Starting from under £21,000, the EX2 comes in three trim levels, Pro, Max and Ultra. The entry trim has a 35.4kWh battery and 156 miles of range, while the other two grades have a 47.1kWh pack and a claimed range of 214 miles.
I drove the top Ultra version around rolling hills and honey-coloured Jurassic limestone villages in the Cotswolds. If you’re not from the UK and you’re reading this, it’s a stunning rural region in south-central and south-west England. Anyway, this edition of the EX2 produces up to 85kW of electric power (116PS), compared with the entry-level's 60kW (82PS), and charges from 30 per cent to 80 per cent in around 25 minutes when connected to an appropriately powerful DC charger.
I came away suitably impressed by the test car. The Geely EX2 has a 'face' you want to cuddle, and it feels agile and easy to place, particularly on narrower village roads. The suspension does a fab job of soaking up potholes and rough surfaces, too. With a 360-degree camera incorporating a transparent chassis view, and light steering, it's also remarkably straightforward to park, making it well suited to urban driving.
The performance feels more than adequate for what is ultimately likely to be a second car, whether that’s for the school run, commuting or as an affordable first EV for a new driver. The Ultra gets you to 62mph in 11.5 seconds, and the top speed is 80mph.
It also has ambient lighting, a prominent central touchscreen that's very responsive, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto - and more interior space than you might expect from such a compact car. I sat in the rear directly behind where I'd been sitting in the driver's seat and, at 5ft 11in, still had plenty of knee and legroom. The 375 litre boot is useful, too, with enough space for a decent supermarket shop or a folded buggy. If you need more room - there’s a 70 litre frunk - useful for, say, the kids’ boots or PE gear.
At the model’s media launch, I caught up with Jennifer Wise, Senior Product Manager at Geely Auto UK, to learn more about the EX2 and the thinking behind it.
Tim Barnes-Clay: Jennifer, great to be here with you. For those who don’t know the EX2, tell us a little bit more about the car.
Jennifer Wise: Absolutely. It’s a B-segment, fully electric hatchback arriving in the UK later in August. What it offers is fantastic interior space, making it more akin to a C-segment vehicle in terms of roominess. That’s enabled by the GEA platform that we build our cars on.
Tim: What are the main competitors?
Jennifer: The Renault 5 is probably the more dominant player within this segment currently, so we’re very conscious of making sure we’re comparable when it comes to pricing, specification and our overall product offering.
I’d also mention the MG4 Urban and Nissan Micra. If you look at the wider segment, there are cars such as the Citroën ë-C3 and Mini Cooper. It’s an ever-increasing segment in terms of popularity.
Tim: The EX2 looks very affordable across the lineup. How much are we talking about?
Jennifer: Prices start at £20,990 on the road for the Pro, with the Max at £23,490 and the range-topping Ultra at £25,490.
Tim: If you have a particular person in mind for this car, who do you think will be buying it?
Jennifer: We think it’s likely to be a second car in the household. If you’ve got a family and you’re doing regular school runs or city commuting, it’s very much designed as a city-friendly package.
But it could equally be a really nice entry point into electric motoring for somebody younger, or somebody downsizing from a larger car because they don’t need something so big anymore.
Tim: I'm glad you said that because I was imagining it as a school-run vehicle. But my daughter has recently learnt to drive, and it struck me that this could make a very affordable first-ever car, too.
Jennifer: Absolutely. It’s a great car to learn to drive in. It’s compact, easy to manoeuvre and we’ve worked hard on making sure it’s safe.
Tim: You’ve presumably driven the EX2, what are your impressions so far?
Jennifer: I’ve really enjoyed it. I’ve driven it as part of the launch programme, so I’m familiar with how it drives, and I think the handling is brilliant.
Because it’s rear-wheel drive and quite compact, it has an excellent turning circle. On the Ultra, it’s 4.95 metres, so it’s really manoeuvrable.
I was also pleasantly surprised by the suspension and comfort. I got in and immediately felt comfortable. Everything felt convenient and accessible. It was almost like I’d been driving the car forever.
Tim: We’ve touched on this already, but is interior space a big priority?
Jennifer: Absolutely. Although it’s a compact B-segment car, we wanted to make sure we maximised the space available to occupants. It’s a five-seat interior designed around comfort, refinement and intelligent storage.
Tim: Geely is a name I've known for a long time, but many people probably don't realise just how many brands sit within the wider group. Tell me about that.
Jennifer: I completely agree. We actually describe Geely as the “most unknown, known brand” because we overlap with so many different brands.
We’ve got the holding company working with Zeekr and Lynk & Co, and the wider group has stakes in Volvo, Polestar, Smart, Proton, Lotus and LEVC.
Tim: That’s actually quite reassuring for someone who might be unsure about the Geely name. Once they realise all those brands are connected, you appreciate there’s a huge amount of automotive expertise behind it.
Jennifer: We've operated in this market for a long time, and we're bringing products that are relevant to the UK. We can also draw on expertise from across the group. Volvo, for example, is very strongly associated with safety, and that's something that's extremely important within our Geely products, too.
Tim: Now, here’s a question I love. I really like the colour schemes you’ve got here. They’re quite pastel, aren’t they?
Jennifer: Yes, I’d definitely call them our pastel colours.
Tim: Which one do you think will be the most popular?
Jennifer: Our green has been hugely popular on the Geely EX5 and Starray EM-i, so I think that could do really well on this model, too - particularly on the Ultra where you’ve got the contrasting black roof.
Personally, I love the pink. Initially, when I saw it on paper, I wondered whether it might be too pink, but it’s actually a really beautiful colour.
I think we’ll still see a strong mix of silver and grey because those are more traditional choices. We’ve ordered a good mix for the initial launch so we can see what customers respond to and adjust accordingly.
Tim: I had to help buy a car for my wife recently, and the only things she cared about were: How often does it need servicing? And what's the warranty? On those points, tell me about the EX2.
Jennifer: We're offering an eight-year or 125,000-mile warranty, covering both the car and the battery. Servicing is every two years, which we’re aligning with the Geely EX5.
Tim: Finally, what does the future hold for Geely? Presumably plenty more models are coming?
Jennifer: Definitely. I think there’s a very bright future ahead. We’re bringing cars to market in segments that are really popular in the UK, so we’re focused on products that cater to what customers actually want.
We’ve got a number of different body styles coming and some hugely exciting products. It's a fantastic time to be in the product team, and I'm really excited about what's in store.