Geely E5 EV SUV review

Geely made a return to South Africa market late in 2025. We recently got our hands on the battery powered E5 SUV in Apex guise.

Some of you may recall that Geely made a brief entry to the SA market many years ago. Cars brought in back then were imported by independent distributors. Some of those early products were rather forgettable. The brand has, since exiting about a decade ago, improved markedly and has now made a full OEM entry into the local market. It currently offers a range of products with a heavy lean towards electrification.

World outlook

Since those earlier days the company has acquired Volvo Cars in its entirety, and with it a great deal of IP from the Swedish manufacturer. As a result, any Volvo you buy today is, essentially, a Geely. It also owns Lotus (yes, that Lotus) and has a major shareholding in Proton cars.

Geely has designs on succeeding across the world, not just within its own, lucrative market. To ensure that its products are well accepted, Geely has design and R&D centres in places such as the UK and Sweden. The parent company has invested heavily in tech, to the tune of billions of U$.

Sponsored

We were expecting good things from the Geely E5 Apex when it appeared in our office car park. Let us share some of the more impressive qualities of the E5 Apex.

Our first take away was it has quite a sleek and tidy appearance. Were it not for the, slightly, unfamiliar badge on its nose, we’d have guessed it is a Volvo. That very same sentiment was shared by others as well. The overall aesthetic feels ‘Swedish minimalist’ in execution. Many saw a hint of Porsche Cayenne about the rear end, which we tend to agree with. The overall appearance may be slightly generic, but it probably means it will age well.
The same clean aesthetic is carried over into the cabin. Centre stage goes to a 15,4-inch HD infotainment display with 4G connectivity, over-the-air (OTA) software updates and fast responding OS. There is a 10,2-inch screen ahead of the driver for vital info.
Our test unit had light faux leather trim, which looks premium. The cabin of the E5 feels properly roomy, a handy side effect of the battery being housed below the cabin and a compact electric motor ahead of the passenger cell. Boot volume is quoted at a large 461 litres.
The E5 Apex has a high level of standard specification. The list includes keyless entry and push-button start, multiple USB ports, wireless mobile charging as well as the usually expected items such as electric windows, dual-zone climate control. There is also a full panoramic roof as well as heated and massaging front seats.
As mentioned, the E5 is an EV. The 160 kW/320N.m motor provides effortless acceleration, far smoother than the way some other EVs manage to do so. Acceleration is decent at 7,1 seconds for the 0-100 km/h sprint. Most will stay far from the 175 km/h top speed to preserve battery power. A 60 kWh battery provides a claimed 410 km of range. Expect closer to 360 km in the real world.
Probably the most impressive part of the E5 is how smooth it rides. The ride is beautifully resolved, simply wafting over bumps and road imperfections. Interestingly, the ‘waftiness’ doesn’t come at the expense of handling prowess. The E5 can really be hustled along through corners with a surefootedness that’d embarrass some hot hatches. We were really surprised at the high grip levels on offer with no trade off in comfort.

Summary

The Geely E5 Apex is a properly good product. It left an extremely good impression in multiple ways. Among them the smoothness of power delivery as well as its ride. Of course, many will point at the limited charging infrastructure. To this end Geely SA includes a wallbox charger and R10 000 of free public charging for the E5 as part of the list price.

This is a product that is pretty difficult to fault. It even has a competitive price, should you be in the market for a full EV SUV. If you are in the market to make the switch to battery power, add the E5 to your list.

Model: Geely E5 Apex
Price: R759 999
Engine: single motor
Transmission: automatic, FWD
Max power: 160 kW
Max torque: 320 N.m
0-100 km/h: 7,1 sec
Top speed: 160 km/h
Range: 410 km