Is the Kia EV5 better than the Geely EX5?

The EV5 is the more capable car, with a bigger boot, more range, faster DC charging and a tow rating on most variants. The EX5 matches it for cabin comfort and costs thousands less. Buy the Kia if you need those abilities, and the Geely if you don't.

Which has the bigger boot, the Kia EV5 or Geely EX5?

The EV5 is bigger with the seats up: 513 litres plus a 67-litre front trunk, against 302 litres plus a 108-litre underfloor well. The EX5 reverses that when folded, at 1,877 litres against 1,714 litres. Measure your longest item in both, because neither brand publishes load length.

Can the Geely EX5 tow?

Not the cars on sale now, which have no braked tow rating. A 750 kg variant has been filed with the federal regulator, but Geely hasn't priced or dated it. The EV5 Long Range variants tow 1,250 kg braked, while the Standard Range is rated at only 300 kg.

Which is cheaper to run, the EV5 or the EX5?

The EX5 Inspire is slightly cheaper to charge than an EV5 GT-Line, at about $760 against $840 a year for 15,000 km at 30c/kWh using lab figures. The bigger gap sits in the purchase price, the lease residual and servicing intervals, which favour the Geely.

Do both cars qualify for the FBT exemption?

Yes, as of November 2026. Every variant lists under the $91,661 threshold. Treasury's draft law would limit the full concession to cars valued at $75,000 or less for leases committed from 1 April 2027. The EX5 clears that easily, while the EV5 GT-Line sits close to it.

Kia EV5 vs Geely EX5 Australia (2026)

Kia EV5 vs Geely EX5 comes down to one question: will you use what the extra money buys? As of November 2026, the EX5 Inspire lists at $45,990 before on-road costs and the EV5 GT-Line at $71,770, a gap of $25,780. For that, the Kia adds all-wheel drive, a tow rating and a bigger seats-up boot. Most families won’t need all three, which is why we’d buy the Geely unless one of them is a must.

These two are the same length, 4,615 mm, and they aim at the same buyer. They just arrive at different prices. The EX5 has become a sales hit, with 12,745 sold in the first nine months of 2026 (VFACTS and EV Council data compiled by The Driven, October 2026). The EV5 is the established-brand alternative, and it’s the car many households end up debating because one partner prefers each.

There’s a better EV5 than the GT-Line for this comparison, too. The Air Long Range keeps most of the Kia’s practical advantages for $10,600 less at list. We compare both below against the Geely. For the wider field, start at our electric vehicles hub.

Kia EV5 vs Geely EX5: specs side by side

The EV5 wins on range, boot and charging speed, while the EX5 wins on price and warranty cover. All figures below are for Australian-delivered cars.

Spec	EX5 Complete	EX5 Inspire	EV5 Air Long Range	EV5 GT-Line AWD
List price (before on-roads, as of Oct to Nov 2026)	$41,990	$45,990	$61,170	$71,770
Battery (LFP)	68.39 kWh	68.39 kWh	88.1 kWh	88.1 kWh
WLTP range	475 km	450 km	555 km	470 km
Drive	Front	Front	Front	All-wheel
Power / torque	160 kW / 320 Nm	160 kW / 320 Nm	160 kW / 310 Nm	230 kW / 480 Nm
DC charging	100 kW, 30-80% in about 20 min	100 kW, 30-80% in about 20 min	About 140 kW, 10-80% in about 38 min	About 140 kW, 10-80% in about 38 min
AC charging	11 kW	11 kW	11 kW	11 kW
Boot, seats up	302 L + 108 L underfloor	302 L + 108 L underfloor	513 L + 67 L front trunk	513 L + 67 L front trunk
Boot, seats folded	1,877 L	1,877 L	1,714 L	1,714 L
Braked towing	Not rated	Not rated	1,250 kg	1,250 kg
V2L	3.3 kW adapter	3.3 kW adapter	Cabin outlet only	Cabin and exterior
Vehicle warranty	7 yr / unlimited km	7 yr / unlimited km	7 yr / unlimited km	7 yr / unlimited km
Battery warranty	8 yr / unlimited km	8 yr / unlimited km	7 yr / 150,000 km (8 yr / 160,000 km from MY27)	7 yr / 150,000 km (8 yr / 160,000 km from MY27)

Sources: Geely Australia, Kia Australia, Kia’s MY26 brochure and August 2026 warranty terms, CarExpert (Geely pricing and both DC figures) and WhichCar (Geely folded volume and length).

