There is something slightly suspicious about the Geely EX2.
It’s small. It’s electric. It looks friendly enough to have its own cartoon series. And from a distance, you could easily dismiss it as another affordable EV designed to shuttle people from point A to point B.
Then you drive it.
And suddenly, you start noticing something that’s giving you the “FIZZ” (homage to James May). It’s rear-wheel drive layout, torquey motor, multi-link rear suspension suddenly come together. It gives this small EV a unique personality even compared with some cars that cost twice as much.
After spending proper time with the Geely EX2—not just a quick drive around the block, but real-world journey involving normal city driving, rain-heavy traffic, highway driving, and a few days behind the wheel—I came away with one conclusion:
The EX2 is much more than just a small EV.
And that might be exactly why it could be a problem for everyone else.
Small Outside, Surprisingly Spacious Inside
Let’s get the obvious part out of the way. The EX2 is a small hatchback. At 4.1 meters long, it is compact enough to squeeze into the increasingly ridiculous parking spaces of Metro Manila. It also has a tight turning circle, which means U-turns and tight streets don’t feel like you’re trying to maneuver a yacht through Intramuros.
But here’s where things get interesting.
The EX2 doesn’t feel as small inside as it looks outside.
The cabin is genuinely spacious for the segment, especially because EV packaging allows the wheels to be pushed outward and the floor to remain relatively flat. Rear passengers get more than decent room, and there are storage spaces everywhere.
Geely apparently decided that if Filipinos are going to spend three hours in traffic, we might as well have somewhere to put all our stuff.
The rear trunk is rated at 375 liters, expanding to 1,320 liters with the rear seats folded. Then there is the 70-liter frunk.
Yes, a frunk.
Because apparently having one trunk wasn’t enough.
For a small hatchback, the EX2 is surprisingly practical. You can fit your groceries, bags, charging cables and probably still find another compartment you didn’t know existed, under the rear seats!
The Part That Makes No Sense: It’s Actually Fun
Here’s where the EX2 becomes bizarre.
Affordable EVs are supposed to be practical.
They’re supposed to be efficient.
They’re supposed to be quiet.
They’re not supposed to be this entertaining.
The EX2 is rear-wheel drive, powered by an electric motor producing around 114 horsepower and 150 Nm of torque. Those aren’t sports car figures, and the 0–100 km/h time isn’t going to get you banned from a racetrack.
But numbers don’t always tell you how a car feels.
The EX2 feels light, responsive and eager. The steering is light, as with most EVs, but the EX2 still feels direct and precise, giving you a better sense of what the front tires are doing.
The rear-wheel-drive layout gives the car a natural balance that you simply don’t expect from something in this price range.
Then there’s the multi-link rear suspension.
Geely could have easily given us a simpler setup, made the car cheaper and called it a day. Instead, someone apparently decided that the affordable EV hatchback deserved a proper independent rear suspension.
And we’re glad they did.
Through corners, the EX2 feels composed and predictable. Lift off mid-corner and you can actually feel the rear rotate slightly. Nothing dramatic enough to make your insurance company nervous, but enough to remind you that driving can still be fun.
For a car that looks like it should be parked outside a coffee shop with a stuffed toy hanging from the rearview mirror, the EX2 has no business being this enjoyable.
But it is.
The Real-World Range Test: Where Things Got Interesting
Of course, being fun is nice.
But this is an EV.
Eventually, someone is going to ask the question that every EV owner has heard approximately 4,000 times:
“Hanggang saan makakarating yan?”
So instead of answering with a brochure figure, we drove it.
The Geely EX2 we tested has a 39.4-kWh LFP battery. The official figures quote up to 395 km under the NEDC cycle and around 325 km under WLTP.
Those are laboratory figures.
This is the Philippines.
We have traffic, potholes, air-conditioning, motorcycles appearing from different dimensions, and roads that occasionally seem to have been designed during a disagreement.
So, our test was far more interesting.
We started with:
Battery SOC: 100%
After traveling 253.9 km, we ended with:
Battery SOC: 17%
That means we used approximately 83% of the battery.
And this wasn’t a carefully controlled hypermiling run where everyone was afraid to turn on the air-conditioning. The trip included:
- 61.9 km of city driving
- The rest involving a drive to Pampanga and back
- Additional urban driving – heavy traffic courtesy of Habagat
- Almost 10 hours of total driving time
- An overall average speed of just 25 km/h
Yes, nearly 10 hours. The EX2 and I basically had a longer day together than some first dates.
So, What’s the Real Range?
Based purely on the battery percentage used during the trip:
253.9 km ÷ 83% × 100 = approximately 306 km
That gives us a projected real-world range of around: 306 km
Again, that’s a projection based on our actual 100%-to-17% result—not a literal 100%-to-0% run.
But the result is still extremely interesting.
Versus the official 325-km WLTP range: 306 km is around 94% of the WLTP claim.
Versus the 395-km NEDC figure: 306 km is around 77% of the NEDC claim.
And honestly?
The WLTP comparison is the one that matters more here.
NEDC figures have always been optimistic, while WLTP is generally closer to what people can expect in real-world driving.
Achieving approximately 94% of the published WLTP range in a mixed Philippine driving environment is a very strong result.
Especially when you remember that this wasn’t a single smooth highway run. This was city traffic, provincial roads, highway sections and nearly 10 hours of air-conditioning and normal vehicle use.
After all that, we still had 17% left. That’s the part that matters.
The EX2’s trip computer reported an average energy consumption of 11.3 kWh/100 km
That’s equivalent to approximately 8.85 km/kWh
The EX2 is indeed efficient!
