Geely Ex2 review: Cheap, cheerful and coming to a road near you

It’s new, of course, to the UK. But it does have a bit of a track record. It’s already been on sale in Europe, where it’s simply badged the E2. Its significance is even greater in China where it’s actually the bestselling car. Named the Xingyuan in its home market, in 2025 Geely shifted a whopping 460,000 of this five-door electric supermini. You read that correctly: four-hundred and sixty thousand. To put that into perspective, last year in the UK, a total of 473,000 electric cars were registered. And that’s across all the manufacturers. So what makes the Geely EX2 such an attraction? And does its charms, which so attract the Chinese buyer, appeal to the UK audience? Only one way to find out. Tell me more about the EX2 Essentially, on paper it’s a cheerful-looking, cheap-to-buy, efficient and spacious electric supermini. It’s the third car to be launched into the UK by Geely Auto, and given its success in the home market the company has been eager to get the EX2 into Britain’s showrooms. It’s conscious of the growth of the electric supermini sector and is keen to grab its fair share. There’s no getting away from the fact the designers have gone for the cutesy look with the EX2 with its rounded body shape and lighting designs which, I was told, are inspired by bird feathers. I know; designers do appear to be influenced by many, many things. The EX2 uses Geely’s GEA architecture, and the fact it’s rear-wheel drive sets it apart from the majority of its electric rivals. It’s also hugely spacious. But don’t think it has suddenly developed Tardis-like dimension-bending properties. It hasn’t. It’s simply that externally it’s on the ‘large side’ of supermini measurement, being taller and longer than its main rivals. In fact, by the tail-of-the-tape it sort of straddles that space between supermini and family hatchback Is there a choice of powertrains? Yes, there is. But don’t get too excited. Neither will set the world on fire when it comes to performance. And both powertrains are tied specifically to trim levels. The entry-level Base Pro gets a 35.5kWh battery pack which develops an ‘eye-watering’ 80bhp and 111lb/ft of torque. That results in a 0-62mph time of a rather leisurely 14.2secs and a top speed of 81mph. Step up to the Upper Max and Ultra trims and you get the larger 47.1kWh battery and a more powerful 114bhp electric motor. The 0-62mph time drops to 11.3secs. Remember, essentially the EX2 is focused on being a town car, so given its traditional electric zippiness it’s a hoot in dealing with city traffic.

What about range and charging? The smaller battery Pro model is good for 156 miles, according to Geely, while that increases to 214 miles with the larger battery in the Max and Ultra models. Both figures are perfectly acceptable, though not class-leading. But the EX2 does shine when it comes to charging. Whichever model you choose, you get fast charging speeds. The EX2 can handle up to 160kW DC charging, which is much faster than all the its closest competition, plus you can have up to 11kW AC charging.

What’s it like inside? Spacious and well put together. As is the case with most modern new cars, the cabin is dominated by a massive central touchscreen. One of the challenges about jumping in and out of new cars is having to learn how the different infotainment systems work. They all ultimately achieve the same things, but the steps to get there are often cumbersome and tiresome. That, in turn, generally leads journos to just grumble about the ‘inefficiencies’ of the software. The reality is that once it’s your car, and you actually spend time getting to know intimately how everything works, the tech is generally simple and efficient. In the EX2, the high resolution screen is responsive and straightforward to operate, if indeed at times there are a few too many swipes and touches to get something done. And while there’s an instrument cluster directly in front of the driver, you’ll be wishing you had a magnifying glass because the text is bizarrely small. It’s like trying to read the Ts & Cs at the end of your mobile phone contract which are always written in minuscule text. Even reading the speedo is a challenge. And when the sun comes out, there’s very little shadow coverage, making the reading challenge even greater. There’s a good amount of soft-touch materials dotted around the cabin and the physical controls – hats off to Geely for including them – on the dashboard have a quality feel to them. There’s a healthy amount of storage in the high centre console, and Geely says there’s actually a total of 36 storage spaces and cubbies dotted throughout the car. One is a unique drawer-style glovebox that’s large enough to house the charging cable. Clever. Click the right option box and you can also add an extra 25-litre storage box which hides below the rear seats. The driving position is very comfortable. You can also choose between a black or white interior. There’s loads of space upfront for driver and passenger, and those in the rear don’t struggle for head- or legroom. As is the case in so many new electric cars, the amount of bing-bonging that gets fired off in the cabin thanks to the ADAS safety features can quickly become more than a tad annoying. It’s quite clear the system needs a bit of a recalibration for the UK market, and the guys from Geely did admit that a new software update is coming soon which will allow some of the features to be turned off much quicker via some quick-access functions. On my test route, which included a lot of twisty country roads, the lane-keep assist struggled. As for the driver monitoring system? Well, overbearing is putting it mildly. All that said, it does have a 5-star Euro NCAP safety rating, one of the world’s first A&B segment models to achieve the rating, and Geely’s first.

