Geely Galaxy E5 first drive – we take the Proton eMas 7 twin for a spin ahead of Malaysia’s first EV’s launch

What a difference two years make. Before the government introduced incentives in Budget 2022, electric vehicles were the preserve of a select few who could stomach the high prices for one. Fast forward to today and tax-free EVs are very much in the mainstream, with various models being sold at every price point. Buyers have taken notice – sales of EVs have risen exponentially year-on-year since 2022.

This sudden increase in popularity appears to have taken the usual segment leaders – including national makes Proton and Perodua – by surprise. Neither company currently offers a model with significant electrification, and the closest Proton has come to a full EV has been last year’s mild hybrid X90.

In an effort to spur the local automotive industry into action, the government issued a target for Proton and Perodua to come up with a fully-electric model by next year. The former has acted first, tapping into its partnership with Geely to produce the forthcoming eMas 7 (stylised as e.MAS 7), set to be launched at the end of the year. The car is based on the Geely Galaxy E5, but Proton insists the two cars were developed together, and the close collaboration has at least led to a short lead time.

Even so, the eMas 7’s close resemblance to the Galaxy E5 is undeniable. As luck would have it, Geely drove several units of its electric SUV from China to Malaysia, and Proton saw fit to let selected members of the media behind the wheel – giving us a preview of what’s to come. Will the eMas 7 have what it takes to make it in a cutthroat entry-level EV segment? Read on to find out.

Excellent value for money, at least in China

We’ve covered the Galaxy E5 extensively since it was leaked to the world in April. At the time, it was reported that the car had been developed with right-hand-drive markets (the car has since been earmarked for Thailand, Indonesia and Australia, but it will be wearing Geely EX5 badges instead, despite Proton being previously tipped as the spearhead for those markets) from the start, leading us to believe that the car was a prime candidate to be turned into Proton’s first EV. And as it turned out, we were right.

The Galaxy E5 was eventually launched in China in August, with a starting price of just 109,800 yuan (RM65,100). Even dressed to the nines with all the tech and the biggest battery, the car tops out at 145,800 yuan (RM86,400), representing incredible value for money. Against its closest competitor, the BYD Yuan Plus (known to you and me as the Atto 3), the Geely starting price is a full 10,000 yuan (RM5,900) lower – despite the car being half a size larger.

It certainly doesn’t look like the poorer relation on the outside, where the Galaxy E5 appears clean and modern, if a touch nondescript. The sharp headlights, L-shaped front bumper light signatures and full-width taillights (with the Galaxy sub-brand’s trademark centre “dashes”) add some intrigue to the slightly blobby design, the prominent round shoulders of which have been undermined by the rather narrow track width.

This has the added effect of making the E5 look under-tyred, even on the largest available 19-inch alloy wheels. Note that all the camouflaged eMas 7 prototypes seen thus far have been fitted with the smaller 18s, which look even more lost within the sizeable wheel arches.

Step inside and the Galaxy E5 continues to look (and feel) far more expensive than its headline-grabbing prices suggest. The minimalist horizontal dashboard – with a tall “floating” centre console that wraps around the driver – and seats are covered in white faux leather that is as plush as it looks.

The colour may deter those wary of having to keep their interior looking spotless, but the cabin has held up surprisingly well, given the cars you see here have travelled more than 3,700 km on less-than-ideal terrain. We should point out that while most of the cabin was high quality, some components such as the chrome steering wheel switches and naff wood-effect decor felt disappointingly cheap.

Lots of tech and cool toys

It’s 2024, so the Galaxy E5’s cabin is dominated by the bewildering array of technologies and features stuffed within. The dashboard has been outfitted with a 10.2-inch slimline digital instrument cluster and a 15.4-inch infotainment touchscreen, both running on a Flyme Auto operating system – software that was developed in conjunction with Meizu, a smartphone maker purchased by Geely founder Li Shufu in 2022.

The main highlight of the system is deeper smartphone integration, including the ability to project apps onto the main display. This only works with certain Meizu phones, however, and given that none of us had a Meizu device at hand, we weren’t able to test these functions out. It also remains to be seen if the features will be carried over to the eMas 7, which will utilise the same system.

What we did manage to gather from our limited time using the infotainment system was just how snappy it was. It runs on a SiEngine SE1000 processor, claimed to be the first Chinese-developed automotive chip built on a 7 nm process. This may seem outdated at a time when the latest iPhones run on chips built on a 3 nm process, but it worked well in this application, making jumping through different functions a breeze.

