BYD Sealion 7 vs Geely EX5

The EX5 is clearly cheaper, and the gap is wider than the list prices imply. Its $41,990 is a driveaway figure that already includes on-road costs, while the Sealion 7's $54,990 is a list price before them, which adds several thousand dollars once the car is registered, pushing the Premium close to $60,000 driveaway. So a sticker gap of about $13,000 becomes closer to $18,000 on the road in late 2026. Both figures move with offers, and BYD has run driveaway promotions, so confirm the current on-road price of each before you decide. But read like for like, the Geely is the much cheaper car to put on the road.

The Sealion 7 wins this comfortably. Its base Premium makes 230kW and 380Nm to the EX5's 160kW and 320Nm, cutting the 0-100km/h claim to 6.7 seconds against the Geely's 7.4, and the dual-motor Performance drops that to a claimed 4.5 seconds. Neither is a sports SUV, and reviewers describe both as tuned for comfort rather than corners, so in daily driving both feel more than adequate. But if outright pace matters, the BYD has power the Geely cannot match. Worth knowing: in late 2026 reviewers repeatedly advise most buyers to skip the roughly $9000-dearer Performance and take the Premium, whose speed is already ample.

This is a clear Geely win, and a surprising one given it is the cheaper car. The EX5 carries a 7-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty and seven years of roadside assistance, where the Sealion 7 covers six years or 150,000km, whichever comes first, with just one year of roadside. Both back their batteries for eight years. So the EX5 gives you a longer term, no distance cap and far more roadside support, which is real peace of mind on an unfamiliar badge. The Sealion counters with more car for the money, but purely on ownership cover, the Geely is the stronger of the two.

The Sealion 7 is the bigger car overall. It is 215mm longer than the EX5 with a longer wheelbase, so it has more cabin space and a bigger boot with the seats up, 500 litres to the Geely's 302 above the floor. The EX5 has a trick, though: a deep under-floor box lifts its usable seats-up space to about 410 litres, and with the rear seats folded it pulls ahead, 1877 litres to the Sealion's 1769. Neither has a front boot. So the BYD is the roomier car overall and the better everyday boot, while the Geely is the surprise winner when you fold the seats flat for a big load.

Both carry a current five-star ANCAP rating, so neither is a compromise. They earn it a little differently: the Sealion 7 is stronger in a crash, with a 93 per cent child-occupant score to the EX5's 87 and a slight edge on adult occupants, while the Geely leads on active safety, scoring 85 per cent for safety assist and 83 for vulnerable-road-user protection against the Sealion's 78 and 76. Both fit the full driver-assistance suite as standard, including autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist and blind-spot monitoring. On the record the two are line-ball, with the BYD a shade stronger on crash protection and the Geely on crash avoidance.

The Sealion 7 fits more as standard on its base car. Genuine leather, a panoramic roof, dual-zone climate, a head-up display and ventilated seats all come on the Premium, where the EX5 runs single-zone climate and reserves the head-up display, ventilated seats and sunroof for the dearer Inspire grade. The Geely answers with a plush GeeLuxe-trimmed cabin that reviewers still rate as upmarket, plus that longer warranty. Both share the essentials, from a 360-degree camera and heated seats to wireless phone charging and built-in navigation. Dollar for dollar the Sealion's base grade is the more loaded, though reviewers knock its screen-heavy controls.

It comes down to budget and priorities. If you want the cheapest way onto the road in a five-star electric SUV, with the longest warranty, the most roadside cover and a plush, quiet cabin, the EX5 is the value pick, provided you can live with its smaller size, softer ride and modest pace. If you want the bigger, faster, more premium car, with a genuine-leather cabin, more space and the reassurance of Australia's best-selling electric SUV, and the higher on-road price suits, the Sealion 7 is the more capable all-rounder, in Premium form rather than the pricey Performance. Weigh the roughly $18,000 on-road gap in late 2026 against what the extra size and power are worth to you, and the choice makes itself.

Both are relatively new badges in Australia, so the safety net matters. Here the EX5 has the edge: its 7-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty and seven years of roadside assistance take more of the risk out of an unfamiliar brand than the Sealion 7's 6-year, 150,000km cover and single year of roadside. The Sealion counters with scale, it is a top-selling EV with a growing dealer and parts presence, which brings its own reassurance. Neither has a long local track record yet. If warranty length and roadside support are what settle your nerves, the Geely is the safer bet on paper; if brand momentum and volume do, the BYD.