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Question of the Day: Oldest working tech or appliance in your house that you refuse to replace?
Chinese cars, are they as bad as everyone thinks?
- Thread starter ChrisThomas
- Start date
FiestaST
Honorary Master
FiestaST
Honorary Master
Geely E5 Apex Plus launches in SA with 450km range and competitive pricing
Geely Auto has added the E5 Apex Plus to its South African electric vehicle range, extending the local E5 line-up to three derivatives.
The range starts with the E5 Aspire priced at R699,999, followed by the E5 Apex at R759 999, with the E5 Apex Plus with a larger battery pack at the top of the triangle costing R788 888.
The E5 Apex Plus is 4,615mm in length, 1,901mm wide and stands 1,670mm high and has a length of 2,750mm.
Boot space is rated at 461 litres.
Motor and performance
Power is delivered by a front-mounted electric motor producing 160kW and 320Nm.
The Apex Plus uses a 68.39kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack, while the standard Apex features a smaller 60.22kWh unit.
According to WLTP figures, the Apex Plus has a claimed driving range of 450 kilometres compared with 410 kilometres for the Apex.
Energy consumption is rated at 16.2kWh/100km for the Apex Plus and 16.0kWh/100km for the Apex. The Apex Plus completes the 0-100km/h sprint in a claimed 7.6 seconds, while the lighter Apex comes in at 7.1 seconds.
Geely says the Apex can charge from 10% to 100% in six hours using AC charging, while the larger-battery Apex Plus requires around seven hours. Both models support AC charging up to 11kW and DC fast charging up to 100kW.
Using a DC fast charger, the battery can be charged from 30% to 80% in around 20 minutes, according to Geely.
Geely Auto has added the E5 Apex Plus to its South African electric vehicle range, extending the local E5 line-up to three derivatives.
The range starts with the E5 Aspire priced at R699,999, followed by the E5 Apex at R759 999, with the E5 Apex Plus with a larger battery pack at the top of the triangle costing R788 888.
The E5 Apex Plus is 4,615mm in length, 1,901mm wide and stands 1,670mm high and has a length of 2,750mm.
Boot space is rated at 461 litres.
Motor and performance
Power is delivered by a front-mounted electric motor producing 160kW and 320Nm.
The Apex Plus uses a 68.39kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack, while the standard Apex features a smaller 60.22kWh unit.
According to WLTP figures, the Apex Plus has a claimed driving range of 450 kilometres compared with 410 kilometres for the Apex.
Energy consumption is rated at 16.2kWh/100km for the Apex Plus and 16.0kWh/100km for the Apex. The Apex Plus completes the 0-100km/h sprint in a claimed 7.6 seconds, while the lighter Apex comes in at 7.1 seconds.
Geely says the Apex can charge from 10% to 100% in six hours using AC charging, while the larger-battery Apex Plus requires around seven hours. Both models support AC charging up to 11kW and DC fast charging up to 100kW.
Using a DC fast charger, the battery can be charged from 30% to 80% in around 20 minutes, according to Geely.
Sapphiron
Honorary Master
I remember the same crowd complaining that you could get a 1.6L 1998 Hyundai Elantra + service plan for R70k when a similar spec Jetta cost R110k after you included the service plan from Barons.
Last edited:
ToxicBunny
Oi! Leave me out of this...
This could be interesting if true
www.chinapev.com
Foton Mars PHEV Pickup Starts Pre-Sale: 469 HP and 745-Mile Range for $26,200
Foton launched pre-sales for the Mars PHEV pickup, offering 469 hp and a 745-mile range starting at $26,200. The lineup includes the Mars 7 and Mars 9 models with a plug-in hybrid system and 15 driving modes.
www.chinapev.com
FiestaST
Honorary Master
Cars.co.za review of the Changan Uni-S
FiestaST
Honorary Master
Why are they even still making ICE vehicles?
Just to dump it all over and make a quick buck as companies, since they get subsidized? Dominate and get a foothold in the old world, until we eventually switch to EV?
China is all about EV locally there.
Why? Because the market has spoken.
How do you call 6km/L bad? Just your inate bias coming through....
FiestaST
Honorary Master
REVIEW | Geely E5 EM-i adds to Chinese presence in PHEV market
The Geely E5 EM-i is an affordable Chinese plug-in hybrid with great features and range
www.sowetan.co.za
FiestaST
Honorary Master
FiestaST
Honorary Master
CarExpert review of the Zeekr 7X
He was talking fuel efficiency, not fuel consumption. So that's a fuel consumption of 16.7 l/100km.
But then that would still be completely out of line with reality. Although they are known for being heavy on petrol initially, this is a complete exaggeration.
Tim_vb
Expert Member
the person my be crawling along at 5km/h in Fourways traffic every day where any ICE would be inefficient. This is the reason why hybrids exist. If its true then the owner is at fault for not getting a car that bet matches their values and driving conditions. My H6 hybrid (old version) got 6,7L/100km in mostly urban peak hour sandton driving
FiestaST
Honorary Master
Geely E5 Apex Plus (2026) Price & Specs
The Geely E5 Apex Plus is positioned as the flagship battery-electric vehicle in the portfolio. Here’s a look at pricing and specifications.
