We test the Geely E5: how does a Chinese SUV behave in a Spanish medieval village?

There are few better ways of seeing just how much the car has changed than driving one of the new electric SUVs from China to a Spanish medieval town. That is precisely what we have done with the Geely E5, covering the roughly 140 kilometres that separate Madrid from Pedraza, on the other side of the mountains.

Motorway, the climb towards Somosierra, secondary roads and, finally, the narrow, cobbled streets of Pedraza. A route varied enough to check range, comfort and handling, but also to answer a much simpler question: how does a latest-generation Chinese electric car cope when we take it out of its technological habitat and drop it right into a Spanish village with centuries of history?

The setting could hardly have offered a greater contrast. Pedraza preserves much of its medieval layout, with cobbled streets, stately houses, walls and a Plaza Mayor that seems to have stopped in time. And we arrived there in silence, aboard an electric SUV built on a dedicated architecture, fitted with a Short Blade battery and run by an enormous central screen.

Two worlds separated by centuries, face to face.

A mid-size electric SUV with restrained styling

The Geely E5 doesn’t try to grab attention with gimmicks. Its design follows the usual philosophy of many current electric cars, with an almost closed-off front end, clean surfaces and a well-balanced bodywork.

It is a mid-size SUV, big enough to offer a family-friendly cabin, but without reaching the dimensions of the Starray EM-i. And that is especially welcome when we leave the main roads and find ourselves on narrower roads and, later, in the urban tangle of Pedraza.

Its styling doesn’t give in to the temptation of looking excessively futuristic either. There are flush door handles, LED lighting and numerous aerodynamic details, but the overall result is relatively understated. You may like it more or less, but it will probably age better than some far bolder designs.

And right in front of Pedraza’s stone façades, something curious happens: the E5 doesn’t look as out of place as you might expect. It is modern, yes, but not garish.

Inside is where it starts to surprise

The cabin layout follows a minimalist philosophy, with a large 15.4-inch multimedia screen as the absolute focal point of the dashboard and a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster in front of the driver. The MAX+ trim also adds a 13.8-inch head-up display.

The Flyme Auto infotainment system brings together a good part of the car’s functions and offers a modern, fluid interface, along with sound quality that is considerably better than many of its Chinese rivals (some claim to have Sony…). The E5 is firmly committed to digitalisation, which means many functions are operated from the screen, something that takes a certain adjustment period if you are coming from a car with plenty of physical controls.

But where it really convinces is in the sense of space. The GEA architecture, designed specifically for electrified vehicles, makes very good use of the exterior dimensions and leaves a particularly generous cabin, especially in the rear seats. The practically flat floor also makes it easier for three passengers to sit more comfortably in the back.

There are also two features that had already surprised us in the Starray EM-i and that stand out again in the E5.

The first is the 1,000 W, 16-speaker Flyme Sound system available on the MAX+. It sounds frankly good, with power, definition and punchy bass even when we turn the volume up considerably. It is one of those details that make the experience on board better than what the car’s market positioning might initially suggest.

The second is the front seats, which on the higher trims can include heating, ventilation and a massage function. And here we repeat an impression we already had with the Starray: the massage is surprisingly good. In terms of intensity and operation, it is among the best systems we have tried and, although it may seem unexpected, we find it comparable to some of the best we have come across in Stellantis Group models.

A 218 CV electric car with up to 475 kilometres of range

Mechanically, the approach is much simpler than in the Starray EM-i. Here there is no need to coordinate a combustion engine with different electric machines: the E5 is 100% electric.

Its motor delivers 160 kW, equivalent to 218 CV, and drives the front wheels. The range offers two battery sizes. The PRO version uses a 60.2 kWh unit, while the PRO+ and MAX+ use a 68.4 kWh battery.

With the latter, the PRO+ is homologated for up to 475 kilometres of combined WLTP range, while the MAX+ comes in at 455 kilometres. The PRO version, with the smaller battery, claims 430 kilometres.

One of the most technically interesting elements is the so-called Short Blade Battery, developed by Geely. Added to it is the 11-in-1 electric drive system, which integrates into a single unit a good part of the components needed to manage energy and move the vehicle.

In an electric car designed for travelling, the time needed to recover energy is as important as the range. With fast charging, the E5 can go from 30 to 80% battery in about 20 minutes, making it possible to plan long journeys with relatively short stops.

Somosierra: where the 218 CV start to make sense

Leaving Madrid is no challenge for an electric car like this. Where we really wanted to test the E5 was as we began to gain altitude on the way to Pedraza and tackle roads that are far more interesting from a driving-dynamics point of view.

And there the advantages of an electric powertrain quickly show. The power delivery is immediate, linear and, above all, very easy to modulate. The 218 CV don’t turn the E5 into a sporty SUV, nor does that ever seem to have been its intention, but they provide plenty of margin for joining roads, overtaking and long gradients.

There are also technical arguments behind its behaviour. The E5 uses McPherson struts at the front and an independent multi-link layout at the rear, an architecture that allows more precise control of each wheel’s movements and is particularly well suited to an electric vehicle, where the weight of the battery calls for a good compromise between body control and comfort.