But Can It Actually Handle a Long Drive?
This trip answered that question better than any specification sheet could.
Yes. The EX2 is obviously designed primarily as an urban EV. Its compact dimensions, easy maneuverability and efficiency make it ideal for city use.
But the out-of-town run proved that it doesn’t have to stay inside the city. The seats remain comfortable enough for a long journey, the cabin doesn’t feel claustrophobic and the car is stable at highway speeds.
It isn’t a performance car, and overtaking at higher speeds requires a little more patience than the instant low-speed acceleration might initially lead you to believe.
The EX2 feels strongest in the city and at moderate speeds. Once you’re already moving quickly, the modest 114 horsepower reminds you of the reality of physics.
But for normal Philippine driving, it’s more than adequate.
And because the EX2 is relatively light and efficient, it doesn’t need massive power to feel responsive. In fact, the 0–50 km/h performance is where it shines.
Which, conveniently, is exactly the speed range where you spend half your life in Metro Manila.
The Technology Is Great… Until It Gets Too Helpful
The EX2 Max comes packed with technology.
There’s the large central touchscreen, digital instrument cluster, 360-degree camera, wired smartphone connectivity and a full suite of driver-assistance features.
The 360-degree camera alone is incredibly useful for a Philippine city car.
But there is one thing we need to talk about.
The ADAS can occasionally be a little too enthusiastic. Some of the driver-assistance systems can be intrusive and overly cautious reactions to road conditions. Sometimes the car feels like it has a very concerned passenger sitting beside you.
“Are you sure you want to do that?”
“That motorcycle looks dangerous.”
“Why are we getting so close to that lane marking?”
But you get the idea.
The good news is that these are the kinds of things that can potentially be improved through software calibration and updates. The hardware is there; it just needs to learn that Philippine roads occasionally require humans to make decisions that would confuse an algorithm. Especially when the lane markings disappear for three kilometers.
The EX2’s Biggest Problem Might Actually Be Its Size
Here’s the controversial part.
I think the EX2 is going to make some people reconsider buying a bigger and more expensive car.
Because once you remove the assumption that a “proper car” needs to be an SUV, you start looking at what the EX2 actually offers. It has:
- Enough space for five people
- A surprisingly large trunk
- An additional frunk
- Rear-wheel drive
- Multi-link rear suspension
- Strong real-world efficiency
- 325 km WLTP Range
- DC fast charging capability
- Vehicle-to-load capability
- A surprisingly enjoyable driving character
And depending on the variant and available promotions, it sits around the one-million-peso mark.
So, here’s the uncomfortable question:
If your daily driving involves one or two people, occasional family trips and mostly city use, what exactly are you gaining by buying something significantly larger and significantly more expensive?
Yes, an SUV gives you more space and road presence.
But it also uses more energy, takes up more parking space and costs more.
The EX2 isn’t going to replace every family SUV.
But for a surprisingly large number of people, it might replace the need for one.
And that’s what makes it dangerous.
This Isn’t Just Another Small EV
When I first saw the Geely EX2, I assumed its biggest selling point would be value.
And yes, value is a major part of the story.
But after actually driving it, I think calling it “just a small EV” is doing it a disservice.
The efficiency is excellent. The packaging is smart. The cabin is spacious. The storage is practical. The real-world range result is compelling. And most importantly, it has something many affordable EVs forget:
Character.
The rear-wheel-drive layout and multi-link suspension aren’t just nice things to put on a specification sheet. They genuinely change the way the EX2 feels from behind the wheel.
It’s playful. It’s comfortable. It’s practical. And occasionally, it’s more fun than it has any right to be.
So, is the Geely EX2 perfect?
No.
The higher-speed performance isn’t particularly strong, and some of the driver-assistance systems could use better calibration for Philippine roads. Smart Phone connectivity is still wired.
But those criticisms don’t change the bigger picture.
After spending a few days with the EX2, it delivered something that matters far more than specs and figures:
Confidence.
The confidence that you can actually use it every day.
The confidence that a small EV can handle more than just the school run or the trip to the mall.
And perhaps most surprisingly, the confidence that driving an affordable EV doesn’t have to be boring.
It may just be one of those cars that quietly makes you question how much car you actually need.
And for a little electric hatchback with a friendly face, that’s a pretty big achievement.
Things You Need to Know
- Price: ₱1,038,000 SRP for the EX2 Max
- Powertrain: Single-motor, rear-wheel-drive pure EV
- Electric Motor: 85 kW / 114 hp
- Torque: 150 Nm
- 0–50 km/h: 4.6 seconds
- Top Speed: 130 km/h
- Battery: 39.4 kWh LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate)
- Official Range: Up to 395 km (NEDC) / 325 km (WLTP)
- DC Fast Charging: Up to 70 kW (30–80% in approximately 25 minutes)
- AC Charging: Approximately 6.5 hours under stated conditions
- Drivetrain Layout: Rear-wheel drive
- Front Suspension: MacPherson strut
- Rear Suspension: Multi-link independent suspension
- Turning Radius: 4.95 meters
- Dimensions (L × W × H): 4,135 × 1,805 × 1,580 mm
- Wheelbase: 2,650 mm
- Rear Cargo Space: 375 liters, expandable to 1,320 liters
- Front Trunk: 70 liters
- Infotainment: 14.6-inch touchscreen with Flyme Auto
- Driver Display: 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster
- Connectivity: Wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Other Highlights: 360° camera, V2L, wireless charging, power-adjustable driver’s seat, six-speaker audio, 256-color ambient lighting and ADAS on the Max