Bootspace With the rear seats in place the EX2 can swallow 375 litres of luggage. That’s far superior to anything else in its class, around 50 litres more than the Renault 5 and is actually around the same as a VW Golf. Fold the rear seats down and and storage increases to 1320 litres, which is actually more than the Golf. Just for good measure, there’s also an additional 70 litres of storage under the bonnet.

Right; what’s it like to drive? Not bad, in a leisurely way. I’m in the Ultra, with the larger battery and it’s certainly nippy on country roads and skooting through town. Here I feel the EX2 is in its happy place. It doesn’t need to try to hard to achieve its principal goal, that of being a city car which is happy to undertake the odd short out-of-town trip. It’s not really something you’re going to rack up the motorway miles in. There’s no denying the likes of the Renault 5 and MG4 Urban are more sprightly and engaging to drive, but the EX2 is not to be discounted in the driving stakes. It’s got three stages of regen, plus a cleverly calibrated automatic setting. This applies what’s needed based on both your speed and traffic, plus the road ahead. The ride is impressive, well balanced and relaxed. The EX2 has a canny way of absorbing all but the most severe of potholes which translates to a pleasurable ambience in the cabin. It’s a quiet place to be. The steering is excellent, especially at low speeds and when manoeuvring in tight spaces and parking situations. It’s a dawdle to squeeze into even the tightest of parking spots, aided by its tight turning circle. Out on the road though it all becomes a bit synthetic with a lack of feedback. There’s not much feeling of engagement. Sure it’s easy to drive and position, but it never really thrills you.

Prices and spec? The entry-level model starts at £20,990 with the upgraded Max and Ultra starting at £23,490 and £25,490 respectively. Standard kit, even on the entry Base Pro, is good with the 14.6in touchscreen and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus the 8.8in driver’s display, faux leather upholstery, electric seats, auto LED headlights, a reversing camera and rear parking sensors, keyless entry, vehicle-to-load tech plus a comprehensive suite of safety systems. The mid-range Max trim, which includes the standard kit listed above, adds the bigger battery and a more powerful motor, while the Ultra will give you some more luxuries including cooled wireless phone charging, ambient lighting, a powered tailgate, a 360-degree camera system plus a heated steering wheel and front seats. You also get a two-tone paint scheme. Interestingly Geely believes the Ultra will be the biggest seller, though on paper the mid-range Max with the larger battery feels the best value for money.

Warranty The EX2 gets Geely’s eight-year/125,000-mile warranty.

Verdict There really is a lot to like about the Geely EX2. It’s a good-looking car with bags of space for four adults, a roomy interior with loads of storage cubbyholes, it’s comfortable and has a charm all of its own. Yes the ADAS systems can be a bit annoying, but that’s the same for so many new cars, and the driver’s instrument cluster certainly needs a revision in design to simply make the information clearer and readable. But without question this is the best and most interesting car Geely has brought to the UK. It certainly won’t sell China figures, but you’ll certainly start seeing the EX2 on roads near you.

The facts

​Geely EX2 Price: From £20.990 (as tested, Ultra £25,490) Engine: 47.1kWh battery, single e-motor, Transmission: Single-speed transmission, rear-wheel drive Power / Torque: 114bhp / 111lb/ft Top Speed / 0-62mph: 81mph / 11.3secs Range: 214-miles (WLTP) CO2: 0g/km Dimensions:(L/W/H in mm): 4135 / 1805 / 1580 On sale: Now