Geely Auto: A information to the whole lot you should know

Increasingly Chinese language manufacturers are making the journey to Australia, and Geely is among the many newest.

You might know the Geely identify as the corporate that owns a number of different carmakers like Volvo and Polestar, but it surely additionally has a standalone model that bears the Geely identify and badge which has simply launched in Australia, kicking issues off with an electrical SUV to get the ball rolling.

It’s not the primary time Geely has offered vehicles in Australia, because it tried again in 2010 with a sole petrol sedan independently imported and distributed.

This time, the Geely model has full manufacturing facility backing from China, and it already has huge ambitions amongst a sea of different Geely-owned vehicles.

A whole bunch of recent automotive offers can be found by means of CarExpert proper now. Get the consultants in your facet and rating a terrific deal. Browse now.

Although the electrical EX5 SUV is presently its sole providing at launch, there’s robust curiosity from Geely in introducing extra electrical automobiles (EVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) to Australia, whereas additionally quickly increasing its vendor community.

First issues first although, the EX5 is tasked with getting the Geely model up and operating domestically. The primary buyer supply came about in mid-March 2025, and the vendor enlargement is because of happen earlier than the center of the yr.

Questioning what Geely is all about, particularly when there are a great deal of different Geely-owned vehicles on the roads? Right here’s the whole lot you should learn about Geely Auto in Australia.

Keen on a Geely? CarExpert’s specialists may help get you in contact with a vendor

MORE: Every thing Geely

What’s Geely Auto?

Earlier than we get to the Geely model, it’s essential to debate the Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, the overarching conglomerate that controls its operations. It started when Chinese language entrepreneur Li Shufu based the primary firm bearing the Geely identify in November 1986.

A privately owned firm headquartered in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Geely started as a fridge components firm earlier than shifting to bikes in 1994 (producing China’s first scooter) and later getting into the automotive business in 1997.

Whereas in that yr the corporate accomplished the development of a handful of needed factories and organised its funds to enter the business, its first ‘automotive’ had already appeared in 1996.

The Geely Quantity 01 was a single prototype made as a clone of the W210 Mercedes-Benz E-Class that utilised the chassis of a CA7200 sedan from fellow Chinese language carmaker Hongqi, which itself was a rebadged Audi 100.

Mr Li mentioned in a 2009 interview the Quantity 01 was a product of his frustration over his nation’s lack of a luxurious producer, and was a place to begin to construct such vehicles. Preparations in 1997 made Geely China’s first non-public vehicle firm alongside state-owned manufacturers like Chery, and its first manufacturing automotive was accomplished in August 1998.

The Geely HQ (Haoqing) was a small hatchback much like the Daihatsu Charade, powered by a three-cylinder Daihatsu engine. Geely didn’t receive a nationwide manufacturing license till November 2001, which delayed mass manufacturing of the Haoqing till 2002.

In 2002 Geely shifted from a family-run enterprise to a professionally managed firm, and the overarching Zhejiang Geely Holding Group was established in March 2003. In that yr, it launched its first sports activities automotive – the Geely BL (Magnificence Leopard).

Geely Holding entered a three way partnership settlement with fellow Chinese language firm Guorun Holdings in the identical yr, which led to Mr Li buying controlling shares in Guorun in March 2004 and renaming it Geely Car Holding.

For context, Geely is a phonetic transliteration of the corporate’s Chinese language identify 吉利 (pronounced jílì), which might imply “auspicious”.

Geely, as a automotive model, then grew to become separated from Zhejiang Geely Holding’s different ventures. Confusingly, Geely Auto Group, which is chargeable for the Geely namesake model and a number of other different manufacturers like Proton, falls beneath the Geely Car Holdings umbrella alongside Zeekr Clever Know-how, which itself controls two particular person automotive manufacturers – Zeekr and Lynk & Co.

The bigger Geely Holding group continues to be chargeable for Geely Car Holdings and has managed different main manufacturers like Volvo and Lotus since 2010 and 2017, respectively. Geely Holding has additionally collaborated with Mercedes-Benz in a 50-50 three way partnership for the Good model since 2020.

