Geely EX2 named Wheels Best Compact Car for 2026 as brand launches 0.09% finance offer

Wheels crowns the EX2 as compact car of the year

The Geely EX2 has been named Wheels Best Compact Car for 2026-2027, announced by Geely Australia on 1 October 2026. In the Wheels Best program, the electric hatchback was tested against a selection of new and established competitors, with the magazine crediting its "small footprint, big thinking, and impressive combination of space, technology, practicality and value." Wheels went on to say the EX2 "makes a strong argument for the compact car itself" because buyers don't necessarily need something bigger, heavier and more expensive for a great all-round product. ¹

Geely Auto Australia's Managing Director Alex Gu welcomed the award, saying in the company's announcement that the EX2 had "already captured massive worldwide attention" and that the endorsement from Wheels was further proof of its design inside and out. Geely attributes the win to the hatch's packaging, design, safety and technology, and its driving experience. ¹

The award adds to a growing global trophy cabinet. Geely's global arm previously announced the EX2 finished 2025 as the world's bestselling car in the A/B segments, with 459,960 units delivered worldwide across its various nameplates during the calendar year, and as China's overall bestselling model across all segments with 465,775 units sold. ¹²

A strong start to life in Australia

The award coincides with remarkable early sales momentum. Geely Australia reports 1,753 total EX2 sales as of the end of August 2026, with 1,279 of those delivered in August alone. That placed the hatch not only within Australia's top 25 models but made it the country's bestselling passenger model for the month, according to the company's announcement. ¹

CarExpert's showroom data, based on VFACTS and EVC figures, also shows 1,753 units sold year to date for 2026, corroborating Geely's sales claim. CarExpert's full review, published in August, noted the EX2 arrived as the new entry point to Geely's otherwise SUV-heavy Australian line-up and as China's bestselling EV, with almost 466,000 units sold there in 2025. ⁴⁵

October finance and novated lease offers

The Wheels announcement coincided with the launch of Geely's October retail offer, under which the EX2, EX5 and Starray EM-i ranges are available with a 0.09% finance comparison rate over a 36-month term. Finance is provided by Allied Retail Finance Pty Ltd trading as Geely Finance, with no minimum deposit required. Applications must be approved by 31 October 2026 and settled by 13 November 2026, and the deal applies to new stock vehicles only, excluding government, fleet and rental buyers. ¹

Zecar's October 2026 analysis of the campaign notes the comparison rate is calculated on a $30,000 secured fixed-rate loan over five years, even though the offer is limited to 36 months, and excludes government charges plus a dealer origination fee of up to $1,495 including GST. Balloon payments are not eligible, meaning monthly repayments will be higher than on a longer loan. Zecar also points out this 0.09% rate undercuts Geely's own 0.88% end-of-financial-year 2026 offer and the 0.68% rate offered during the EX2's July launch campaign, though the current deal does not include the launch offer's free 7kW home charger or premium paint upgrade. ³

Novated lease buyers have an alternative: 6% off the vehicle price on the three models, covering vehicles delivered between 1 and 31 October 2026 through a Geely-approved fleet management organisation. Zecar calculates this would be worth roughly $1,589 on the EX2 Complete, priced at $26,490 before on-road costs, and about $1,859 on the Inspire at $30,990, though Geely does not publish discounted prices and the two offers cannot be combined. All figures exclude on-road costs and the $600 premium paint option. ³

Pricing, grades and specifications

The Australian EX2 range comprises two grades. The Complete opens at $26,490 before on-road costs, with the Inspire at $30,990, both with rear-wheel drive. The Complete pairs a 60kW/150Nm motor with a 35.35kWh LFP battery for a claimed 252km WLTP range and up to 60kW DC charging, while the Inspire steps up to an 85kW/150Nm motor, a 47.14kWh battery, a claimed 345km range and 80kW DC charging. CarExpert's published figures show claimed 0-100km/h times of 14.2 seconds for the Complete and 11.5 seconds for the Inspire. ³⁵

Buyers comparing figures should note the pricing bases differ: CarExpert lists Sydney-based drive-away prices of $30,106 for the Complete and $34,741 for the Inspire, which include registration and delivery charges, whereas the $26,490 and $30,990 figures are list prices excluding on-road costs. Both grades carry a seven-year unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty and an eight-year unlimited-kilometre battery warranty, with capped-price servicing at 12-month or 20,000km intervals and prepaid packages of $517 for three years, $1190 for five years and $1642 for seven years. ⁴⁵

Equipment is generous for the price bracket. Both grades get power-adjustable front seats, a 14.6-inch infotainment touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, an 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster, automatic climate control and keyless entry. The Inspire adds heated front seats and steering wheel, a power tailgate, 16-inch alloys, a 15W wireless phone charger, 256-colour ambient lighting and a six-speaker audio system over the Complete's four speakers. Geely also quotes a class-leading 70-litre front trunk, a 375-litre boot expandable to 1320 litres with the rear seats folded, and 28 litres of under-rear-seat storage. ¹⁵⁶

Safety rating secured and how it drives

At the time of CarExpert's August 2026 review, the EX2 had yet to be rated by ANCAP, with Geely officials expressing confidence in a five-star result. That has since been resolved: Zecar reports the EX2 received a five-star ANCAP rating in September 2026. All grades carry seven airbags, autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist and front and rear cross-traffic alert, while the Inspire adds a surround-view monitor with transparent view. ³⁵

On the road, CarExpert's Sydney test of the Inspire found 85kW adequate for city use and praised the car's real-world efficiency, with a calculated 13.8kWh/100km among the best in its class, along with strong braking and configurability. However, the publication was critical of ride quality, finding the suspension rarely settled even on smooth surfaces and short on compliance over road joins and larger hits. NRMA's Open Road review was more positive on ride and roadholding, describing the EX2 as approachable and well rounded, but found Geely's claimed 345km range for the flagship optimistic, calculating a real-world figure closer to 290km based on its first-drive observation. ⁵⁶

Both reviewers noted the cabin's strong packaging, with NRMA observing the EX2 is officially a light car but offers proportions that belie its roughly 4.3-metre length and more than 20 storage options. Its main criticisms centred on intrusive safety-system interventions that must be switched off each time the car is started, hard interior plastics, the absence of a spare wheel of any kind, and the near-total reliance on the 14.6-inch touchscreen for vehicle functions. ⁵⁶