Geely EX2 2026 review: international first drive

Many of us have made precious memories in cheap and cheerful cars offered in days gone by. Fun, simple, carefree hatchbacks are part of the formative driving years of many Australians — though part of the charm is often the lack of refinement and polish.

If you got your licence ten-plus years ago and were lucky enough to drive away into a new or lightly used runabout, it might have been a fifteen-grand Toyota Yaris, a $19,990 Hyundai i30 or, for some, even the towering heights of a $25K Volkswagen Golf.

The days of being able to buy a Japanese, Korean or even German hatch for relatively little have almost been consigned to the dustbin — Kia Picanto aside — leaving Chinese brands to step in to fill the value void.

The thing is that Chinese cars are not cut from the same cloth, and the quality of what you get differs massively between the entrants. The segment is becoming increasingly crowded, and it can be hard to separate the wheat from the chaff.

While the best-of-breed Euro-tuned MG4 was once offered for $31K driveaway, that rear-wheel-drive car is now far dearer at $39,990 on-road, and MG has brought in the cheaper, and less slick, front-drive MG4 Urban to sit at the old price point.

Other than that fleeting bargain on the MG4 RWD, no Chinese electric hatch has been good enough to secure our firm recommendation at the $30K price point, with BYD’s Atto 1 and Dolphin and the GWM Ora all having too many shortcomings.

But now Geely is preparing to enter the fray by sending its affordable EX2 hatch to Australia.

Known as the Geome Xingyuan in its home market, the smallest Geely has occasionally been China’s best-selling car, and hopes are high it will drive decent sales volume here, too.

Sized like a Volkswagen Polo, the EX2 is rear-wheel drive and packs an independent rear suspension, so signs are initially good. Compared to China, where five variants are sold, Australia could receive a simpler lineup based on the domestic Dream and Explore+ trims.

If that proves accurate, an entry EX2 would still be well-equipped by segment standards with LED headlights, heated fake-leather front seats, adaptive cruise control and lane keeping, keyless entry, connected services and ambient lighting.

Expect a high-grade version of the EX2, probably called Inspire, to add conveniences such as a ‘540-degree’ surround view camera, power driver’s seat, cooled 50-watt wireless device charger, power tailgate and additional active safety features.

Battery sizes of 30kWh and 40kWh for estimated WLTP range of 250km or 350km give away a strict urban focus — but they contribute to admirably low weight of 1215-1300kg.

So, will the EX2 finally be the car to storm into this part of the market with the full package? Possibly, though a first drive showed that it’s far from a sure bet.

How does the Geely EX2 drive?

You can tell there’s a decent car lurking under the rounded, bubbly styling of the EX2. The core mechanicals look decent, with superior suspension tech to many of cheap hatchbacks. The multi-link independent rear end should give the EX2 greater bandwidth to handle bumps and corners.

Unusually for such a small car, and unlike the Atto 1, Dolphin, Ora or MG4 Urban, the EX2’s single electric motor is mounted at the back, making it rear-wheel drive. Sporty! Well, that’s the theory, at least.

However, a first drive on a closed gymkhana course near Geely’s Chinese headquarters revealed that while the EX2 is sprightly, roomy and cheerful, the tuning isn’t quite right.

Like many Chinese cars tuned primarily for their home market, the EX2 is unbelievably softly suspended. The first, second and third priorities of the engineers appear to have been comfort.

That isn’t all bad: the EX2’s ultra-soft damping combined with chunky tyres and small 16-inch alloy wheels probably mean that it rides well over bumps — but there weren’t any on our course.

But the downside to the seemingly pillowy ride was terrible body control, with the EX2 diving under brakes and rolling comically side to side on its long-travel springs as it handled the corners of our admittedly tight handling track.

Plus, the Linglong Comfortmaster tyres fitted to our test car had remarkably poor dry grip, and they howled constantly even when gentler drivers piloted the coned-off course.

We’re hoping that the cars that land in Australia have a slightly firmer, more controlled suspension tune — and much better tyres.