The Geely Auto Group’s subsequent problem was to develop as an organization. Mr Li’s institution of Geely Car Holdings was seen as a approach into the Hong Kong inventory market and helped the corporate elevate funds.

Geely had made an essential determination regarding a Chinese language authorities transfer that brought on a pointy decline within the nation’s automotive business. The corporate invested massively in beginning unbiased analysis and growth efforts, which led to enhancements within the high quality of its automobiles and its economic system automotive gross sales from 2003 to 2004.

Worldwide efforts continued to develop too, as Geely exported its first vehicles abroad in 2003 and made appearances on the 2005 Frankfurt Auto Present and 2006 Detroit Auto Present.

In 2005, Geely was additionally capable of work with a subcontracted native engineering companion to reverse engineer a Toyota Aygo metropolis automotive and develop its comparable Geely LC for a 2008 launch– as revealed in a mildly damaging Reuters report on the Chinese language automotive business in 2012.

Geely shifted its strategy within the coming years to give attention to know-how, high quality and repair as a substitute of competing on value, which helped it survive the 2008 international monetary disaster.

2008 noticed Geely introduce new turbocharged petrol engines, and in the identical yr it launched a brand new entry-level model named Gleagle.

It was round this time Geely first entered the Australian market. Offered within the 2010 and 2011 mannequin years, the Geely MK – a reverse-engineered Toyota Vios that resembled an Opel Astra – was accessible by means of an unbiased distributor as each a sedan and hatch with a naturally aspirated petrol engine and handbook gearbox solely. It’s nonetheless listed on business information Redbook at $11,990 drive-away when new.

Geely then launched the Emgrand and Englon manufacturers in 2010, the latter of which was meant to seem like a classically British model, and even offered a London taxi known as the TX4. This was a precursor to Geely buying the struggling London EV Firm (LEVC) in 2013, beneath which it now produces London’s black taxicabs.

In 2011, Geely appointed former Volvo designer Peter Horbury to steer the design work of its Borui sedan, which launched in 2015 as the primary car in Geely’s so-called 3.0 period. Previous that had been the 1.0 and a pair of.0 eras, which supposedly targeted on equipment and electronics, respectively. The three.0 period was centred round intelligence.

From 2013 to 2014 Geely struggled with declining gross sales and outdated know-how, main it to restructure its manufacturers and merge its Emgrand, Haoqing, and Englon nameplates into the Geely umbrella to simplify its product lineup.

What adopted had been the three.0-era vehicles together with the aforementioned Borui in 2015 and the Boyue in 2016, alongside the Emgrand ES and Emgrand GL.

Geely Auto unveiled the Lynk & Co model in Berlin in late 2016, meant to sit down between the Geely namesake model and Volvo within the group’s pecking order. Geely Auto acquired a majority stake within the model in 2017, with Volvo and Geely Holding sharing the remaining 30 and 20 per cent every.

2018 noticed Geely Auto enter its 4.0 period, which caused new fashions just like the Geely Xingrui and Xingyue with new hybrid powertrains. The corporate managed to extend its market share regardless of a market decline, recording robust gross sales from 2018 to 2019.

It launched a devoted EV model named Geometry in early 2019, which later amalgamated with Geely Auto in 2023 to turn out to be the Geely Geometry mannequin line. In 2021, Geely based Zeekr, and in 2022 the corporate rolled out its refreshed and simplified company identification along with the 2022 Asian Video games.

In 2023, Geely launched its new Geely Galaxy product line as its first mass-market sequence of recent vitality automobiles – this may quickly be its gateway to markets like Australia.

The primary mannequin on this sequence was the Galaxy L7 plug-in hybrid (PHEV), an SUV with the most recent in Geely’s powertrain and inside tech. The L6 PHEV sedan adopted, and in 2024 the Galaxy model unveiled its first devoted EV within the type of the E8 sedan.

Then got here the Geely Galaxy E5 electrical SUV in July 2024, which might be renamed the Geely EX5 in export markets – together with Australia, and so we’ll henceforth confer with it because the EX5. It’s additionally offered because the Proton eMas 7 in Malaysia.

The EX5 was reportedly the primary mannequin Geely developed in left- and right-hand drive concurrently, which pointed to a higher give attention to export markets. Chinese language Galaxy E5 gross sales commenced in August 2024, whereas Malaysia obtained its eMas 7 shortly after.