Prices move around a lot on the EV5. CarExpert reported drive-away offers of $59,990 for the Air Long Range and $75,990 for the GT-Line in August 2026, and dealers have run cashbacks since. Those offers put the Air Long Range below its list price once on-roads are counted, so get a written quote before you rule it in or out.

The picks

Geely EX5 Inspire: the one most families should buy

At $45,990 before on-roads, the Inspire brings ventilated and massaging front seats, a head-up display, a panoramic sunroof, a power tailgate and a 16-speaker stereo. That is GT-Line territory for less than a base Air’s list price. Rear space is the other draw: one owner says three teenagers fit comfortably across the back, and it swung that family’s decision over rivals.

Its weaknesses are real. The boot is small with the seats up, there’s no tow rating, and the driver-assist alerts are persistent. CarExpert also found the suspension soft and bouncy on uneven roads. Our Geely EX5 review covers those trade-offs in detail, and the Inspire product page has the full spec sheet.

Verdict: the best value in this comparison by a wide margin, if you don’t tow and don’t need a large seats-up boot.

Kia EV5 Air Long Range: the sensible Kia

At $61,170 before on-roads, this is the EV5 to buy. It has the longest range here at 555 km WLTP, the same 513-litre boot as the dearer variants and a 1,250 kg tow rating. Giving up the second motor costs you very little in family driving and adds 85 km of claimed range over the GT-Line.

You still give up the luxury gear, and the Inspire feels the better-equipped car. The Air doesn’t have a head-up display, ventilated seats or exterior V2L. Our Kia EV5 review lists what each grade adds.

Verdict: worth the extra over an EX5 if you tow a small trailer, cover long distances or fill the boot every week.

Kia EV5 GT-Line AWD: for buyers who want the top spec

At $71,770 before on-roads, the GT-Line adds all-wheel drive with 230 kW and 480 Nm, a Harman/Kardon stereo, a head-up display, ventilated front seats and heated rear seats. It also has exterior V2L. Like every EV5, it has a built-in household-style outlet too, which one owner of both prefers to the Geely’s plug-in adapter.

The price is the sticking point. You pay about 56% more than an Inspire, and range falls to 470 km. Efficiency suffers too. The GT-Line’s battery and WLTP figures work out to about 18.7 kWh per 100 km, against the Inspire’s official 16.9 kWh. One owner’s main complaint is that the speed-sign alert lacks a quick mute, so turning it off means going through menus.

Verdict: hard to justify on logic. If one of you loves it and you can afford the repayments, that’s still a legitimate reason.

Where the Kia earns its premium

The EV5 justifies its price in four specific situations, and if none applies to you the extra money buys little.

You carry bulky loads with the seats up. A pram, a dog crate and a weekly shop fit far more easily in 513 litres than in 302 litres. Geely’s 108-litre underfloor well helps, but it suits small items better than tall ones.

You tow. This is the clearest split. The EX5 on sale has no braked rating, while the Long Range EV5 manages 1,250 kg. Check our EV towing guide first, because towing near that limit can cut range roughly in half.

You drive long distances often. The Air Long Range’s 555 km claim is 80 km more than the best EX5. The AAA’s real-world program recorded 446 km from the EV5 Earth against its 500 km claim (reported June 2026), so expect a similar shortfall in any car. The EV5 also charges at a higher peak, though Kia’s 10-80% time of about 38 minutes reflects its larger battery.

You need all-wheel drive. The EX5 has no AWD variant in Australia. If you regularly use gravel or wet, steep roads, the Earth and GT-Line are the only options here.

Where the Geely wins

The EX5 wins on cost, warranty terms and equipment per dollar, and those advantages last the whole time you own the car.

Purchase price. The Inspire undercuts the Air Long Range by $15,180 at list. CarExpert puts the Complete at around $45,000 to $46,000 drive-away in Sydney.

