Geely EX5 vs Nissan Ariya

The EX5 is much the cheaper car. As of September 2026 it opens at $41,990 driveaway for the Complete, about $8,000 under the cheapest Ariya, the $49,990 Engage, with both quoted on a driveaway basis so the gap is like for like. The more telling comparison is at matched equipment: the EX5 fits heated seats, a 360 camera, built-in navigation and a heat pump as standard, and the Ariya only gathers comparable kit by the $61,990 Advance+, roughly $20,000 above the entry Geely. The EX5 also carries a seven-year warranty to the Nissan's five. Both prices move with offers, so confirm the current driveaway figure for your postcode, but the Geely is comfortably the cheaper way onto the road.

It splits. The EX5's 2026 update brought a larger 68.39kWh battery and a claimed 475km, which beats the Ariya's entry 63kWh grades at 385km. Step up to the 87kWh Advance+ and the Nissan claims 504km, the longest here. On charging the Ariya leads: every grade takes 130kW DC to the EX5's 100kW peak. The Geely does hold one advantage, a tight 30 to 80 per cent top-up in about 20 minutes, but its lower ceiling recovers less range in a full stop. Both are WLTP lab figures and both charge fully overnight at home. For long-distance driving the Ariya Advance+ is the stronger tool; for value range the EX5 is ahead of the cheaper Nissans.

It flips depending on how you load. Seats up, the Ariya's 466-litre boot beats the EX5's 302 above the floor, though the Geely's deep under-floor box lifts usable space to about 410 litres. Fold the rear seats and the EX5 turns the tables, opening to 1877 litres against the Ariya's 1350, the biggest load space here. The two are within 20mm on length and share close cabin room. Neither has a front boot. So the Nissan is the roomier everyday boot for daily family use, and the Geely the better van-substitute with the seats down, which makes the winner depend on whether you carry people or big loads more often.

Both carry a five-star ANCAP rating, so neither is a compromise, and both off recent testing, the EX5 from 2025 and the Ariya from 2022. They tie on adult-occupant protection at 86 per cent. The EX5 is stronger on vulnerable-road-user protection, 83 per cent to the Ariya's 74, while the Ariya leads on safety assist, 95 per cent to the Geely's 85, and edges child occupants, 89 to 87. Each fits the full driver-assistance suite as standard, including autonomous emergency braking, lane keep, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. The EX5 has the newer test and the vulnerable-road-user edge; the Ariya the stronger assist score. On the record it is a genuine wash.

The Ariya is the only one of the two rated to tow. Its front-drive grades manage 750kg braked, and the $75,990 Evolve e-4ORCE steps that to 1500kg as of September 2026, enough for a small camper or a box trailer. Geely publishes no towing rating for the EX5 at all, which in practice means it is not designed to tow. Neither Nissan is a heavy hauler by ute standards, and the tow-capable Evolve is the dearest car here, but if occasional light towing is on your list, the Ariya is the one that can do it and the EX5 simply cannot. For most buyers cross-shopping on price this will be a footnote, but for anyone with a trailer it decides the contest.

This one mostly favours the Geely. The EX5 carries a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty to the Ariya's five, and publishes capped servicing around $1,190 across five years, on September 2026 pricing, on 20,000km or 12-month intervals. Both back their batteries for eight years. The Ariya's win is roadside assistance, a long 10 years to the Geely's seven, and it services more often, every 15,000km. As the lighter, more efficient car the EX5 also uses less energy, 160Wh/km to the Ariya's 184, which trims running costs a little further. On balance the Geely is the stronger ownership case, led by the longer standard warranty and cheaper, less frequent servicing, with the Ariya's longer roadside the counterpoint.

Both earn cabin praise, for different reasons. The EX5's GeeLuxe-trimmed interior is one AU reviewers call plush and quiet, and it fits a larger 15.4-inch touchscreen, built-in navigation, a 360 camera and heated front seats as standard on both grades, with a head-up display and ventilated, massaging seats on the Inspire. The Ariya answers with atmosphere, a hushed, airy space rated the class's most restful, plus dual-zone climate to the Geely's single and built-in navigation across its range, though it holds its 360 camera and head-up display for dearer grades. The EX5 is the more loaded cabin for the money, the Ariya the calmer and more resolved one.

For a family the Ariya makes the stronger practical case day to day. Its 466-litre seats-up boot is the larger for prams and shopping, it fits dual-zone climate where the Geely runs single-zone, its 130kW charging and 504km Advance+ ease longer trips, and it is the only one able to tow. The EX5 is far from beaten: it is about $8,000 cheaper to buy as of September 2026, carries the longer seven-year warranty, fits heated seats and a 360 camera as standard, and swallows more with the rear seats folded. If outright everyday space, climate and towing lead your list, the Nissan is the family pick; if budget and standard kit lead it, the Geely makes a compelling case for thousands less.

It comes down to budget against capability. If you want the cheapest way into a five-star electric SUV, with the longest warranty, a plush cabin and heated-leather kit standard, the EX5 is the value pick, provided you can live with a soft ride, single-zone climate, a 100kW charging ceiling and no towing. If you will pay about $8,000 more, at September 2026 pricing, for a far bigger everyday boot, 130kW charging, dual-zone comfort, a genuine 504km grade in the Advance+ and the ability to tow, the Ariya is the more capable car. Weigh the price gap against how much the extra space and charging speed are worth to you, and the answer follows.