8The Geely EX5 only arrived in the UK earlier this year, but the all-electric family SUV is getting a significant update in its home Chinese market with new batteries, motors and a suite of technological revisions. We were already aware a facelifted EX5 was on the way in China thanks to patent applications, and now the Kia EV3 and Renault Scenic rival has gone on sale in its new form, confirming a huge power bump to go with a sizable range boost and world-leading charging speeds. Geely recently unveiled ‘Smart Charging’, essentially its response to BYD’s Flash Charging tech. Capable of charging up to 2,250kW, Geely’s system beats BYD’s 1,500kW output and it’s compatible with the EX5, meaning a 10-70 per cent top-up could take under nine minutes. The EX5 we get in the UK comes with a 60.22kWh battery and a 215bhp motor powering the front wheels, and while the Chinese-market car retains this configuration as a base-spec option, there are now 61.52kWh and 70kWh battery alternatives with a 328bhp motor. The new motor is mounted on the rear axle, too, so if Geely does decide to bring the facelifted EX5 to the UK, it should drive noticeably differently to the current model. Torque, at 320Nm, remains unchanged, but the EX5 now completes 0-62mph in 5.8 seconds, just over a second quicker than previously. Placing the motor at the back has also unlocked a 160-litre front boot, although there’s no indication that the EX5’s 410-litre luggage capacity at the rear has been affected. With the option of larger batteries, unsurprisingly there’s been an uplift in range too. WLTP testing figures haven’t been announced yet, but under the more lenient CLTC cycle, the new EX5 can offer up to 394 miles of range with the 70kWh battery. There is scope for that model to be offered here, because when we first drove the EX5 in late 2025, Geely told us it was contemplating bringing a larger battery with ‘around 70kWh’ usable capacity to market. Right now, the highest range you can get in an EX5 is 267 miles, while rivals such as the aforementioned EV3 and Scenic can deliver more than 370 miles thanks to their larger-battery variants. 8The update also introduced some design tweaks for the EX5. At the front, there are minor adjustments to the bumper with the same LED headlights carrying over. The changes at the rear are even more limited, although the ‘Geely’ script is moved to the middle of the bootlid. The revised car does get new 18-inch and 19-inch alloy wheel options, though. There’s also a LiDAR sensor on the roof, which endows the EX5 with Level 3 autonomous driving capability, although we expect this functionality to be restricted to Chinese-market variants. Also worth noting is the appearance of physical door handles, with the EX5 having ditched its electrically operated flush-fitting ones, as these will be banned in China from 2027. If the revised EX5 does come to the UK, we can expect to see a price rise over the current car, which starts from £31,990 and rises to £38,990 in top-spec Ultra form. Looking for a great all-round family EV? Why not check out our 2025 Car of the Year, the Skoda Elroq? Right now you can lease an Elroq from just £283 a month on the Auto Express Buy A Car service.
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