It’s rare that we score one over Europe, but the Geely EX2 – known to you and me as the Proton eMas 5 – is only launching in the UK in late August, some ten months after we got ours. However, the Brits will be rewarded for their patience with an updated version that was only recently introduced in China.
The changes are mild but include an active grille shutter and new 16-inch turbine-style alloy wheeels. The six-spoke design is different from the five-spoke one offered in the Middle Kingdom, which is just as well because the latter looks like it came straight off a first-generation Perodua Myvi. The rear valance has also been re-profiled with a mildly sportier design.
Inside, the UK-market EX2 gains a steering column-mounted gear selector, revised faux leather upholstery and new toggle-style window switches similar to the EX5/Proton eMas 7. The 8.8-inch instrument display and 14.6-inch infotainment touchscreen look to remain unchanged, but the UK exclusively gets the upgraded map lights from its larger sibling and an interior selfie camera.
Specifications have yet to be released, but over in China, the car – sold there as the Xingyuan – gains a new 47.14 kWh LFP battery, marginally larger than the previous biggest option of 40.16 kWh. This delivered a claimed range of 480 km on the optimistic CLTC cycle, representing a 70 km increase.
Geely UK, on the other hand, claims only a 20 km bump to 345 km on the WLTP cycle for the EX2 Max and Ultra, which can be explained as much by the improved aerodynamics as it can by an increase in battery capacity. As such, it remains to be seen if the bigger battery will indeed make its way to global markets.
As for charging, the UK EX2 is claimed to accept up to 60 kW of DC fast charging for the base Pro and 80 kW for the Max and Ultra, with all three taking 25 minutes to be topped up from 10 to 80%. By comparison, the eMas 5 accepts up to 53 kW for the Prime with a 30.12 kWh battery (225 km WLTP range) and 71 kW for the Premium (325 km WLTP); both take 21 minutes to charge to the same amount. Meanwhile, the updated Xingyuan with the larger battery takes just 19 minutes, suggesting a higher charging capacity.
Expect the updates to eventually filter to the eMas 5, although it will likely take a few months given that local assembly for the car has only just begun at Proton’s Tanjung Malim EV plant. A similar revision for the EX5, also with a larger battery, took three months after its Australian debut for it to be launched in Malaysia as the eMas 7 Premium Plus – to say nothing of the substantial facelift due to be launched in China soon.
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It has gotten a rear wiper, nice.
if not for chinese brands, british will still pay yahudi price for european trash cars
Meanwhile Malaysia get the dumping ground emas 5….old battery, no electrical seat, even side mirror is manual