The Geely E5 Apex Plus is the new flagship EV SUV from the Chinese giant. Previously it offered in two trim levels; Aspire and Apex with pricing starting from R699 999.
The powertrain is a single electric motor making 160 kW and 320 Nm, and Geely claims a 0-100 kph time of 7.6 seconds and a top speed of 175 kph. Due to the larger battery, the flagship model is fractionally slower in comparison to the rest of the range.
Of more relevance and importance is the range and consumption, where Geely claims 450 km thanks to a larger 68.39 kWh battery and it offers a claimed economy figure of 16.2 kWh. The vehicle supports AC charging of up to 11 kW and DC fast charging up to 100 kW, meaning 30-80% in around 20 minutes.
How much does the Geely E5 Apex Plus cost in South Africa?
E5 Aspire R699 999
E5 Apex R759 999
E5 Apex Plus R788 888
The price includes a vehicle warranty of 6 years / 150 000 km, service plan of 6 years / 120 000 km, 8 year / 200 000 km battery warranty and five years of unlimited roadside assistance.
Your purchase price also includes a home wallbox charger, emergency charging cable and if the vehicle is purchased through Geely Finance, a R12 000 charging voucher is thrown in.
The Geely E5 Apex Plus is positioned as the flagship battery-electric vehicle in the portfolio. Here’s a look at pricing and specifications.
The Geely E5 Apex Plus is the new flagship EV SUV from the Chinese giant. Previously it offered in two trim levels; Aspire and Apex with pricing starting from R699 999.
The powertrain is a single electric motor making 160 kW and 320 Nm, and Geely claims a 0-100 kph time of 7.6 seconds and a top speed of 175 kph. Due to the larger battery, the flagship model is fractionally slower in comparison to the rest of the range.
Of more relevance and importance is the range and consumption, where Geely claims 450 km thanks to a larger 68.39 kWh battery and it offers a claimed economy figure of 16.2 kWh. The vehicle supports AC charging of up to 11 kW and DC fast charging up to 100 kW, meaning 30-80% in around 20 minutes.
How much does the Geely E5 Apex Plus cost in South Africa?
E5 Aspire R699 999
E5 Apex R759 999
E5 Apex Plus R788 888
The price includes a vehicle warranty of 6 years / 150 000 km, service plan of 6 years / 120 000 km, 8 year / 200 000 km battery warranty and five years of unlimited roadside assistance.
Your purchase price also includes a home wallbox charger, emergency charging cable and if the vehicle is purchased through Geely Finance, a R12 000 charging voucher is thrown in.
FiestaST
Honorary Master
Nick O'Leary review of the Geely EX5
Lawnchairman
Expert Member
Well this was one of the better reviews and the honesty is refreshing. In a nut shell for an EV the charging rate is concerning and there are issues. Just like many Chinese vehicles this can be fixed with a software update. Really? Did you not test the car both abroad and locally? This vehicles plays music like an ice cream truck under 30 kmh as a warning like WTF and you can't turn it off. Those are 2 non starters in my book. The rest of the vehicle rides like a dream.
FiestaST
Honorary Master
XPeng in talks to buy an empty Volkswagen factory
The European automotive market is experiencing an interesting shift. Legacy manufacturers dominated the continent for decades with massive factories and established supply chains, but now, the tables are turning in a rather ironic way. Young Chinese EV manufacturers are outgrowing their production lines, just as established local giants are trying to downsize. The latest example of this trend involves XPeng, a Chinese brand that is already in negotiations to buy a manufacturing plant from Volkswagen.
XPeng needs more space because its international sales are climbing fast. In April 2026, the company exported a record 6,006 vehicles - a 62% increase compared to the same month last year, and a 28% jump from March 2026. The automaker shipped 17,563 EVs overseas during the first four months of 2026 - a 55% surge over the previous year. This rapid growth is pushing the company's production lines to their absolute limits.
The company has a contract production at the Magna Steyr plant in Graz, Austria, to build vehicles for European buyers. But this line is officially running out of space. The Austrian facility has been manufacturing the G6 and G9 electric SUVs since September 2025, and workers completed trial production of the new 2026 P7+ electric sedan at the facility in January 2026. Building cars within Europe allows the company to completely bypass the European Union's steep import tariffs on Chinese-made EVs, which can reach up to 35.5%.
