What is Geely? Complete brand, model and tech guide for UK car buyers

Geely – the autos giant that owns or holds significant stakes in Volvo, Lotus, Polestar, Smart and taxi-maker LEVC – is the newest Chinese brand to launch in the UK. Its spearhead is the ferociously cheap EX5 electric SUV – costing from £31,990 before EV grant – with more cars waiting in the wings.

“Over the next three years, we’ll introduce around ten new models,” says UK general manager Mike Yang. “At the end of 2026, we will have two EV models and two models with plug-in hybrid [powertrains].”

Geely’s second EV will be the EX2, a pure electric supermini that rivals BYD’s Dolphin Surf. Set to cost less than £20,000, the EX2 is about the size of a Renault Clio but, unusually for a small hatch, is rear-wheel drive. In the Chinese and Malaysian markets, the EX2 comes with 30 or 40kWh lithium-iron phosphate batteries with up to 255 miles of range (Chinese test cycle), and 78 or 114bhp power outputs. 

At the brand’s London launch, Yang told Auto Express that UK cars will be strictly ‘new energy vehicles’, running electric or hybrid power. And the UK’s first plug-in hybrid is called the Galaxy Starship 7 in international markets, but will likely be badged EX5 EM-I here.

With a similar design to the EX5 and underpinned by the same GEA architecture, the EM-I drivetrain mixes a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine with an electric motor, for a combined 215bhp output. Expect a battery sufficient for a 50-mile pure electric range and 0-62mph in around 8-seconds.

Geely will flesh out its range with two more SUVs – one bigger, one smaller – than the EX5, plus a C-segment hatchback to take on VW’s Golf/ID.3. It’s launching the EX5 at incredibly aggressive prices, with an additional £1,000 rebate for customers trading in petrol or diesel cars, plus a ‘Geely EV Grant’ of up to £3,750 to mirror the UK government’s Electric Car Grant. 

No Chinese car maker currently qualifies for this subsidy, but Geely is pushing hard to be accepted onto the scheme. “We are still working with the UK government and [explaining] Geely’s difference compared with other Chinese brands. We operate design studios, engineering centres and [have a] manufacturing base in the UK,” argues Mike Yang.

The UK general manager is referring to Lotus’s operations – and the sports car maker’s engineering division has worked on the EX5’s ride-and-handling set-up. 

“At the beginning, we worked with Lotus engineering to do suspension tuning, because we understand UK road conditions and customer driving taste is different,” says Yang.

Geely was founded by Chinese industrialist Eric Li in 1986 making refrigerator parts, before moving into passenger cars in 1997. The brand name means ‘lucky’ in Chinese, and its slogan is ‘Happy Life’ – denoting the cars’ positioning as ‘family vehicles’. So top-spec EX5’s have a relaxation mode with the seat reclining, a leg rest folding out, massage function and calming ambient light. There’s lots of family friendly stowage including a wide drawer under the rear seats. But how can it offer this 4.6m-long EV in top Max spec discounted to £32,240? 

“We provide extraordinary value for the customers,” says Yang. “We think these customers deserve this [if] they believe in us. But we’ll make a proper profit, don't worry!” 

And that’s what the western car makers are up against: China’s low-cost manufacturing advantage, deep pockets and willingness to absorb wafer-thin margins to build a beachhead in the European market. All sold through a network projected to be 100-dealers strong by the end of next year. 

Chinese car brands ranked by UK impact

Below is our Chinese power list, with all 17 brands ranked on current and potential UK market impact. Click the links to explore each manufacturer in detail...

Tell us which new car you’re interested in and get the very best offers from our network of over 5,500 UK dealers to compare. Let’s go…