Performance levels are modest but in reality we found that the EX2 feels quick enough, at least at speeds below 80km/h.

Even the 40kWh model produces just 85kW/150Nm — and the 0-100km/h claim is somewhere in the 11-second range — but given the EX2 is light, it gets up to all urban speeds without issue.

Disc brakes are fitted all-round, and apart from pronounced roll, we had no issue with the braking performance of the EX2.

How is the Geely EX2’s interior?

Inside, the EX2’s cabin is simple and minimal in the way many Chinese cars are, with key surfaces wrapped in soft-ish materials that lend a quasi-premium veneer to the product if you don’t look too closely.

It’s no criticism to say that the Geely is built to a price. The EX2 is not intended to be a luxury vehicle. It is meant to be a small, cheap, mass-volume car, just as it is in China.

The question simply remains how cheap it’ll be in Australia. If it’s below $30K, the EX2’s cabin is good enough. If the price drifts too far above that level, then you’ll want to check out bigger options like the MG4 RWD, or the (non-electric) Skoda Kamiq or Mazda 3.

The design is straightforward and clean, with two displays — an 8.8-inch panel for the driver and a big, clear 14.6-inch touchscreen in the centre running Geely’s solid Flyme system.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will be included as most buyers tend to choose to mirror their smartphone.

The seats up front are flat and broad, meaning they’ll support many body types — but they lack sufficient under-thigh angle adjustment and side bolstering to get really comfortable.

A two-spoke steering wheel looks cool and includes key physical shortcut buttons, while a physical gear toggle and manually-adjusted air vents are also easy to work with.

The main advantage of the EX2’s interior is space: despite compact sizing outside, it feels huge inside, with vast rear legroom, a big boot measuring 375 litres — not easy to do while packaging a motor and sophisticated rear suspension beneath it — and even a 70-litre frunk.

Plus, there are thoughtful touches like the decision to make the glovebox a slide-out drawer.

What are the Geely EX2’s ownership costs?

In China, buyers can choose from two CATL-supplied LFP battery packs for the EX2: a 30.1kWh unit with around 250km WLTP range (estimated), or a bigger 40.2kWh pack that ups estimated WLTP range to 350km. We’d be shocked if both batteries are offered as only the bigger unit offers anything close to the kind of range locals are used.

Efficiency is set to be a strength of the EX2. If our WLTP estimates are right, expect Geely to claim 11-12kWh/100km. Charged at home from the grid, you’d be paying about four dollars for every 100km of charging compared to $10-$15 to fuel an equivalent petrol hatchback.

Charging speeds are quite low, though the small size of the battery means this has a smaller impact than normal. AC is capped at 6.6kW while DC charging tops out at 70kW. That’s still good enough for a circa-21-minute top-up from 30-80 percent on a fast charger though the EX2 is unlikely to make a great roadtripper as you’d be stopping a great deal.

Australian servicing and warranty arrangements are yet to be confirmed, though the EX2 is expected to mirror the Geely EX5’s seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty for private use (eight years for the battery) — though there are mileage limits for commercial drivers.

The honest verdict

Chinese brands have revitalised Australia’s flagging small car segment in recent years, and Geely is set to shake things up even further with the EX2.

With cost-of-living pressures front of mind in recent years — and a recent spike in fuel costs making more people consider replacing petrol with electricity — price is understandably a major factor.

In China, Geely sells the EX2 very cheaply indeed. Bringing the car to Australia will require adding some safety tech that is optional in its home market, which will increase costs, but we’re still expecting a very sharp price when it lands locally.

What we’re also hoping to see is a general tidying-up of the EX2’s dynamics. There have been some great-driving hatchbacks in recent decades — names like Golf, Ford’s Focus, and even the MG4 come to mind — but the Geely needs superior ride and handling to join that group.

It remains to be seen what the final product for Australia will look like. We’re hoping it combines value with solid dynamics in equal measure.