Geely EX5 vs Zeekr 7X

Compare them on the same basis, because both quote before on-road costs and Geely publishes no national driveaway figure. On 2026 pricing the EX5 opens at $41,990 and tops out at $45,990 for the Inspire; the 7X starts at $57,900 and climbs past $72,900. Like for like, the dearest EX5 still lands about $11,910 under the cheapest Zeekr, and the entry EX5 undercuts it by nearly $16,000. This is not a close call on price, and it should not be read as one. If your budget centres on the low $40,000s, the EX5 is the only one of the two in the conversation, while the 7X asks a clear step up.

Charging is not close. The 7X uses an 800-volt architecture and accepts up to 450kW on DC for a claimed 10 to 80 per cent in about 13 minutes, and its 22kW AC charger doubles the Geely's 11kW. The EX5 runs a 400-volt system that peaks near 100kW and quotes 30 to 80 per cent in about 20 minutes. Range is the surprise: the EX5 claims 475km WLTP in the Complete, within a whisker of the entry 7X's 480km WLTP, so the cheaper car matches the dearer one at the bottom of each range. The Zeekr's bigger-battery grades stretch further still. Charging speed is clearly the Zeekr's; on entry range the Geely holds its own.

The 7X leads on power everywhere. Its rear-drive grade makes 310kW to the EX5's 160, nearly double, and claims 6.0 seconds to 100km/h against the Geely's 7.4. Step up to the Performance AWD and it reaches 475kW and a claimed 3.8 seconds, well beyond anything the single-motor EX5 offers. The Geely is front-drive only, tuned for easy commuting rather than pace, and its 7.4-second sprint is perfectly adequate for the class and price. But there is no version of the EX5 that answers the Zeekr's outputs. For straight-line pace the 7X wins at every grade; the EX5's case is that most buyers at its price never miss the extra power.

The 7X is the larger vehicle, 4,787mm long on a 2,900mm wheelbase against the EX5's 4,615mm and 2,750mm, and it shows in cargo space. Its boot holds 539 litres seats up to the Geely's modest 302, and 1,978 litres folded to 1,877. The 7X also brings standard tri-zone climate, where the EX5 runs single-zone and reserves its panoramic sunroof for the dearer Inspire grade. The Geely answers with lightness and tidiness: at 1,766kg it is 629kg lighter, with a tighter 10.8-metre turning circle to make it the easier car to park and thread through town. Choose the Zeekr for outright space and family room, the Geely for a lighter, cheaper-to-run footprint.

Both wear a current five-star ANCAP rating from 2025 testing, and both fit seven airbags. The sub-scores split. The EX5 scores higher for vulnerable road users at 83 per cent to 78, and for safety assist at 85 to 78, and its published feature list runs long, with autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and a driver-attention monitor all standard. The 7X leads on adult occupant protection at 91 per cent to 86, and matches on child occupant at 87. There is little between them on the essentials: both are among the safer choices in the class, so let the rest of the comparison decide.

The EX5 builds its ownership case on the basics. Its warranty runs seven years and unlimited kilometres to the Zeekr's five, roadside cover matches at seven years to five, and Geely quotes about $1,190 for five years of capped servicing, a genuinely low figure. The Zeekr answers on cadence rather than price: it services every 40,000km or 24 months against the Geely's 20,000km or 12 months, so it visits the workshop less often, though Zeekr does not publish Australian servicing prices as of 2026. Both back the battery for eight years, the Geely to unlimited kilometres and the Zeekr to 160,000km. On the numbers you can see, the running-cost edge is the Geely's.

This is not either car's headline. Australian reviewers describe the EX5 as comfortable and quiet but softly damped, with a ride that can float on rough roads and light, low-feel steering, so it reads as an easy commuter rather than an engaging one. The 7X carries itself better for its size, but the same testers flag a chassis that can lose composure on coarse country surfaces, and its 2,395kg is 629kg of mass to manage. So this is not a case of one polished car against a poor one. Both are tuned for comfort over corners; the Zeekr feels the more substantial, the Geely the more nimble around town.

This is the real question, because the two sit a class apart. The EX5 delivers a genuine mid-size EV with competitive range, a five-star rating, a long warranty and a low price, and for a buyer whose commute is city-based and whose budget is firm, it is plenty of car. The 7X is what the extra $16,000 or more buys: a bigger body, nearly double the power, 800-volt charging and a more premium cabin. Neither choice is wrong. If you want maximum value and running-cost certainty, the Geely answers; if you need the space, pace and charging and can fund the step up, the Zeekr earns it.

For a value-led buyer, the Geely EX5 is the more sensible spend. It costs a class less, carries a longer warranty and cheaper servicing, matches the entry Zeekr on range, and covers the safety and tech essentials, so most buyers at its price want for little. The Zeekr 7X earns its premium for a different brief: buyers who need its size, its nearly doubled power, its 800-volt charging and its more premium cabin, and who can stretch past $57,900 before on-road costs to get them. Choose the Geely for value and low running costs; choose the Zeekr for the space, the speed and the charging.