Geely EX2 Inspire MY26 review

Review summary

• Geely EX2 is an affordably priced compact electric hatch.
• China’s top-selling passenger car in 2025.
• Smart packaging delivers impressively roomy cabin.
• Two variants, Complete and Inspire, priced at $26,490 and $30,990 respectively (plus on-road costs).
• Complete boast outputs of 60kW/150Nm and a 35.3kWh battery pack for 252km of range (WLTP).
• Inspire gets more powerful 85kW/150Nm motor and larger 47.1kWh battery, boosting driving range to 345km (WLTP).
• Both models are rear-wheel drive only.
• No ANCAP safety rating, yet.

About the Geely EX2

Chinese car maker Geely has added a third model to its expanding local lineup with the launch of the budget-priced EX2 compact electric hatch.

It’s the latest small and relatively affordable EV to land in Australian showrooms, following in the tracks of the BYD Atto 1 and Atto 2, expanding the available options for EV-curious Australian with an eye on their budget bottom-line.

Geely itself describes the EX2 as a “compact city car that combines a playful aesthetic with a tech-driven cabin and comfortable yet nimble driving experience”.

In its Chinese home market – where it’s sold as the Xingyuan (Star Wish) – the EX2 was the number one selling battery electric vehicle (BEV) and the top-selling passenger car overall, notching up around 476,000 sales.

Who is Geely?

Geely is among a swathe of new Chinese brands that have launched in Australia in recent years, launching its first model the EX5 SUV in March 2025.

While the brand itself is relatively new to Australians it is one of China’s automotive heavyweights and owns a lineup of other brands including Volvo, Polestar, Lynk & Co, Zeekr, Lotus, Smart, and Proton Cars.

Unlike some Chinese car makers, Geely launched in Australia with a full factory-backed operation – not a distributor model – and its approach seems to be paying dividends, with July year-to-date sales of 14,655 vehicles from just two model lines.

The compact EX2 joins the established EX5 electric SUV and Starray EM-i plug-in hybrid SUV, but it will soon be joined by several other new models.

Like many Chinese car makers Geely is moving at breakneck speed with the brand’s ambitious 12-month product roadmap including a PHEV small sedan, another battery electric medium SUV, a battery electric and a PHEV medium SUV, a battery electric medium sedan, a PHEV large SUV, and a PHEV large “rugged” SUV.

How much does a Geely EX2 Inspire cost?

The EX2 is available in two variants, Complete and Inspire, with the entry-level Complete costing $26,490 and the range-topping Inspire asking $30,990 plus on-road costs.

The Complete features a rear-mounted electric motor producing 60kW/150Nm of torque, and a 35.3kWh battery pack that provides a range of 252km (WLTP).

The EX2 Inspire boasts a more powerful 85kW/150Nm electric motor and a larger capacity 47.1kWh battery pack, boosting driving range to 345km (WLTP).

Geely EX2 Inspire standard features

Standard features on both EX2 variants include:

• Power front seats
• Dusk-sensing LED head- and taillights
• 14.6-inch central touchscreen with in-built satellite navigation, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto capability
• 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster.

To this the Inspire adds:

• Large LED-illuminated vanity mirrors
• Heated front seats and steering wheel
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Wireless smartphone charging
• Dynamic ambient lighting
• 360-degree around-view monitor
• Power tailgate
• Six-speaker audio system versus four speakers in the Complete.

Geely EX2 Inspire exterior design

The EX2 is stylish without being over-the-top, combining good basic proportions with the soft, lozenge-like design favoured by several different Chinese carmakers at present.

The design includes a relatively high waistline, a blacked out or ‘floating’ roofline on the Inspire, flush fit (but not retractable) door handles, and sensibly sized 16-inch wheels (steel on Complete, alloy on Inspire).

It’s not especially striking to look but nor is it unattractive.

The design is also sensitive to colour choice with six Cosmos-inspired hues to choose from including youthful colours like the premium Nova Pink which costs an extra $600 but suits the youthful design.

What is the Geely EX2 Inspire like inside?

At 4,135mm long the EX2 is slightly shorter than a Hyundai i30 hatchback but rides on a longish wheelbase which endows it with an impressively roomy interior.

There’s plenty of room up front for taller drivers and passengers and your 182cm correspondent was able to sit behind his own driving position without much compromise.

Wide door apertures provide easy entry and exit to both rows, with good headroom for taller occupants front and rear.

A flat floor design aids rear seat accommodation, with rear seat amenities including seatback map pockets, overhead grab handles, door bins, and air-con vents.

There’s no temperature adjust function, no centre armrest and only a single USB-C port, however.

Geely makes much of the car’s various storage compartments, which it says number 30, including a 70-litre ‘frunk’ or front-trunk, which it claims is unique in the segment and sized to rival larger electric SUVs like the Kia EV5 (67 litres).

Other notable inclusions are a 10-litre capacity drawer-style glovebox – which seems like an excellent idea until you try to open it with a passenger in the front seat – and 28 litres of available storage via an optional drawer that slides on dedicated rails beneath the rear seat.

The interior is finished with Horizon Grey leather-like upholstery as standard, with a no-cost Skyline White option available on the Inspire.

The latter looks the fresher and more upmarket of the two – although we can’t speak for how the colour will weather years of grubby mitts.

The boot is accessed via an electric tailgate on both variants and offers a reasonable 375 litres, or slightly less than what’s on offer in the aforementioned Hyundai i30 hatch (395-litres).

However, with an additional 70-litres on offer in the frunk, the EX2 offers more cargo capacity than most rivals.

What sort of technology does the Geely EX2 Inspire have?

Geely Connected Services wasn’t active on the cars we drove in July but the company said it will be active from August, with access included for 24-months from activation.

Details were not provided on costs after that period.

