Geely is about to launch a precision strike on the British market — and it’s aimed straight at the small EV segment. The Chinese giant is shipping its compact electric hatchback EX2 to the UK, with sales due to begin this summer. It’s the brand’s third model after the EX5 crossover and the Starray plug-in hybrid. But the EX2 is the one that could go truly mainstream.
In China, this car is known as the Xingyuan — and it’s become an absolute phenomenon. In 2025 Geely sold roughly 465,000 units of it, outselling even the Tesla Model Y and Xiaomi SU7. In the UK line-up, the EX2 will slot straight into the city five-door EV segment and go head-to-head with the Renault 5, the upcoming Hyundai Ioniq 3 and the Volkswagen ID Polo.
The tech in the Chinese version is refreshingly simple. A single rear-mounted electric motor delivers 78 or 114 hp. The lithium iron phosphate battery comes in 30.1 or 40.2 kWh flavours. Claimed range is 193 or 255 miles on China’s CLTC cycle — that’s roughly 311 or 410 km. In Europe, WLTP figures will almost certainly be more modest, because CLTC is a much softer test.
So what about the rivals? The Renault 5 offers 192 or 252 miles on WLTP — around 309 or 406 km. The upcoming VW ID Polo is expected to deliver 204–283 miles, or roughly 328–455 km. That leaves Geely with a choice: either sharpen the EX2’s specs to match European rivals, or crush them on price and equipment.
Pricing hasn’t been announced yet — and that’s the whole story. If the EX2 lands significantly cheaper than the Renault 5, it becomes a very uncomfortable rival for the European brands. In this segment, design and image only get you so far. Buyers do simple maths: how much does the car cost, how far does it go, and what will it cost to run?
For Geely, the UK launch is part of a much bigger assault. The company plans to bring 10 models to Britain within three years and hit 100,000 annual sales by 2030. For context: Kia took 32 years to break the 100,000 mark in the UK for the first time, only reaching it in 2022. The Chinese brand wants to run that race in a fraction of the time.
The EX2 is more than just another EV for Geely. It’s a litmus test: is Europe ready to take Chinese city EVs seriously — not as a curiosity, but as the default choice? If the price is right, arguing with this little hatchback won’t take slogans any more. It’ll take discounts.
