This EV is the best-selling car in China – now it’s in the UK, and I’ve driven it

If you’re ever in doubt about the sheer size and influence of the Chinese car market, just take a look at the figures for its best-selling model – the Geely EX2. This small, inexpensive electric hatchback racked up a whopping 465,000 sales in 2025. To put that into perspective, that number represents around 20% of the total UK car market in the same year – which encompasses over 300 separate models.

That sort of volume across a single car is incredibly impressive, so it’s no wonder Geely thinks it’s a level of success that might work outside of China. That’s why I’m at the headquarters of LEVC (another Geely company) getting acquainted with the EX2 just before it goes on sale in the UK.

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Priced from just under £21,000, the EX2 is aiming straight at the heartland of small electric cars – vehicles such as the Citroen e-C3, MG4 Urban and the Renault 5. The big-battery model starts from less than £24,000, which is dot-on competitive with the Renault 5 in its own big-battery form.

First impressions aren’t bad. The EX2 is a cute little thing, all curves, with a grille-less front end and rather pert bottom. For a car that’s going to compete with cheap, compact EVs, it’s remarkably large, too – it’s 21cm longer and 3cm wider than the R5, and that translates to a ton of interior space.

At 6’2, I can comfortably sit behind myself, while the 375-litre boot is almost the same capacity as a VW Golf’s – bolstered by a 70-litre ‘frunk’ that you can store your charging cables in. The EX2 is taking the MG4 Urban’s approach of big interior space for little money and running with it.

It feels genuinely good inside, too. Geely’s larger cars, the EX5 and Starray, both have nice quality interiors with a feeling of solidity not always guaranteed in a cheap model. The EX2 isn’t quite as posh, but you still get comfy artificial leather seats and soft materials on all the important bits you touch. It’s also available with a light-coloured leather, which brightens up the cabin and makes a change from most cheap alternatives which often feel quite dark inside.

The EX2 is not short of interior storage. The glovebox is huge – and usefully opens like a drawer so things won’t get lost at the back. There are deep door bins, a large spot under the centre console and another under the armrest, plus room under the rear seats where Geely will offer a pull-out drawer.

There are two battery and motor options available, across three trim levels. Entry cars get an 82hp motor and a 35.4kWh battery, good for 0-62mph in 14.2 seconds and an official range of 156 miles between charges. The bigger – and better – option is the 116hp motor with a 47.1kWh battery, which goes 214 miles between charges and gets from 0-62mph in 11.5 seconds.

Neither charge very quickly, which is a shame – the max rate is 60kW for the small battery and 80kW for the larger one, which is slower than the Renault 5’s 100kW offering.

You get a ton of equipment as standard regardless. The ‘Pro’ model (£20,990) has LED lights, synthetic leather, climate control, cruise control, electric front seats, a reversing camera and vehicle-to-load functionality. ‘Max’ (£23,490) adds the bigger battery and more powerful motor, while top-spec ‘Ultra’ (£25,490) brings two-tone paint, ambient lighting, wireless phone charging, heated seats and steering wheel and a powered tailgate, plus the option of the light interior.

That’s punchy pricing – not far off the Renault 5 or MG 4 Urban, but it’s far better-equipped than either.

And what’s it like to drive? Well, it’s fine – mostly. Though the EX2 is rear-wheel drive, don’t go expecting it to feel like a sports car, as it’s not nearly powerful enough and the traction control soon steps in before you get any sense of tail-out antics. Not that it’s intended as a car for keen drivers.

Around town, where its natural habitat is, it does a pretty good job. It rides over bumps very well and is extremely quiet for a cheap EV, with great visibility thanks to that big bubbly glass area up top. It’s a shame there’s no proper one-pedal mode for the ultimate urban experience, though.

On a country road it doesn’t feel too out of its depth, and it’s fine on the motorway too – though with a top speed limited to 80mph, you won’t be taking it on the German autobahn any time soon.

There are only two real issues – the first is the steering, which is far too light and feels weirdly disconnected just off dead-centre. You get used to it, but it’s never fully pleasant.

The other are the driver assistance systems, which are far too hyperactive to be suited to the UK’s roads. The car was constantly bleating at me to pay attention to the road, even when our heads had only turned to look at oncoming traffic on a roundabout. The autonomous braking is very twitchy too, slamming on the anchors when we were just manoeuvring around a car park.

You can turn these systems off, of course – and while it takes a lot of menu-scrolling to do that at present, Geely has promised an over-the-air update giving you a quick shortcut to sort it all in one or two clicks – like you get on the EX5 and Starray. But it’s a shame they don’t work well enough to leave them turned on.

So is the Geely EX2 likely to become the next big thing in the UK EV market? Well, I don’t think it’s going to see the same astronomic sales success here as it does in China. Back home, the EX2 costs the equivalent of around £7,000, but here it’s priced to compete with some excellent – and very desirable – cars.

If you’re considering a Renault 5, then you probably won’t be too fussed by this car – it’s not fun enough or stylish enough to be really desirable, and it isn’t meaningfully cheaper. But if you were in the market for a Citroen e-C3 or MG4 Urban, there’s no reason you shouldn’t look at the very roomy and well-equipped Geely EX2.

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