Following BYD, plus Omoda and Jaecoo, Geely is another Chinese car brand to launch in the UK, with the aim to quickly make its mark.

The Geely EX5, its all-electric C-Segment SUV came first, launching last November. Then the Geely Starray EM-i C-Segment plug-in hybrid SUV, followed earlier this year. And now, the Geely EX2 B-Segment supermini we’re driving here has just launched priced from £20,990.

Called the Geely Xingyuan in its home market, nearly half a million were sold in China alone last year. Now badged as the Geely EX2, it faces its toughest test – the UK small EV market.

Built on the same dedicated Global Intelligent New Energy Architecture (GEA) Platform as its big brother, the Geely EX5, the Geely EX2 is offered with a choice of 35kWh or 47kWh battery packs, and is capable of up to 157 miles with the 35kWh battery, or up to 214 miles with the larger 47kWh battery pack.

Whichever battery version of the Geely EX2 is chosen, a 30-80% charge from a powerful DC charger should take as little as 25 minutes. Go for the bigger battery, and the EX2 is capable of charging at a faster 80kW charging speed.

Design and technology

The styling of the Geely EX2 is a bit of a surprise after the rather generic looks of the Geely EX5 and Geely Starray SUVs. With its curvy, integrated front and rear lights, pastel colours, rounded shape and small 16in alloy wheels, it looks more fun than its serious SUV sisters.

Inside, thanks to dimensions almost big enough for the class above (4,135mm long, 1,805mm wide and 1,580mm tall), the Geely EX2 is impressively spacious front and rear – there’s plenty of headroom, too.

Design-wise, with its tall and curvy dash design and mixture of finishes, the Geely EX2’s interior is interesting to look at and feels well-made. There is also plenty of stowage space.

The driving position is tall, with a well-padded faux-leather-trimmed seat. The front roof pillars are thin, providing excellent forward visibility. However, with the thicker rear pillars, we were grateful for the standard rear camera and parking sensors when reversing.

There is an 8.8in screen for the driver that’s easy to read. But the highlight of the Geely EX2’s dashboard is the 14.6in infotainment screen, which controls most of the car’s functions. Like many rivals, it works well enough, but we wish some of the shortcut buttons were bigger and the menus shorter – to make any changes easier on the move.

The 375-litre boot is deep enough, but like many rivals, its practicality is hindered by its high loading lip.

Drive and performance

Our 47kWh battery Ultra-spec test car has just 114hp and, as expected, it’s not very fast off the mark! The super-light steering and small turning circle make the Geely EX2 a doddle to manoeuvre and drive in town.

Out of town, the lack of feel from the steering frustrates, as it’s hard to place the car on the road and know the level of grip in corners.

Then there’s the Geely EX2’s ride, which, thanks to the small wheels and supple suspension, generally feels quite capable on most roads. However, the ride gets disappointingly choppy over uneven surfaces. We found it was at its best around town or on faster, flatter roads.

There are ‘Eco’, ‘Comfort’, ‘Normal’ and ‘Snow’ modes, but only ‘Sport’ seems to make any change to how the Geely EX2 drives, as the throttle response becomes more responsive.

Fleets looking for a small, smart-looking, spacious and well-equipped EV for driving around town should take a good look at the Geely EX2. However, for a bit more money, Renault’s brilliant 5 is an option, and if that’s too much, there’s the still-excellent Fiat Grande Panda.

Positive: Affordable, well-equipped, attractive styling, spacious and modern interior.

Negative: Not much fun to drive, most switchgear is in the infotainment screen, high boot loading lip is a compromise.

Standard equipment: 16in alloy wheels, LED head and taillights, body-coloured flush door handles, leatherette upholstery, 14.6in infotainment screen.