I have to admit: Every once in a while, I’m handed the keys to a vehicle that makes me feel, for lack of a better term, clueless. Occasionally, it’s because of some fancy new tech. Other times, it’s because of a convoluted infotainment system or a similar obstacle.
Such was the case when I hopped into the driver’s seat of the Geely EX5 EM-i Max. Thankfully, though, my helplessness fell squarely into the former category.
It’s a fitting way to sum up my time with the plug-in hybrid—an obvious learning curve, but everything falls nicely into place once you’re over that hump.
We guess the question is whether or not that ‘hump’ is big enough of an obstacle to keep one from spending P1.468 million for this electrified crossover. So, is it?
The EX5 EM-i Max’s exterior vibe is subtle, but not muted—think iPhone Air over the Pro Max.
From afar, you’d be forgiven for mistaking this for something like a miniature Porsche Cayenne. The grille is practically nonexistent, replaced by a flat face and slats that serve as air intakes. This setup is flanked by elongated LED headlights that stretch well toward the front fenders.
On the sides are clean surfaces that round out toward the rear end, while some chrome accents around the windows add just the right amount of elegance. And at the rear, you’ll find a slim taillight design that stretches across the tailgate. This also supposedly runs on 19-inch “low-drag” alloy wheels, but they look just like regular, albeit intricate, multi-spoke rims to me.
Overall? The look is professional and mature, and while it won’t blow anyone away, it’s very lovely to look at.
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I’m not particularly a fan of light-colored interiors, but what Geely has done here might have just made me a convert—at least for now.
The tan seats give off both a premium feel and a sense of extra roominess. Open the panoramic sunroof and the environment feels even airier. By the way, this isn’t all just visual, too. There’s headroom to spare for my 5’9” frame, and I never felt cramped in either the cockpit or the second row.
Another major plus is the center console, which features a pair of cupholders and a nicely laid-out control panel that even the slowest of car owners should be able to master: simple buttons to control A/C settings, switches to raise and lower fan speed and temperature, and a neat central dial for controlling the infotainment system. It’s foolproof! I’m also a big fan of the cavernous storage area underneath it, as it’s the perfect size for storing my EDC sling bag.
Speaking of space, there’s a generous amount of cargo area with the second row plopped down flat. I was able to easily fit a pair of boxed 1hp window A/C and a handful of Ikea furniture inside during a move.
All that said, I do have some gripes, albeit relatively minor ones. The light materials inside appear to be prone to scuffing and smudges, and the unconventional A/C vents on the dashboard may take some getting used to.
Oh, and the 10.2-inch instrument cluster is also on the smaller side, though the vehicle does make up for this with a neat little HUD that projects onto the windshield.
Powering this hybrid is a 1.5-liter gasoline engine capable of 98hp and 125Nm, working with a permanent magnetic synchronous motor that does 215hp and 262Nm of torque. Fuel is sipped from a 51-liter gas tank, and the setup draws electric power from an 18.4kWh lithium-ion battery.
On paper, the EX5 EM-i Max should be an efficient pocket rocket: a 170kph top speed, 8sec to get from zero to 100kph, and fuel economy north of 20km/L.
While I didn’t push the unit to 170kph (for obvious reasons), I could see it hitting that figure, based on my time behind the wheel. Getting up to speed in full electric mode happens in a zip, too, and I never felt the vehicle was lacking power in any setting I tested it in. Overtaking on the expressway was a cinch, and making full use of any stretch of open road I was presented with came naturally.
I have to admit I had serious doubts this vehicle would hit Geely’s claimed fuel-efficiency figures. During my first couple of days in city driving, I averaged a measly 6-7km/L in hybrid mode with regenerative braking strength set to medium. By day five, this had climbed to around 8km/L, but I had given up hope it would come anywhere close to its manufacturer’s 20km/L estimate.
This changed during my last two days behind the wheel and a drive down south to Laguna. After stretching the EX5 EM-i’s legs out on SLEX and CALAX, the final fuel economy figure sat at almost 18km/L—not bad considering how things started.
The EX5 EM-i Max also features a neat new idle charging feature, which uses the gasoline engine to slowly charge the battery while the vehicle is parked. I wouldn’t call it a game-changer, but it did help me get some extra charging done without the presence of a charging station.
I’m happy to report that this Geely’s zippy performance is accompanied by great handling, too. The steering wheel is compact and light, and it gives off a nice amount of feel at speed. Maneuvering through tight areas is a breeze with the numerous exterior camera views at your disposal, and you really get the sense you’re driving something with a more compact feel than its 5,200mm turning radius on paper suggests.
The ride is decent, but can feel noticeably stiff at times. Manila’s run-of-the-mill potholes are canceled out nicely enough, despite this. Also worth noting is that the top-spec Max variant has just 150mm of ground clearance compared to the base Pro’s 172mm.
As with most hybrids, this thing is remarkably silent when performing in EV mode. There’s great sound insulation, which, combined with the relatively upscale interior materials, helps add a sense of premiumness to the driving experience. Maybe the only complaint I have for this section is that the whir of the engine is pretty noticeable when the power source switches to gasoline.
One of the first rituals I perform when I first hop into the driver’s seat is to play around with the instrument cluster—a task I’ve found to be pretty hit-or-miss when it comes to Chinese models. Thankfully, the EX5 EM-i Max’s digital unit is easy to navigate, and I was quickly able to adjust or reset what I needed to.
Getting comfy comes pretty quickly here, too. The steering wheel is telescopic, so finding your ideal driving position is as simple as pulling a lever, and the driver’s seat features six-way power adjustment as well.
There’s wireless charging, Apple CarPlay compatibility, and a decent-size 15.4-inch central touchscreen that’s relatively easy to navigate. The star of the show in this vehicle’s feature set, however, is its 16-speaker FlyMe sound system. It sounds excellent, proving that you don’t entirely need established branding to provide a premium listening experience.
For safety, you get six airbags (including curtains), hill-descent control, braking assist, a tire-pressure monitoring system (which is doubly important since this vehicle doesn’t come equipped with a spare), and a near-useless speed-limit alert feature, which I’d have to switch off every time I started the vehicle.
And while we’re on this topic, I couldn’t find a clear way to retain driving settings when switching the car off. There’s an option buried in the menus to save them, but for some reason, I’d have to adjust everything each time. Strange.
The Geely EX5 EM-i Max is a great addition to an ever-growing hybrid crossover market. It’s well-equipped to take on the likes of the BYD Sealion 5 DM-i, and comes with enough performance and niceties to justify its P1.468 million price tag. There are a couple of hiccups in its package, but nothing that substantially impacts your experience behind the wheel.
Price: P1,468,000
Engine: 1.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine + permanent magnet synchronous motor
Power: 98hp (engine); 215hp (motor)
Torque: 125Nm (engine); 262Nm (motor)
Transmission: single-speed dedicated hybrid
Layout: FWD
Seating: 5
Score: 9/10
