On the back of our man’s test of the Geely plug-in hybrid Starray EM-i, an all-electric EX5 arrives to take its place.

Geely Starray EX5 Max

List price (BiK): £36,925 (4%)  Economy: 255 miles  Test efficiency: 233 miles

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Monday

It’s a one in, one out policy for Geely cars today as the Starray EM-i is replaced by the very similar looking but quite different EX5. While the two share much of their styling, the EX5 is a full EV rather than the Starray’s slightly underwhelming plug-in hybrid set-up. In this instance, the EX5 is the top-spec Max model with a claimed range of 255 miles, and we’ll see if that comes good in the next few days.

Tuesday

The EX5 is off to a good start this morning thanks to familiarity instilled by the Starray. Switching off the lane assist and speed alerts is easy – a prod of the button on the left-hand side of the steering wheel and a tap to confirm on the 15.4-inch info screen. All done and we’re ready to head off, though my passenger smiles as she says modern cars don’t make great getaway vehicles when you have to spend 30 seconds disabling stuff before driving away.

Wednesday

In Max trim, the EX5 has everything a fleet driver could really wish for: powered tailgate, metallic paint, 19-inch alloys, panoramic sunroof, faux leather upholstery, wireless charging and easy smartphone connectivity. I’m also rather taken with the massage function for the front seats that makes a lengthy wait in a traffic jam today almost an enjoyable break.

Thursday

The EX5 arrived showing around 180 miles of range on 70% of battery, which equates to almost exactly its claimed 255-mile range. However, contact with reality, and my mid-weight right foot, means this has dropped to a potential max range of 233 miles. Not bad and charging doesn’t take long when the Geely is hooked up to a fast charger – half an hour is all that’s needed.

Friday

A couple of clients to see today that involves a mix of roads. The Geely is happy enough in town where its compact size and soft ride combine for a simple life. On quicker stretches, however, even the hand of Lotus in its suspension set-up cannot prevent wallow and corner lean, plus the steering has next to no sense of being connected to what the front wheels are up to. Still, it is quiet in here.

Saturday

Not sure I’d choose the optional Cloud light-coloured upholstery of this particular car. It looks good, but I can see it would soon appear a bit grubby when exposed to kids, dog, shopping, football kit, cycling gear and more. Regardless of this, the EX5’s cabin is roomy and feels very well put together.

Sunday

A quick mention of performance as the Geely EX5 is brisk enough, taking 6.9 seconds for the 0-62mph sprint. This is done by driving just the front wheels, which can lead to the occasional scrabble when pulling out of a junction. Overall, though, the EX5 is an altogether more convincing car than its Starray EM-i plug-in hybrid sister.