Its EX5 export identify was confirmed in September 2024, together with the announcement that Geely would promote it in markets like Australia, Norway, Thailand, and Indonesia.

The Geely EX5 arrived in Australian showrooms in March 2025, and the primary buyer obtained their keys shortly after. Geely can be making its renewed native cost with full manufacturing facility backing, opting to keep away from repeating the short-lived 2010 try, and following rival BYD in going by means of an area third-party distributor.

Whereas there are already loads of Geely-owned fashions on sale in Australia from the likes of Volvo, Polestar, Lotus, and Zeekr, the EX5 is the primary mannequin (for the reason that MK) to be offered right here beneath the Geely identify itself.

In late 2024, a main restructuring came about beneath Geely Holding. Geely Auto obtained Geely Holding’s 11.3 per cent stake in Lynk & Co to extend its possession to 62.8 per cent, whereas Zeekr obtained a 20 per cent stake in Lynk & Co from Geely Auto and a 30 per cent stake from Volvo for a complete of greater than 9 billion Chinese language yuan, securing a 51 per cent majority stake.

Geely Auto retained 49 per cent, whereas the electrical pickup-truck model Radar Auto (in any other case referred to as Riddara) was built-in into Geely Auto.

As of 2024, Geely Auto operates 11 manufacturing amenities, all situated in mainland China. The EX5 is produced on the Guiyang plant situated in Guiyang, Guizhou, which has an annual capability of 150,000 models.

In Australia, Geely plans to function 22 dealerships nationwide by mid-2025, whereas it’s additionally gearing as much as launch greater than six new automobiles within the subsequent three years. The primary will reportedly be a PHEV model of the EX5.

Keen on a Geely? CarExpert’s specialists may help get you in contact with a vendor

MORE: Every thing Geely

What are you able to presently purchase from Geely Auto?

There’s just one Geely-branded automotive on sale in Australia proper now: the EX5 electrical SUV.

Two variants can be found in Australia – Full and Encourage – and each are totally electrical. Only one electrical motor setup is accessible: a 160kW unit driving the entrance wheels solely.

This produces 160kW and 320Nm in each variants, and each use the identical 60.22kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery. Claimed WLTP vary is 430km within the Full and 410km within the Encourage.

Its pricing was beforehand leaked on business information Redbook almost one month earlier than any official announcement, although that was $2500 dearer than Geely’s eventual affirmation.

That makes it $1000 greater than the smaller BYD Atto 3 Important, and 1000’s lower than different mid-sized electrical SUVs just like the top-selling Tesla Mannequin Y.

Keen on a Geely? CarExpert’s specialists may help get you in contact with a vendor

MORE: Every thing Geely

Which manufacturers does Geely Auto compete in opposition to?

In Australia, Geely is competing with not solely electrical SUV phase leaders like Tesla, but in addition different Chinese language upstarts like Leapmotor, Deepal, and Xpeng – to not point out the powerhouse of BYD.

Three of these Chinese language rivals additionally solely have one electrical SUV every. Leapmotor sells the C10 right here for both $45,888 or $49,888 earlier than on-roads and it has a virtually similar claimed WLTP driving vary, making it a logical competitor.

Leapmotor may even quickly add a range-extender (EREV) variant, which might rival an EX5 PHEV. A PHEV EX5 may be matched in opposition to the GWM Haval H6 GT PHEV.

Then there’s the bigger Deepal S07, which is dearer at $53,900 earlier than on-roads however can journey additional with a claimed WLTP vary of 475km.

On the high of the three is the Xpeng G6 for both $54,800 or $59,800 earlier than on-roads, which matches the S07’s dimensions and has a most claimed vary of 570km on the WLTP cycle.

BYD, in the meantime, is finest matched with its new Sealion 7, which joins an already-established lineup in Australia. It’s on par with the G6 at both $54,990 or $63,990 earlier than on-roads and has a claimed WLTP vary of as much as 482km, although it’s bigger than the opposite Chinese language SUVs talked about.

