Geely adds a feature almost every new car in Australia already has

The Geely EX5 is one of a handful of new cars on sale without smartphone mirroring, but it’s now getting it… with a catch.

From today, Geely Auto Australia is rolling out an over-the-air (OTA) software update that adds wired and wireless Apple CarPlay connectivity. This is in line with a promise it made earlier this year to roll out the smartphone mirroring system during the third quarter of this year.

However, Android Auto connectivity, which was previously set to be rolled out later this year, is now not set to become available until the first quarter of 2026. It, too, will be available as an OTA update.

Apple CarPlay is displayed on the EX5’s 15.4-inch infotainment touchscreen. Fortunately, Geely has ensured the climate controls remain visible on the screen while you’re using Apple CarPlay.

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In some other Chinese vehicles that lack physical climate controls like the EX5, you have to exit out of Apple CarPlay to be able to adjust climate settings, or rely on voice assistants which aren’t always reliable.

Geely has also confirmed the EX5 is gaining support for the below display languages:

• Chinese (Simplified)
• Chinese (Traditional)
• French
• Indonesian
• Norwegian
• Polish
• Portuguese
• Russian
• Spanish
• Thai
• Turkish

While the EX5 was one of a handful of vehicles on sale in Australia without Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, Tesla’s popular Model 3 sedan and Model Y mid-size SUV famously don’t offer these features.

Despite arriving here a few months prior to the Geely, the rival Leapmotor C10 still does without either system, though unlike Tesla the Chinese brand has plans to add both.

It’s understood the C10’s internal processors lack the required chips to run smartphone mirroring software, which means Apple CarPlay and Android Auto won’t be available to existing owners via an OTR update.

Fellow Chinese brand LDV has traditionally only offered Apple CarPlay, something it has been changing with recent updates to the T60 ute and D90 large SUV.

However, some LDV models like the MIFA people mover still lack Android Auto.

The Geely EX5 has gotten off to a strong start in Australia, even without Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

To the end of July, Geely has delivered 2335 EX5 vehicles in Australia this year, leaving the Leapmotor C10 (352) and Deepal S07 (139) in the dust, and even pushing past the pioneering BYD Atto 3 (2130).

MORE: Explore the Geely EX5 showroom