Other Geely-owned brands like Volvo and smart have come under fire for relegating most of their cars’ functions to the touchscreen, so it’s refreshing to see the Galaxy E5 retaining a fair amount of physical switchgear. You still have to go into the screen to tweak the air con settings (unfortunately), but you can at least adjust the door mirrors through a handy knob on the driver’s door, where you’ll also find (oddly reverse-direction) switches for all four windows. Groundbreaking!

Even more cutting edge is a massive volume knob on the centre console, which can double as a multi-function controller. This can be used to adjust temperature, fan speed, the display modes for the 256-colour ambient lighting and even the sounds coming out of the external speakers.

Speaking of which, those speakers can be used for more than just alerting pedestrians of your presence. You can broadcast certain messages and even play several sound effects to amuse/irritate bystanders, and the options range from the innocuous (saying “hi”) to the obnoxious (a tiger’s roar, a cat’s meow, a V10 engine being revved) and even the problematic (a wolf whistle). You can even use the speakers to blast your music to the rest of the world, which will make you either the coolest or the most annoying person at a carpark.

Thankfully, you can keep your music to the inside, playing it through the 16-speaker, 1,000-watt Flyme Audio sound system that uses surround sound tech from Chinese firm Wanos. The setup can simulate four different large-scale performance venues such as a concert hall, and you can even isolate music to play only through the headrest speakers. We wouldn’t recommend the latter, however, as a) those speakers sound tinny on their own and b) your other companions will still be able to hear the songs you’re playing.

In terms of safety, the Galaxy E5 comes with the usual list of driver assists, including autonomous emergency braking, Level 2 semi-autonomous driving, blind spot monitoring, rear collision warning and park assist. This is standard fare on Proton’s Geely-based models, but the car also gets lane change assist and remote parking assist. Hopefully Proton sees fit to finally include at least some of these features as part of the standard kit, instead of reserving the whole hog for the most expensive variants like it does now.

Plenty of space for passengers and knick-knacks

Toys and tech aside, the Galaxy E5 still had plenty to offer the passengers. The front occupants sit on comfortable pews that are said to be as soft as marshmallows and come with memory, heating and ventilation, as well as a surprisingly strong massage function. Additionally, the passenger receives a powered ottoman that allows them to fully recline, business class style.

As is the norm for Chinese vehicles, the rear cabin is extremely roomy, aided by the completely flat floor. This allows passengers to sit in a very reclined fashion (there’s an extra position for the reclining backrest that enables those in the rear to be even more laid back) without sacrificing either legroom or luggage space.

In case you were wondering, the boot measures a claimed 461 litres (expandable to 1,877 litres with the rear seats folded), which isn’t a patch on the Proton X70, let alone the segment-conquering Honda CR-V. However, the false floor does hide a massive amount of storage underneath, similar to the Tesla Model Y.

This is one of the 33 compartments strewn all throughout the car to store your odds and ends, including drawers underneath the rear seats and the back of the centre console. That’s just as well, because the Galaxy E5 does not come with a front boot. Last but not least, there’s a 6 kW vehicle-to-load (V2L) function.

Positive first impression on test track

Right, on to the bit you were waiting for – the driving experience. The morning was spent driving the Galaxy E5 on Proton’s oval test track in Shah Alam, although we were limited to just four laps, as is typical for a Proton pre-launch event. Unusually however, a select few – including yours truly – were then treated to a 57 km on-road drive through Bukit Jelutong, Puncak Alam and Elmina, mostly on highways.

All Galaxy E5 models are front-wheel drive, producing 218 PS (160 kW) and 320 Nm of torque; this is enough to get the car from zero to 100 km/h in 6.8 seconds on its way to a top speed of 184 km/h. It certainly felt quick enough on track, but the soft throttle response meant the instant torque delivery expected from an EV was subdued here.

Still, the car got to highway speeds without much fuss, revealing one of the Galaxy E5’s strongest suits – its ride comfort. The aging track’s banked curves were far from billet smooth, with cracks and undulations on the outer lane. Even Proton’s own cars – which generally ride well – would fidget about over the uneven surface.

