Quick Answer
The Geely EX5 arrived doing to BYD exactly what BYD did to everyone else: undercutting on price while offering more headline range. Against the original Atto 3, the EX5 wins the spreadsheet comfortably. But BYD’s counterpunch — the substantially re-engineered Atto 3 Evo (800V platform, 220 kW charging, up to 443 bhp AWD) — moves the fight from price to technology. Your decision hinges on budget tier and how much you value BYD’s several-year head start in local service infrastructure.
Price and Range (Australia)
| BYD Atto 3 | Geely EX5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | $39,990 (Standard Range Essential) | $40,990 (Complete) |
| Top | $44,990 (Extended Range Premium) | $45,990 (Inspire Extended Range) |
| Battery | 49.9 / 60.5 kWh LFP | 60.2 / 68.4 kWh LFP |
| WLTP range | 345–420 km | up to 475 km |
Like-for-like, the EX5 gives you roughly 50–80 km more rated range for near-identical money. Both use LFP chemistry (charge to 100% daily — why that matters).
Winner on paper: EX5.
Price and Range (UK)
| BYD Atto 3 Evo | Geely EX5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | £38,990 (Design, RWD) | ~£31,990 (SE) |
| Top | £42,730 (Excellence, AWD) | £36,990 (Max) |
| WLTP range | up to 316 miles | 267–280 miles |
| Peak DC charge | ~220 kW (800V) | ~100 kW class |
| Power | 309 bhp (RWD) / 443 bhp (AWD) | 215 bhp |
In the UK the comparison inverts: the EX5 is the budget option (£7,000 cheaper entry-to-entry) while the Atto 3 Evo is a class above on hardware — 800-volt electrics, double-plus the charging speed, hot-hatch power, more range. They barely compete at the same price point anymore.
The Atto 3 Evo Changes the Conversation
Don’t mistake the Evo for a facelift. Versus the original Atto 3 it brings a newer platform, a switch to rear-wheel drive (AWD optional — a first for the model), a 74.8 kWh battery in place of 60.5, an 800V system, and DC charging lifted from ~88–110 kW to ~220 kW — a 10–80% stop drops toward the ~20-minute mark. The EX5’s value case is strongest against remaining pre-Evo Atto 3 stock, which dealers are discounting — that’s where the genuine bargains sit.
Beyond the Spreadsheet
- Service network: BYD has been building dealers, parts stock and technician experience in Australia and the UK since 2022–2023; Geely’s passenger-car network (distinct from its Volvo/Polestar empire) is newer. Our parts-delay guide documents how much this matters with young brands — and Geely is today where BYD was two years ago.
- Warranty: broadly matched headline terms (check current per-market details; both offer long battery cover). BYD’s terms are detailed in the warranty guide.
- Interior: the EX5’s cabin is impressively finished for the money and its infotainment is slick; the Atto 3’s guitar-string quirk-fest is more polarising. Sit in both.
- Resale: genuinely unknown for Geely in export markets; BYD now has 3+ years of used-value history and much higher brand recognition — a real, if unquantifiable, edge.
Verdict
Buy the Geely EX5 if maximum range per dollar is the mission and you’re comfortable being early to Geely the way 2022 buyers were early to BYD — in Australia especially, it’s the sharper deal. Buy the Atto 3 Evo if you want the newer engineering (charging speed alone transforms road trips) and a brand that’s already through its awkward network-building phase. Buy a discounted pre-Evo Atto 3 if the EX5’s value argument appeals but you want the established service network — runout pricing makes it the quiet bargain of the three.