You might additionally examine the smaller and fewer luxurious BYD Atto 3, which prices both $39,990 or $44,990 earlier than on-roads with a claimed WLTP vary as excessive as 420km. It’s additionally one of many fashions Geely benchmarked its EX5 in opposition to, the opposite being the Tesla Mannequin 3 sedan.

Given the Tesla Mannequin Y has been the Australian electrical SUV chief for a while, it’s nonetheless value a point out. In its present guise, it prices between $55,900 and $82,900 earlier than on-roads and may supposedly journey so far as 533km on the WLTP cycle.

Its incoming replace is effectively out of vary of the EX5 although, ranging from $58,900 in its most inexpensive type with driving vary of 466-551km on the WLTP cycle relying on variant.

Keen on a Geely? CarExpert’s specialists may help get you in contact with a vendor

MORE: Every thing Geely

How common is Geely Auto in Australia?

As no gross sales figures have been launched for the EX5 as Australian buyer deliveries solely started two weeks earlier than this text was revealed, it’s tough to gauge Geely’s reputation.

Given its extremely sharp pricing, Geely has made it clear it’s gunning for quantity with the EX5 EV. For context, BYD managed to promote 5751 Atto 3s all through 2024, which is simply $1000 cheaper than the EX5 and is bodily smaller.

That would offset Geely’s present anonymity in Australia and cement a powerful foothold within the native market. It’s additionally expressed robust curiosity in bringing upwards of six fashions to Australia within the coming years, with a transparent give attention to promoting EVs and PHEVs to develop its portfolio.

The model’s benchmarks for the EX5 – the BYD Atto 3 and Tesla Mannequin 3 – present it’s eager to supply one thing patrons may genuinely contemplate as a substitute of the phase leaders. That’s very true within the case of the Atto 3 which, just like the EX5 is to present Geely, was the primary BYD automotive to be offered in Australia.

Geely has additionally mentioned it’ll develop its Australian vendor community to 22 places by mid-2025 to assist its native efforts.

Keen on a Geely? CarExpert’s specialists may help get you in contact with a vendor

MORE: Every thing Geely

What’s subsequent for Geely Auto?

As talked about, Geely’s fast focus – particularly in Australia – is to cement its foothold in a market that’s changing into more and more flooded with new Chinese language manufacturers.

There might be greater than six new Geely fashions making their option to native showrooms within the subsequent three years within the footsteps of the EX5, and the corporate has outlined it’s dedicated to promoting each EVs and PHEVs.

Earlier reviews recommend the following Geely coming to Australia would be the Galaxy Starship 7, which is simply the PHEV model of the E5 abroad that’s offered because the EX5 right here. As of March 2025, neither its Australian identify nor a launch date has been confirmed, although it may arrive right here earlier than the tip of the yr.

Past that, it’s unclear what the opposite Australia-bound Geely fashions might be. It’s understood that they’ll doubtless be automobiles from the Geely Galaxy model, as was the EX5.

In China, Geely Galaxy additionally presently provides a spread of sedans just like the L6 and E8, the L7 small SUV, and LEVC L380 folks mover, amongst different smaller automobiles from the previous Geometry model that grew to become a devoted line of Geely-branded fashions in 2023.

The Geely namesake model may even bolster its efforts by opening 22 new sellers later this yr, specializing in branching out into cities and regional areas.

Geely has additionally confirmed it’ll be bringing a ute to Australia within the type of Radar Auto (or Riddara in some markets), although it’s not clear whether or not it’ll be a Geely-branded mannequin or a standalone marque.

In any case, the Geely namesake model is simply one in all six manufacturers in Australia owned by the overarching Geely Holding. The others are Volvo, Polestar, Lotus, Good, and Zeekr, whereas Radar Auto may quickly be one other to hitch the fray.

“At current, the positioning of various Geely manufacturers within the Australian market requires additional alignment,” vp of Geely Auto, Michael Music, instructed CarExpert, suggesting there might be some rethinking when it comes to the positioning of the manufacturers and their value positioning for Australia.

“Every model should regularly assess market calls for and make changes accordingly. We anticipate that finishing full cross-brand integration will take a while.”

Keen on a Geely? CarExpert’s specialists may help get you in contact with a vendor

MORE: Every thing Geely