The Chinese conglomerate that delivers some familiar names to our market will next year finally front one of its own. What do we know about the EX5?

SOME Geely products are already on the road here - but next year we will see one actually carrying the Chinese car giant’s own name.

The Geely EX5 expected to come into local showrooms in mid-2025 is a fully electric medium sports utility.

Confirmation this will be the first car actually directly made by the conglomerate that for now indirectly represents here via other brands it also owns came on November 21.

We of course already know Volvo, Polestar and Lotus; all distributed by Giltrap Group, which achieved EX5 as a result of having signed a strategic partnership with Geely last week.

Perhaps, soon, we will see Zeekr under that arrangement, too.

Smart, meantime, is coming via the Armstrongs Automotive Group.

The idea for Geely appears to be to set it up as a brand in its own right, as a mainstream alternate to the other electric makes - quite a few also from China - already settling into that space.

One particular competitor already stands out. Quite by coincidence, the C10 from a complete newbie to NZ, Leapmotor, also released last week.

The first of reportedly to six cars from this EV specialist centre in Hangzhou shapes up very closely to the EX5 in size and specification. It’s on sale from January in a single, high-end guise for $54,990.

Is that where the EX5 might also site? Conceivably, yes. At 4615mm long, 1901mm wide and 1670mm tall, and riding on a 2750mm wheelbase, it’s almost a doppelgänger for the C10, which also represents via the Armstrongs operation.

Geely has expressed thought EX5 might appeal to buyers who could currently be considering a petrol or diesel five-seat SUV – a concept that means “approachable” pricing and a long standard spec list.

How it might configure for export has yet to be spelled out, but in China the EX5 rolls on 19-inch alloy wheels and sports LED lighting, keyless entry, a panoramic glass roof, electric boot, a 15.4-inch touchscreen media system with sat nav, connected services and expected smartphone mirroring tech, 16-speaker Flyme sound system (including front headrest speakers), 10.0-inch driver info screen, head-up display, dual-zone climate control, and electrically adjustable front seats with heating, ventilation and massage functions.

The car is front-drive and the motor produces 160kW and 320Nm and has a claimed 0-100kmh time of 6.9 seconds.

It furnishes with two sizes of battery. Geely folk in Australia suggest it’s likely to represent here just with larger choice 60.2kWh pack, which has a WLTP rated driving range of 430km. The smaller pack is a 49.5kWh unit using LFP chemistry. The make claims 440km range, but don’t get too excited. That’s measured by a domestic scale, CLTC, that is way more lenient than WLTP. CLTC cites 11.9kWh per 100km, which would be impressive for this type of vehicle.

The battery packs are Geely’s new short-blade battery system, with lithium ferro-phosphate (LFP) chemistry, and according to the brand the charging times are “best in class”. Even so, the maximum DC charge rate is 100kW.

The car supports both vehicle-to-load (V2L) and vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) charging capability, but not vehicle-to-house (V2H) or vehicle-to-grid (V2G).

Australian media recently hosted by Geely in China recently say the EX5’s interior is a highlight, with one reporting “some stunning finishes on offer and all the geek-friendly goodies you’d expect.” The large infotainment screen reportedly has a fast processor and great resolution.

They also speak of a roomy cabin and good boot space; 461 litres before the rear floor is lifted to revel more storage. It will also have a frunk.

Safety-wise, it brings AEB with pedestrian and cyclist detection, adaptive cruise control with lane keeping assistance, speed sign recognition and driver monitoring camera.