But the Geely was unfazed by the bumps and we barely registered anything sitting inside. Instead, the car maintained its composure up the steep banking, making the usually stomach-wrenching experience of driving tipped over at up to 110 km/h a little easier.

What’s more, even on the coarse track surface the Galaxy E5 emanated very little road noise through its Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance SUV tyres (which, despite their name, are not performance tyres). Wind noise was more prevalent, strangely enough, although even that wasn’t enough to spoil the perception of calm in the cabin.

So, a strong showing on a (very limited) stint on the track – but would driving the car on actual Malaysian roads change things?

On-road drive revealed some shortcomings

Braving the late-afternoon traffic heading out of Proton’s Centre of Excellence headquarters, we continued to be impressed by the Galaxy E5’s ride. This was a car that had pliancy that beggared belief, in spite of the sizeable 19-inch wheels. All throughout the drive I would spot expansion joints or rumble strips on the road ahead and expect a slight jolt that simply never came.

As we entered the highway and picked up speed, however, the pillowy suspension proved to be both a blessing and a curse. First, the good news – secondary ride remained superb, and up to the national speed limit the Galaxy E5 exhibited a pleasantly relaxed, loping gait that enabled to car to simply float on the road.

The trade off for all this comfort was, of course, body control. Undulations at higher speeds would cause the Galaxy E5 to bounce a little – not by nearly enough to make us carsick, but noticeable nevertheless. Occasionally, the excessively soft setup left the car incapable of responding to bumps on the road quickly enough, causing it to clatter clumsily over them and shattering the illusion of a smooth ride.

And that’s not all. We managed to play around with the drive modes during the longer on-road drive, but even in the most aggressive Sport mode the throttle response was only just about quick and linear enough for my taste. Comfort mode was entirely too soft and sluggish, making the car feel slower than the performance figures suggested; I shudder to think what the Eco mode would be like.

That’s not to say the Galaxy E5 was in any way bad to drive. Sure, the soft suspension did cause the car to roll quite a bit in the corners, but grip levels were good and the car didn’t feel especially loose. The steering was also decently accurate and progressive, if devoid of feel.

The Galaxy E5’s excellent outward visibility was also a godsend when driving a left-hand-drive car in a right-hand-drive country. Despite being nominally larger than the X70, it didn’t feel unwieldy even on tight country roads and judging the amount of space available on the far side – not easy when you’re driving on the wrong side – was pretty straightforward.

As for range, Geely claims the Galaxy E5 can travel up to 530 km on a single charge using the largest of the two available Aegis “short blade” lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries – a 60.22 kWh pack fitted to the cars tested. This is on China’s rather lenient CLTC cycle, however, and isn’t representative of real-world use.

Extended periods of spirited driving sent our energy consumption figure over the 20 kWh per 100 km mark, which was unrealistic. We saw that one of the other cars involved in the world tour – but not the media test drive – registered 14.5 kWh per 100 km, meaning that a real-world range of around 400 km is possible. Charging the battery from 30 to 80% takes 20 minutes with a 120 kW DC fast charger and nine hours with a 7.7 kW AC wallbox charger.

A great EV in need of some fine-tuning

On first blush, the Geely Galaxy E5 seems to be a compelling package for family EV buyers, offering plenty of space and lots of cool toys. There’s also plenty to like when it comes to the driving experience, not least its supreme ride comfort and impressive refinement.

It’s not perfect, of course – the suspension is simply too soft for our roads, which not only affects the car’s handling but also brings unintended consequences to the ride. Also a little soft is the throttle response, which robs the Galaxy E5 of some of its alacrity.

The good news is that a lot of the car’s shortcomings can be fixed through software recalibration and suspension tweaks. In fact, Proton’s spokespeople have already intimated to us that the eMas 7 will have different chassis tuning to address by far its biggest flaw. The company’s engineers will need to be careful not to throw the baby out with the bathwater, as they could easily lose the Galaxy E5’s fluid ride in pursuit of tighter body control.

Ultimately, however, all these things are secondary to how much the eMas 7 will cost, which will make or break the car in our price-sensitive market. The Galaxy E5’s affordability in its home market does give some scope for Proton to keep prices down, although given that the car is expected to be fully imported (at least initially), the government’s RM100,000 price floor for CBU EVs will likely put a limit on how low it can go. If the company plays its cards right, though, we could have a winner on our hands.

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Learn more: Proton Electric Car, Proton eMas 7