Battery warranty. Private buyers get eight years with no kilometre limit on the battery. Kia’s cover is seven years or 150,000 km, moving to eight years or 160,000 km on model year 2027 cars, according to its warranty terms. Check the build plate on any EV5 you’re quoted, as it decides which battery terms you get.

Servicing and insurance. The EX5’s service interval is 12 months or 20,000 km, against 12 months or 15,000 km for the EV5. Higher-km drivers will visit the Kia dealer more often. CHOICE’s analysis of January 2026 quotes also put Geely as the cheapest new EV brand to insure, averaging $1,622 a year against $2,440 across all new EVs (CHOICE, 2026). Kia wasn’t in the figures we could verify, so get a quote for your own postcode.

The folded boot. The EX5’s 1,877 litres beats the Kia’s 1,714 litres when you drop the second row. Volume isn’t load length, though, and neither brand publishes a length figure. If you need to fit something long, such as 1,700 mm of cargo, take a tape measure to both showrooms.

How the numbers look on a novated lease

A novated lease widens the gap in dollars, because you repay a larger amount and owe a larger residual at the end. The residual is the balloon amount left when the lease finishes, set by the ATO as a minimum percentage of the car’s value. On a five-year lease it’s 28.13%.

	EX5 Inspire	EV5 Air Long Range	EV5 GT-Line
List price (as of Nov 2026)	$45,990	$61,170	$71,770
Approximate 5-year residual at 28.13%	$12,937	$17,207	$20,189
FBT position under the draft law	Well under $75,000	Under $75,000	Close to $75,000

These residuals use list price as a rough guide. Your quote will use the actual value of the car, so the figures will differ. Our residual value guide explains what your options are when the balloon falls due, and the novated lease calculator runs the repayments for your salary.

Charging costs barely move the result. At 30c/kWh over 15,000 km a year, the Inspire’s official figure costs about $760 and the GT-Line about $840. That $80 won’t change anyone’s decision.

The FBT rules might. Every variant here sits under the $91,661 threshold for 2026-27, so all qualify today. Treasury’s September 2026 draft would keep the full concession only for cars valued at $75,000 or less on leases committed from 1 April 2027, with a 25% discount above that. The draft isn’t law yet. Accessories added to a GT-Line could push it over that line, so ask your provider for the base value in writing.

How we chose

We picked the variants buyers actually cross-shop, and judged them on price, usable space, range, charging, towing and warranty. Specs come from Geely and Kia’s Australian sites and brochures, and we prefer those to overseas reviews because battery sizes and AC limits often differ by market. Owner experience shaped the day-to-day points, such as driver-alert annoyance and back-seat space. We treated those as owner reports, not measurements.

We left out the EV5 Air Standard Range because its 300 kg tow rating and 6.6 kW AC charging remove most of the Kia’s advantage over a Geely. The Earth AWD at $64,770 is a fair middle ground if you want AWD and exterior V2L without paying for GT-Line comfort features.

What to look for when you test drive them

Drive them back to back on a rough road, because ride is where opinions split most. Some buyers find the Kia’s cabin plain for the price, and others find the Geely too soft. Neither view is wrong, and only a drive will tell you which bothers you.

Then check these before you sign:

Your actual cargo. Bring the pram or measure your longest item against the folded floor.
Child seats. Fit your own seats, including the third one if you need it, in the rear row.
Driver position. Some taller EX5 owners report the steering wheel hiding part of the small driver display, which makes the Inspire’s head-up display worth having.
Driver alerts. Spend ten minutes on a road with changing limits and see whether you can live with each car’s warnings.
Current offers. Geely is running 0.68% finance and trade-in charging credit deals to 30 November 2026. Kia offers vary by dealer, so ask for a written drive-away price.

If you’re pushing towards $70,000 anyway, drive a Zeekr 7X as well. It’s the rival that came up most in buyer discussions of these two cars, for its faster charging and more settled ride. The EV compare tool lines all three up side by side.

Kia EV5 vs Geely EX5 in Australia: Is the Kia Worth the Extra Money?