I tested these two Chinese SUVs and was surprised how close they get to the Europeans

If you’re thinking of buying an electric SUV, you might be swayed by something from a familiar brand, such as a Skoda Elroq or Kia EV3. But as with so many car buying questions in 2026, the best answer may be less obvious – and may come from China.

I’ve lined up two of the most compelling Chinese electric SUVs here. Both offer eight-year warranties, room for the whole family, a high-tech and posh-feeling cabin, and come absolutely loaded with equipment for around the same price as a mid-spec European, Japanese or Korean equivalent.

But the Aion V and Geely EX5 definitely have their differences, and depending on your needs one may be much better for you than the other. I’m going to compare their practicality, interiors, what they’re like to drive and how far you can go on a charge – plus, see which one’s the better deal to buy or lease.

Remember, you can buy a brand new or used car right here on Carwow. And you can sell your car, too. We’re here to help you through every step of your car-changing journey.

Aion V vs Geely EX5: prices and deals

The Aion V starts from £36,450, rising to £37,945 if you opt for the Premium Pack. The Geely EX5 range starts at £31,990 for the SE model, and then Pro, Max and Ultra variants add a few thousand each to the price, topping out at £38,990.

Things are a bit different through Carwow, though, where you can get superb deals for both these cars. For the Aion V, you can save over £2,500 on the regular model and over £2,600 on the Premium Pack car – and if you’re buying through a PCP, there’s a £3,000 Aion deposit contribution and low APR rate of just 3.0%.

The Geely EX5 has savings ranging from £1,784 on the SE to £1,959 for the Ultra. But if you’re buying on PCP, each higher model gets a larger deposit contribution from Geely – from £1,900 on the SE up to £3,500 on the Ultra – and 0% APR finance.

If you’re buying cash, then, you should stop at our preferred Geely EX5 – the Max – but on PCP finance you may as well go right to the top and get the Ultra instead. Either way, the Aion is slightly better value to cash buyers due to the extra equipment, but the Geely’s 0% APR and cost saving make it a better deal on PCP.

If you’re leasing, using a three-year term with 10,000 miles per year limit and a nine-month initial payment, the Aion V will cost you £384 per month – or £397 for the Premium Pack. The Geely is much cheaper. The base SE model costs £288 per month, and our preferred Max is just £306 per month.

Just like with the PCP deal, though, the price difference to lease the top-spec Ultra is so small that you may as well go the whole hog – it’ll cost you just £318 per month.

So the Geely is cheaper to buy, PCP or to lease – but is the Aion a good enough car to make up the difference?

Aion V vs Geely EX5: batteries, motors, and range

This is where the Aion V begins to make up ground. It uses a 75.3kWh battery which gives you a maximum range of 317 miles.

The Geely EX5 comes with a choice of two batteries – but even the larger 68.4kWh unit tops out at just 280 miles, and claimed range in the Max model is 255 miles.

In the real world, you probably won’t see the maximum claimed figure from either car, but we found them to be pretty efficient. The Aion V averaged 3.8 miles per kWh during our time with it, giving it a real-world range of a little over 280 miles. The Geely EX5 Max bested that with 4.0 mi/kWh, but that still means real world range is around 235 miles. The Aion V is definitely better for long-distance drivers.

The Aion also charges quicker, at 180kW to the Geely’s 120kW – though the larger battery means there are just four minutes separating their claims of 24/28 minutes to charge from 10-80% at a public charger.

Both use a single motor driving the front wheels, though the Geely is more powerful – it has 218hp to the Aion’s 204hp and a lot more torque, so can accelerate quicker. But both cars have more than enough grunt to keep up with motorway traffic or execute a swift overtake. The Aion wins out here thanks to its greater range and faster charging.

Aion V vs Geely EX5: driving and comfort

I can keep this part quite short, because the truth is both of these cars are perfectly competent to drive – and very dull. The Aion has great visibility around town and is nice and quiet on the motorway, but it leans a lot in the bends and the steering doesn’t give you any feedback, so it’s not great on a country road.

The Geely is similarly good in town and on the motorway, but is a lot better on a twisting country lane because the steering is quite quick and there’s lots of grip. It also has a smaller turning circle, despite being a slightly longer car.

Both cars have quite soft suspension, so they iron out lumps and bumps around town – but the Aion shudders if you hit a motorway expansion joint or similar, where the EX5 largely avoids this.

