boot isn’t that deep ahead of the rear seats, although there’s a sizeable recess under the boot floor similar to the Ford Puma’s ‘MegaBox’.  

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The Auto Express marketplace also has great offers on Chinese EVs: click here for more than £5,000 off a BYD Atto 3

8-year Geely warranty and free wallbox charger

The electric SUV is backed by a consumer-focused package. Prospects trading in a petrol or diesel car can get a further £1,000 off under Geely’s switch to a ‘new energy vehicle’ incentive. Coupled with the £3,750 ‘Geely EV Grant’ discount, the maximum reduction will be £4,750 off the Max trim.    

And buyers of that top spec, as well as Pro, will qualify for a £1,000 price cut on an Andersen EV or Cord Power Technologies wallbox, reducing it to £499. Drivers relying on the public charging network can opt for a £500 charging credit through the Octopus Electroverse instead. 

Octopus is also part of the ecosystem to offer charging and tariff support at home, while Green Flag is the roadside assistance provider. Finally, the EX5 also gets one of the longest warranties around, covering eight years/125,000-miles. 

Stellantis’ Chinese import brand, Leapmotor, will match the EX5 Max’s £3,750 discount, while financing an MG S5 EV can qualify for a £3,000 combination of finance deposit contribution and manufacturer EV car grant. The Changan S07 has a £1,500 dealer deposit on the nose. 

To bring the car to the UK market, Geely worked with Lotus Engineering and commissioned a "comprehensive evaluation” of the car for British roads. The ride and handling revisions will be offered on UK cars, and deployed on future Geely models using the same GEA car platform.   

The EX5 is just the start from Geely, whose Holding company owns or has significant stakes in Polestar, Volvo, Lotus and Smart. “Over the next three years we’ll introduce around 10 new models, across multiple market segments,” says Mike Yang, Geely Auto UK general manager.

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