By Bill McCarthy
Geely chose an unusual stage for a driving day for its 2026 lineup — Coventry City FC, aka the Coventry Building Society Arena, where a group of motoring writers gathered pitchside to meet the marque’s current trio.
The setting was fitting, for Geely Auto, part of the larger Geely Holding Group, which also owns Volvo, is a standalone newcomer still finding its footing in Britain, and the EX2 city hatchback and its larger siblings, the Starray and the EX-5, are tasked with winning over sceptical buyers.
The newest model, the EX-2, is a purely electric compact hatchback with a focus on space and value rather than sporty prowess – even with a couple of go-faster stripes on the bonnet.
The model features a rear-wheel-drive layout, a claimed range of up to 395 km depending on model and battery, and offers practical storage including a 70L ‘frunk’ where the engine would otherwise be.
Priced from just £20,990, it squares up directly against affordable rivals like the Renault 5, and it is the entry point to a range backed by an industry-leading eight-year/125,000-mile warranty.
On the road
Out on the surrounding Warwickshire roads, the EX2’s city-car brief made sense. Silent running is a given, and the little Geely impressed with stable handling through the county’s twisting B-roads, responsive steering that made placing the car easy, and sharp, very sharp, braking that inspired confidence in traffic. It is not a driver’s car in the traditional sense but as a quiet, composed urban runabout, it holds its own.
The trade-offs
The limits show up in range. The 35.4kWh battery returns just 156 miles, while the larger 47.1kWh pack stretches to 214 miles of WLTP range — fine for city life, less so for longer Warwickshire loops. Acceleration is leisurely in the entry-level Pro, taking 14.2 seconds to hit 62mph, though the Max and Ultra trims with the larger battery cut that to 11.5 seconds. The cheaper trims make clear you get what you pay for: the 14.6-inch touchscreen is fiddly with the ubiquitous bings bongs, and chirping alerts.
The current range
The EX2 is only part of the story. The Geely EX5 steps up to the mid-size electric SUV segment from £31,990, pairing a 215bhp front-mounted motor with battery options reaching up to 280 miles of WLTP range and fast-charging of 135kW–160kW. Reviewers praise its plush, quiet cabin, 15.4-inch HD display, and impressive rear legroom — a more practical, more premium take on the electric family car.
For those not ready to go fully electric, the Geely Starray EM-i plug-in hybrid SUV starts at £29,990, combining a 1.5-litre petrol engine with an electric motor for up to 259–262hp and an impressive pure-electric range of up to 84 miles on top-spec models — enough for most daily journeys on battery alone. It also carries a five-star Euro NCAP rating.
So far so good and more to come
What you get across the range is clever packaging and aggressive pricing — in the EX2’s case, a 70-litre front trunk (frunk), a 14.6-inch touchscreen, and a price that is hard to beat. Geely’s trio leans heavily on generous standard kit and that long warranty, and while the EX2 is a respectable rather than memorable small EV, it offers great value. And Geely says there’s more to come.