Elvis Cheng, the managing director of northeastern Europe for XPeng, revealed the factory talks during the Financial Times' Future of the Car summit. Cheng confirmed that the company is actively talking to Volkswagen to secure a physical production location on the continent. He did not hold back when evaluating the German brand's real estate. Cheng noted that some of Volkswagen's factories are "a little bit old" and might not meet the strict technical requirements needed to build advanced, modern EVs. If a proper acquisition deal falls through, the Chinese brand is ready to build a completely new factory from scratch.
www.arenaev.com
The European automotive market is experiencing an interesting shift. Legacy manufacturers dominated the continent for decades with massive factories and established supply chains, but now, the tables are turning in a rather ironic way. Young Chinese EV manufacturers are outgrowing their production lines, just as established local giants are trying to downsize. The latest example of this trend involves XPeng, a Chinese brand that is already in negotiations to buy a manufacturing plant from Volkswagen.
XPeng needs more space because its international sales are climbing fast. In April 2026, the company exported a record 6,006 vehicles - a 62% increase compared to the same month last year, and a 28% jump from March 2026. The automaker shipped 17,563 EVs overseas during the first four months of 2026 - a 55% surge over the previous year. This rapid growth is pushing the company's production lines to their absolute limits.
The company has a contract production at the Magna Steyr plant in Graz, Austria, to build vehicles for European buyers. But this line is officially running out of space. The Austrian facility has been manufacturing the G6 and G9 electric SUVs since September 2025, and workers completed trial production of the new 2026 P7+ electric sedan at the facility in January 2026. Building cars within Europe allows the company to completely bypass the European Union's steep import tariffs on Chinese-made EVs, which can reach up to 35.5%.
Elvis Cheng, the managing director of northeastern Europe for XPeng, revealed the factory talks during the Financial Times' Future of the Car summit. Cheng confirmed that the company is actively talking to Volkswagen to secure a physical production location on the continent. He did not hold back when evaluating the German brand's real estate. Cheng noted that some of Volkswagen's factories are "a little bit old" and might not meet the strict technical requirements needed to build advanced, modern EVs. If a proper acquisition deal falls through, the Chinese brand is ready to build a completely new factory from scratch.
XPeng in talks to buy an empty Volkswagen factory
Driven by a massive export surge, Chinese automaker XPeng is negotiating with Volkswagen to buy underused European factories to expand its local production footprint and bypass import tariffs.
www.arenaev.com
FiestaST
Honorary Master
Paige Lindenberg returned to racing in Changan bakkie at 2026 Simola Hillclimb
Paige Lindenberg returned to racing at the 2026 Simola Hillclimb seven weeks postpartum; piloting a Changan Hunter REEV double-cab bakkie up the hill.
The starting line at the Simola Hillclimb is traditionally reserved for raw displacement, burnt rubber, and the nervous idle of highly strung race engines. This year, however, one of the most significant statements came from a seemingly silent bakkie driven by someone who, logically speaking, shouldn’t have been on the grid. Seven weeks after giving birth to baby Raff, Paige Lindenberg strapped herself into Changan’s Hunter REEV (range-extended electric vehicle) bakkie to wrestle the 1.9 km Knysna hill.
Paige is an established fixture in South African motorsport and the only woman to have consistently campaign this notoriously unforgiving event 12 consecutive times. She parked her racing career at six-and-a-half months pregnant, taking a necessary hiatus from the cockpit. But in a stunning turn of events, she returned to racing at Simola mere weeks after giving birth. And if you have any understanding of that process, it’s fair to say that her return required immense mental bandwidth and physical grit. Notably, she did it while trading her signature roaring V8 for the unproven frontier of the Changan Hunter REEV; a calculated move that completely disrupts typical hillclimb lore. She said to CAR at the 2026 Simola Hillclimb:
www.carmag.co.za
Paige Lindenberg returned to racing at the 2026 Simola Hillclimb seven weeks postpartum; piloting a Changan Hunter REEV double-cab bakkie up the hill.
The starting line at the Simola Hillclimb is traditionally reserved for raw displacement, burnt rubber, and the nervous idle of highly strung race engines. This year, however, one of the most significant statements came from a seemingly silent bakkie driven by someone who, logically speaking, shouldn’t have been on the grid. Seven weeks after giving birth to baby Raff, Paige Lindenberg strapped herself into Changan’s Hunter REEV (range-extended electric vehicle) bakkie to wrestle the 1.9 km Knysna hill.
Paige is an established fixture in South African motorsport and the only woman to have consistently campaign this notoriously unforgiving event 12 consecutive times. She parked her racing career at six-and-a-half months pregnant, taking a necessary hiatus from the cockpit. But in a stunning turn of events, she returned to racing at Simola mere weeks after giving birth. And if you have any understanding of that process, it’s fair to say that her return required immense mental bandwidth and physical grit. Notably, she did it while trading her signature roaring V8 for the unproven frontier of the Changan Hunter REEV; a calculated move that completely disrupts typical hillclimb lore. She said to CAR at the 2026 Simola Hillclimb:
Paige Lindenberg returned to racing in Changan bakkie at 2026 Simola Hillclimb
Paige Lindenberg returned to racing at the 2026 Simola Hillclimb seven weeks postpartum; piloting a Changan Hunter REEV bakkie up the hill...
www.carmag.co.za