The EX5 has been part of Geely’s local lineup since mid-2025, but only in fully-electric form. Now, however, the Chinese carmaker has announced that a new plug-in hybrid version will be available on our market within the first quarter of the year, and it will be known as the Geely EX5 EM-I.
Units of the new vehicle have actually arrived in the country already, and Geely Philippines has sent some photos of the first shipment. The press release makes no mention of variants, specs, or pricing for the local market, but the model is already in the Department of Energy’s list of recognized EVs, and the database provides the basic specs.
Like the fully-electric EX5, the EX5 EM-I will be available in two trim levels called Pro and Max (and yeah, we also thought they may as well have thrown in an Air variant). Both have the same powertrain setup, comprising an electric motor and a 1.5-liter gasoline engine that will mainly work to keep the 18.4kWh battery topped up. It makes 98hp and 125Nm, while the motor generates 215hp and 262Nm of torque. The listed fuel-consumption figures are 23.2km/L (NEDC) and 16.1km/L (WLTP).
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The battery may also be topped up via AC or DC charging. Fast-charged up to the maximum rate of 30kW, it can get from 30% to 80% in just 20 minutes. As for range, the DOE provides both WLTP and NEDC figures:
Geely EX5 EM-I range
- WLTP: 108km (electric only, city driving), 83km (electric only, mixed conditions), 940km (combined)
- NEDC: 105km (electric only, mixed conditions), 1,000km (combined)
Obviously, the EX5 EM-I’s main target is the now-ubiquitous BYD Sealion 6 DM-i and its slightly smaller sibling, the Sealion 5 DM-i. BYD’s 2025 success has shown that local buyers are more receptive to hybrids and plug-in hybrids that don’t make them overly reliant on EV chargers, as opposed to battery EVs that are more suited to those with access to AC chargers at their homes or office buildings.
But buyers also flocked to BYD because its offerings are attractively priced. The EX5 EM-i can promise “electrified mobility without compromising everyday driving flexibility,” but if it really wants to challenge the Sealion 6’s dominance in this segment, it has to match its BYD counterpart in both specs and pricing.
More photos of the Geely EX5 EM-I:
