| Feature | Details |
| Vehicle type | Battery Electric SUV |
| Motor Style | 11 in 1 Electrical Drive |
| Power | 160 kW |
| Torque | 320 Nm |
| Transmission | Single-Speed automatic |
| Claimed Electricity consumption | 16.0 kWh /100km |
| Tested fuel consumption | High 15.0 kWh /100 km (mostly urban driving) |
| Boot Space | 461 litres |
| Price (tested model) | From R759 999 |
| Safety features | 6 airbags, ISOFIX, BAS, 360 View Camera, TPMS, etc |
| Rivals | Haval H6, Mazda CX-5, BYD Sealion 6, Leapmotor C10 |
| Service Plan | 6-year/ 120 000km service plan |
Pros
- Solid construction
- Pleasant EV powertrain
- Quite stylish
- Well-finished interior
Cons
- Quirky convenience features
- Safety systems can be naggy
- Infotainment is underwhelming
- Great for home country roads, but needs adjustment for international roads
2025 saw many manufacturers enter the South African market, and some brands marked their re-entry. Geely is one of the brands returning since its departure in 2009. Since then, they've made major strides and significant acquisitions like Volvo Cars in 2010 and even the legendary Lotus, amongst others. You can expect plenty of knowledge sharing when this happens. Geely now returns to the South African market, bringing with it, its E5 range, which consists of a hybrid and battery electric SUVs. We received the E5 Apex to test, the top-spec battery electric SUV.
Styling
The Geely E5 is an attractive-looking vehicle. It features gentle curves on its sculpted body, making it akin to a porcelain ornament, yet it has confident design cues. One such strong cue is the front end, which boasts a strong presence thanks to the blade-like headlamps and sculpted front bumper. The typical SUV essentials, such as wheel-arch cladding, housing 19-inch wheels, roof rails and chrome trim, make their way here. Tuck-away door handles add to the overall sleekness. It's minimalist on the exterior, but the design here is strong. It's one of the vehicle's best features.
Space and Comfort
Another shining star for the Geely E5 is the cabin. It shines in that there is impressive use of materials with solid construction to boot. It all feels very premium and boasts premium features as well. In the Apex variant, the seating is next-level with heating, ventilation, and a massage function. Additionally, the passenger side features a leg rest. The seats are trimmed in leatherette, and soft-touch material is found all around the cabin. If you're into camping, a camping mode feature is available within the infotainment system to complement the fully reclining front seats. The cabin is also hushed with little to no noise intrusion. NVH (Noise, Vibration, and Harshness) is handled well here.
As you enter, you won't miss the 15.4-inch touchscreen with Flyme Auto handling infotainment duties. However, things falter here. While it's all well and good to have screen real estate, the E5 suffers from 'death-by-menu' in the sense that a feature is hidden in a menu, and functions that should be front and centre nearly always require an extra step to access. This type of UI (User Interface) is fine for a tablet when you're sitting on a couch, but not when you're driving, and the vehicle warns you that you're distracted. In my view, the screen real estate is also underutilised, as other manufacturers have made better use of it with greater partitions for HVAC controls and even radio controls. Yes there is a bottom partition for this with the E5 but it's not enough. This results in quick access to features you want to change on the fly. The screen positioning is also slightly obstructed by the steering wheel when you're facing forward. Apple CarPlay is present and now Android Auto for the retail versions of this vehicle is now natively supported. The Flyme Auto 1 000W 16-speaker sound system is decent, but doesn't punch as hard as some other systems we've experienced. It leans more on the conservative side.
In terms of driving ergonomics, the seating is lovely. Still, I found that the steering wheel's shape and size prevented me from resting my arms in a comfortable position, even with adjustments to keep the instrument panel in view. The steering wheel also features customisable controls, which, in theory, sounds smart, but I found the cruise control confusing to use at first, rather than opting for dedicated controls.
It was then that I started to realise that much of what I found quirky in the E5's cabin and even some safety features work fine in the vehicle's home country and roads, but adjustments to suit export markets would be welcome, as this is also one of the first models to be developed in right-hand drive even.
Performance
Supplying propulsion to the E5 is what Geely calls an 11-in-1 Electrical Drive motor system paired with a 60.22 kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery. 160kW / 320Nm is all sent to the front wheels.
The Drive
The E5 is a rather pleasant EV to pilot. Its power delivery has a gentle curve that makes throttle modulation very easy in urban environments and on the open road. The amount of power on tap is just right for this size of vehicle, and anyone can handle it with the same familiarity you'd have with your average combustion-powered SUV. The ride quality is sublime in the E5, tackling rainy season Johannesburg roads in stride. The handling is on the softer side, and particularly, the E5 is softer sprung, which is quite noticeable on undulating roads.
Fuel Consumption
Geely claims that the E5 will consume electricity at a rate of 16.0 kWh /100km. In our testing, which was mostly urban driving, it used towards the higher end of 15.0 kWh /100km.
Charging Specs
| WLTP Range | 410km |
| AC Charging Time (SOC 10%-100%) | 6.1 hours |
| DC Charging Time (SOC 30%-80%) | 20 Minutes (Apex variant only) |
| Max AC Charging Power | 11 kW |
| Max DC Charging Power | 100 kW |
Safety
ANCAP Rating: ★★★★★
The E5 in Apex trim comes with the following notable safety features:
- 6 airbags
- Collision Safety Power Cut Off system
- Anti Rolling Programme
- ISOFIX (Outer Rear Seats)
- Hill-Start and Hill-Descent Assist
- TPMS
Notable Advanced Driver Assistance Systems:
- 360 View Camera
- Adaptive Cruise Control
- Intelligent Cruise Control
- Lane Keeping Assist
- Emergency Lane Keeping Assistant
- Lane Changing Assistant
- Blind Spot Detection
- Traffic Sign Information
- Automatic Emergency Braking
- Rear Cross Traffic Alert with braking function
- Collision Mitigation Support Front and rear
Price
| Model | Price |
| Geely E5 Aspire | from R699 999 |
| Geely E5 Apex | from R759 999 |
The purchase price of the E5 includes a 6-year /120 000km service plan, 6-year /150 000km warranty, 8-year /200 000km battery warranty and 5-year /Unlimited km roadside assistance.
*The pricing stated here was correct when published and is subject to change without further notice. The pricing shown here is base pricing.
Rivals
- Haval H6
- Mazda CX-5
- BYD Sealion 6
- Leapmotor C10
The Verdict
Geely's E5 is a lovely drive, and I quite like how the cabin comfort is. It's evident that this is fresh off the boat, and some vehicle features require adjustments to suit export markets. Much of it is on the infotainment side, which can be ironed out with Over-The-Air updates, but the facts remain unchanged until then. Despite this, it's a fashionable-looking and a cool sight on Johannesburg roads.