It’s not much of a comparison – a Skoda Elroq or Kia EV3 are both much better to drive generally – but between these two cars, the EX5 just pips it.

Aion V vs Geely EX5: interior and practicality

Neither of these cars feels particularly inspiring on the inside, but the Aion is even less inspiring than most. The dashboard follows the usual template – horizontal lines, a big 14.6-inch touchscreen, slim driver’s display, and twin storage pads for phones, one of which is a wireless charger.

There are a few quirks, though – both good and bad. Equipment is generous on the base model, with heated, ventilated and electrically adjustable front seats, a panoramic sunroof, dual-zone climate control and a 360-degree camera. Adding the Premium Pack gives you genuine leather upholstery – actually a rarity in 2026 – plus massaging seats, and the availability of cream or tan interior colours.

You also get the most absurdly overengineered tray table for one of your rear passengers – it’s truly lovely – and a cool/hot box under the centre armrest which can go from -15 degrees to +50. So whether you’re bringing a takeaway home or keeping some ice lollies for a hot day, you’re covered.

The Geely EX5 is a bit more interesting, with a swooping centre console and some nicely asymmetric design details. Material quality is also great wherever you touch, and though the leather is artificial it’s still very nice and soft.

The Geely’s screen is slightly larger than the Aion’s at 15.4 inches, and a bit easier to use. Some of the menus are longwinded, but there are a few shortcuts to make things easier such as turning off the distracting driver aids.

Equipment on the Max or Ultra matches the Aion, though you don’t get a tray table or cool/hot box. But all cars get adaptive cruise control, wireless phone charging and 360-degree camera.

It’s an even fight when it comes to practicality. Both cars have truly palatial rear seats with room for a six-foot adult to stretch out in, but on the other hand both have rather small boots. The Geely has 465 litres and the Aion 427, and neither of them have a ‘frunk’ under the bonnet to store any additional luggage or charging cables.

The Geely does a bit better with clever interior storage, though – not only does it have a glovebox, but there’s a pull-out drawer underneath the rear seat that’s a truly inspired idea.

Aion V vs Geely EX5: warranty and aftercare

Some Chinese cars can be a nightmare for owners, with long repair times and warranties that have so much small print you’d need a magnifying glass. But these two aim to buck that trend.

Geely offers one of the longest warranties in the business – eight years and 125,000 miles of cover, and you get your first two years servicing free plus four years of roadside assistance.

Aion’s warranty is slightly shorter at eight years and 100,000 miles, but it absolutely smashes Geely with its aftercare provision – you get eight years of servicing, roadside assistance and even MOT test fees covered.

You might have a bit of a struggle cashing in on the Aion offer at first, though. There are only 12 dealers in the UK at the moment, versus around 60 Geely sites. Aion’s servicing is taken on by AA mobile patrols, but in my experience that can be hit-or-miss. Both manufacturers promise UK parts warehouses with speedy delivery on replacements; both cars are too new to evaluate that comprehensively.

Aion V vs Geely EX5: verdict

Both of these cars are very good indeed, and if you’re considering an electric SUV you should definitely seriously consider them alongside the European, Japanese or Korean options. If you value driving dynamics or ultimate range, look elsewhere, but one of these cars will serve you brilliantly if your focus is on passenger space or interior equipment levels.

The Aion V offers a longer range, brilliant aftercare package and feels genuinely posh in places, but there are a few design decisions that would drive me mad – make sure you take it on a long test drive to ensure you can live with these.

The Geely has fewer things that would annoy me day-to-day, but the limited range means it wouldn’t work as well for long-distance drivers. It’s cheaper than the Aion to buy or lease, though, which counts for a lot.

It’s much more close-run than I expected, but the Geely EX5 is the winner of this test.

Also consider

Skoda Elroq

The Elroq is a bit smaller than these cars with a tighter back seat – but the boot’s around the same size. It’s not as well-equipped but it’s much nicer to drive, and the biggest-battery model can do 360 miles on a charge.

Kia EV3

It feels markedly cheaper than these two cars inside and isn’t as roomy, but the longest-range Kia EV3 can do 375 miles to a charge and its seven-year/100,000-mile warranty is well-proven in the UK – not just an empty promise.

Used Tesla Model Y

Longer range, a more premium interior and way more space – a used Tesla Model Y is a true bargain, but many have been loved and abused so make sure you look around carefully or you could end up with a tatty one.

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