But the compromise I was talking about is well achieved.

The setup is clearly comfort-oriented, but it doesn’t fall into an excessively soft suspension. In the mountain bends, the car’s own weight is noticeable when we raise the pace considerably, but body movements are well contained and the rear axle follows progressively. Its biggest flaw is probably the ground clearance of the bodywork, a detail that will undoubtedly have improved substantially in its new E2 model.

It is not a sporty SUV, but it doesn’t claim to be one either. The steering offers enough precision and the whole package inspires confidence, while the suspension manages to absorb irregularities without completely isolating the driver from what is happening beneath the wheels.

Added to this is another advantage inherent to electric propulsion: silence. On the road, the absence of vibrations and mechanical noise makes the E5 a particularly pleasant car to travel in. At 120 km/h it registers just 60 dB in the cabin.

And after the climb comes, inevitably, the descent. Here regenerative braking comes into play, recovering part of the energy used during the ascent and limiting the use of the conventional brakes. It is one of those scenarios in which the logic of the electric car is especially evident: climbing penalises consumption, but part of that energy returns to the battery when we go downhill.

And then we reach Pedraza

This is probably where the test made the most sense. After kilometres of motorway and open road, conventional asphalt gives way to cobblestones and the streets narrow considerably. A setting that tests aspects of the car that rarely show up on a spec sheet.

The electric motor is especially pleasant in these circumstances. Its immediate yet perfectly modulable response allows you to move at very low speed with great smoothness, while the surround-view cameras make manoeuvres much easier when the façades start getting dangerously close to the mirrors.

And the cobblestones put the suspension through a completely different test.

The continuous irregularities transmit far more vibration to the vehicle than a conventional road and can quickly expose a setup that is too firm. Here, the E5’s comfort-oriented approach and the work of its multi-link rear axle clearly play in its favour, properly filtering impacts and stopping vibrations from reaching the cabin harshly.

But perhaps the most interesting thing is simply watching the car in that setting.

A car developed in China, with 218 CV of electric power, a Short Blade battery, GEA architecture, an 11-in-1 drive system and a 15.4-inch central screen, moving almost silently between stone houses, wooden balconies and streets that have been there for centuries. The contrast is enormous. And that is precisely why it works.

Range: the real test of an electric car

A route between Madrid and Pedraza also lets us assess the E5 in a far more representative scenario than purely urban use.

The range is built around two batteries. The PRO trim uses a 60.2 kWh unit, with 430 km of WLTP range, while the PRO+ and MAX+ use a 68.4 kWh battery. The most efficient version is the PRO+, with 475 km homologated, compared with the 455 km of the MAX+, slightly penalised by its higher level of equipment and its 19-inch wheels.

But the real-world range of any electric car depends enormously on the scenario. On a route like this, motorway speeds, significant elevation changes, outside temperature, climate control and, of course, driving style all come into play.

And the elevation changes let us see how consumption varies practically in real time. The climb towards the mountains demands far more energy, while the descents allow part of it to be recovered through regeneration.

In terms of efficiency, the Geely E5 also left a very positive impression. During the more urban part of the route, the on-board computer registered consumption of around 12 kWh/100 km, a particularly low figure for an electric SUV of 218 CV and this size. Once on the open road, and especially on a route with elevation changes like the one leading to Pedraza, consumption rose logically to around 17.5 kWh/100 km. It is still, in any case, a competitive figure and quite consistent with the car’s approach, which combines good performance with a convincing level of efficiency even outside the urban environment.

From 25,485 euros

The commercial offer announced by Geely in July puts the E5 PRO from 25,485 euros, the PRO+ from 27,985 euros and the MAX+ from 29,985 euros. These are prices for the Peninsula and the Balearic Islands that include commercial campaigns, financing and the advance of the Plan Auto+, so they should not be confused with cash prices or with the total cost of buying on finance.

The range lets you prioritise price, range or equipment, while keeping the 218 CV electric motor in every case. Especially interesting is the PRO+, which includes the 68.4 kWh battery and achieves the longest homologated range in the line-up: 475 kilometres WLTP. For its part, the MAX+ uses that same battery and boosts comfort with a panoramic roof, electric tailgate, front seats with massage, the 16-speaker Flyme Sound audio system and 19-inch wheels.

Added to this is the Geely care+ coverage, with a warranty of up to 8 years or 200,000 kilometres for the vehicle and the battery, subject to the brand’s conditions. A backing that completes the E5’s proposition beyond price and equipment.

The Geely E5 has objective arguments: 218 CV, up to 475 kilometres of range, fast charging, plenty of space, a high-tech interior and a high level of comfort. Its McPherson front and multi-link rear layout is well resolved, the power delivery is smooth and punchy when needed, and the battery makes it possible to plan journeys that go well beyond the urban environment.

On the motorway it is quiet and comfortable; as it gains altitude towards Somosierra, the 218 CV let it tackle gradients and overtaking with ease; on secondary roads it feels secure and predictable; and when the time comes to inch along the cobblestones of Pedraza, the smoothness of the electric motor, the cameras and the good filtering of the suspension make the job much easier.