Likewise, we weren’t able to experience the Geely App which the company says provides remote access to various vehicle functions including door and window control, climate control, vehicle status monitoring, scheduled charging, and more.

An Emergency Call (eCall) function is also due to be activated in Q4 via an over-the-air (OTA) update.

How does the Geely EX2 Inspire drive?

The EX2 is based on the same Global Intelligent Electric Architecture (GEA) platform that underpins the already established Geely EX5 EV and Starray EM-i Super Hybrid.

However, where these platform stablemates send their drive to the front wheels, the EX2 stands apart as being the brand’s first rear-wheel drive model.

The fact the front wheels aren’t driven is a benefit, especially when accelerating out of corners where the instant torque of an electric motor generates torque-steer in front-wheel drive models.

Another benefit of the EX2’s rear-wheel drive layout and fairly compact length is a narrow 9.9m turning circle, which makes it pleasingly easy to navigate through busy streets and crowded carparks.

The suspension – featuring a multilink rear end and McPherson struts up front – has been tuned by Geely Technology Europe, drawing on the expertise of Geely-owned Lotus.

Despite this, the EX2 isn’t configured to feel especially sporty – which is appropriate, given its target demographic.

Ride and handling are tuned more for comfort than corner-carving but the car still exhibits good body control and sits solidly planted on the road, the long wheelbase giving it a nice sense of balance.

Structural rigidity also feels impressive, albeit over a small selection of only moderately rough roads.

The sensible tyre choice is to be applauded, the extra sidewall depth of the 205/60R16 Yokohama rubber providing more cushioning over bumps and potholes than more performance- or style-driven 17s or 18s.

Off-the-mark acceleration is not especially exhilarating by EV standards with claimed 0-100km/h acceleration time for the 85kW Inspire of 11.5 seconds (around twp seconds slower than a Corolla hybrid), while the Complete takes a more leisurely 14.2 seconds.

Unfortunately, we didn’t get the chance to sample the EX2’s highway overtaking ability but, given the above, we suspect rolling acceleration from 80-100km/h might also be somewhat under-whelming.

It is, however, a very pleasant and easy small car to drive around town.

The driving position is comfortable, with enough adjustment for different body types, good all-round visibility, and the cabin is pleasingly quiet at road speeds.

Our half day at the wheel travelled through Sydney’s crowded inner-city streets, onto the scenic northern beaches and eventually the quieter roads national park roads surrounding Pittwater.

This didn’t allow for a particularly searching exploration of the EX2’s dynamics – in fact, we were rarely able to exceed 85km/h – but there were enough sinuous curves and lumpy sections to get a sense that the ride and handling balance are well resolved.

Negatives include the fact the steering is a little too lightly weighted and the brakes a little grabby at low speed, but otherwise the EX2 makes a good fist of things.

What safety features does a Geely EX2 Inspire have?

On the safety front, the EX2 hasn’t yet been submitted for ANCAP testing but a spokesperson noted that the company has spent the past 15 years absorbing Volvo safety principles, expressing confidence it will achieve a fove-star ANCAP rating when tested.

The on-paper specifications certainly look up to the job, with a full suite of ADAS tech as standard on both variants.

This includes features like Evasive Manoeuvre Assist (EMA), Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC), Auto Lane Change Assist (ALC) and Intelligent High-Beam Assist.

The main safety addition fitted to the Inspire is the 360-degree surround-view monitor.

Geely EX2 rivals

Rivals include the recently launched BYD Atto 1 compact electric hatchback which is priced from $23,990 plus on-road costs, making it Australia’s cheapest EV.

Another contender for the title of Australia’s least expensive EV is the recently announced GAC Aion UT short-range, which is due to launch in Q4 with pricing that’s yet to be confirmed.

Should I buy a Geely EX2 Inspire?

The Geely EX2’s combination of sharp pricing, clever packaging, attractive design and advanced technology distinguishes it as a strong value-for-money proposition.

Overall, the EX2 feels like it will be an easy car to live with, combining good visibility, reasonably responsive performance, a quiet, roomy and practical interior, and a comfortable ride.

It's a comfortable, stable, attractive and agile rear-wheel drive hatch with just enough oomph to be fun.

When it comes to Geely itself, the brand is still establishing its presence in Australia but it’s growing rapidly.

Having launched with 22 showrooms Australia-wide last year it has grown that to 80 so far, with plans to reach 100 dealerships by the end of this year.

That’s got to be reasonably comforting for urban buyers but regional and rural buyers should check the status of the dealer network before committing.

Geely owners are offered a competitive seven-year/unlimited kilometre vehicle warranty, an eigh-year/unlimited-kilometre high-voltage battery warranty, along with 7 years of roadside assist.

Additionally, customers who order and take delivery of a Geely EX2 between 12 July and 31 August 2026 receive a complimentary 7kW home EV charger and premium paint upgrade. Eligible buyers can also access a 0.68% comparison rate on a 36-month finance term.

Geely EX2 Inspire MY26 specifications

• PRICE: $30,990 (MRLP)
• WARRANTY: Seven years/unlimited kilometres vehicle; eight years/unlimited kilometres km battery.
• POWERTRAIN: Single rear-mounted electric motor, 85kW/150Nm, rear-wheel drive.
• BATTERY: 47.1kWh LFP
• RANGE: 345km (WLTP)
• ANCAP CRASH RATING: Not rated
• ENERGY CONSUMPTION: 15.5kWh/100km (WLTP)
• FOR: Sharply priced; generously equipped; spacious small car interior; plenty of stowage; compact and manoeuvrable; well-judged ride and handling; well-tuned ADAS.
• AGAINST: No ANCAP safety rating; no full-size spare (repair kit); leisurely acceleration for an EV; distracting touchscreen-embedded controls;