2026 Geely Starray EM-i review

Our Verdict

The Geely Starray EM-i is the plug-in hybrid mid-sizer that value-conscious families have been waiting for. Geely has packed in the equipment, the space, the electric range and the efficiency for a price that shames most rivals and the recent safety software tweaks have smoothed over one of its biggest early gripes. It is not the sharpest thing to drive and the infotainment might test your patience, but as a daily family SUV it punches well above its price tag.

Updated 1 September 2026. We tested the Starray EM-i Inspire in front-wheel drive, before its 2026 update to a larger battery. Geely also added an all-wheel-drive variant to the range at the same time, which we have not yet driven.

What does the Geely Starray EM-i cost in Australia?

Pricing is where this car starts winning arguments before you even open the door. The Complete kicks off at $37,490 before on-road costs, the Inspire at $41,490, and the range now tops out with the Inspire AWD at $44,990. That gets you into the showroom for just over $40,000 driveaway depending on your postcode, which is remarkable for a plug-in hybrid SUV of this size.

See Geely Starray EM-i driveaway pricing and specifications →

Look across the segment and the gap becomes obvious. The BYD Sealion 6 starts from $42,990 while the Jaecoo J7 SHS and GWM Haval H6 PHEV both land at around $40,990 driveaway - and the Starray outshines both for equipment and overall polish. The MG HS Super Hybrid is $47,990 driveaway, and a base Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, which isn't even a plug-in, costs five grand more than the Starray.

For an extra $4,000 over the Complete variant, the Inspire adds the panoramic sunroof, 16-speaker Flyme audio, head-up display, ventilated front seats, powered tailgate, wireless charging and 19-inch alloys.

Above it sits the Inspire AWD at $44,990 which adds a rear motor and a genuine performance step. More on that below.

What does the Geely Starray EM-i look like?

Handsome rather than heroic is probably the fairest read. The front end does the heavy lifting with slim horizontal LED headlights, striking daytime running signatures and a closed-off body-coloured panel where a traditional grille would normally sit. It's a clean, modern face that nods subtly to European design cues without shouting about it.

The profile is more anonymous. It's a medium SUV that looks roughly the same proportions as everything else in the car park, saved from total invisibility by the 19-inch alloys on the Inspire and some nicely integrated roof rails. Around the back, the tail-lights are understated and the tailgate panel keeps things tidy.

Geely offers the car in Alpine White as standard with Polar Black, Jungle Green, Glacier Blue, Volcanic Grey and Cloudveil Silver as premium options. Jungle Green in particular gives the Starray a bit of personality it otherwise lacks and it suits the car's slightly European silhouette.

What is the Geely Starray EM-i like inside?

This is where the Starray really starts to feel like it was priced wrong. In a good way.

The cabin design is clean and uncluttered, anchored by a sweeping two-tone dash and a distinctive two-spoke steering wheel. The 15.4-inch central touchscreen dominates, flanked by a slim 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster, and the graphics are genuinely sharp. The family connection to Volvo and Polestar is visible in the display quality and interface polish, even if the software itself has some quirks we'll get to shortly.

Material quality is the standout. Soft-touch surfaces are used in all the places your hands actually land, the faux leather on the seats and doors feels properly padded and the pinstriped wood-effect trim along the console is inoffensive even if you're normally allergic to fake timber. The optional Ivory White interior on the Inspire genuinely lifts the cabin ambience, though it will need regular care.

Ergonomically there are two genuine annoyances. Far too many frequently used controls live inside touchscreen menus including the ventilated seats and climate adjustments beyond a simple on/off. And the window switches operate backwards, with forward to open and back to close, which never stops feeling wrong.

The Flyme 16-speaker audio system is good without being great. Plenty of volume, reasonable clarity, but the bass is softer than the spec sheet suggests.

How practical is the Geely Starray EM-i?

Interior space is the Starray's other headline act. Second-row legroom is generous enough for adults behind adults, the flat floor means the middle seat is genuinely usable rather than a punishment, and headroom holds up even under the Inspire's panoramic sunroof. Map pockets on both front seatbacks, rear air vents, USB-A and USB-C in both rows and big door bins make it a properly accommodating family hauler.

For child seat duty, the two outer ISOFIX points sit in helpful plastic guides and three top tethers run across the back row. Three child seats will fit across, though it's tight across the shoulders, so test your specific combination before buying.

Boot capacity is 428 litres with the rear seats up, expanding to 2,065 litres with them folded. That's par for the class rather than class-leading, but the floor structure is genuinely usable. There's hidden underfloor storage in place of a spare tyre, which is disappointing but par for the course at this price point. You get a repair kit instead.

Up front, the wireless charger, dual phone trays and floating console design create plenty of drop zones. The cupholders are a low point though, sized for takeaway coffees and little else, and parents will notice they sit too close together to comfortably hold two drinks at once.

What is the Geely Starray EM-i like to drive?

We spent our time in the front-drive Inspire and this is where the Starray surprised me the most. The driving experience is just… easy. Unstressed. Comfortable in a way that makes most daily commutes feel effortless.

The powertrain pairs a 1.5-litre petrol engine with a single electric motor producing 160kW and 262Nm, fed at the time by an 18.4kWh lithium iron phosphate battery, since replaced by a 29.8kWh pack on the Inspire and AWD. In Pure electric mode the Starray glides along on torque alone, perfect for the school run or the shops. In Hybrid mode the petrol engine fires up to act mostly as a generator and in Power mode both systems work together for the full 193kW combined output.

The ride is soft but well-judged. It dismisses speed bumps, tram tracks and city potholes with ease, and the cabin insulation is frankly outstanding for the money. It's one of the quietest non-luxury cars I've driven in a long time, with the electric motor inaudible and the petrol engine barely registering in normal running.

Push harder and the limits show up. The petrol engine gets vocal when you really work it, particularly up steep climbs where it has to do genuine heavy lifting. The steering is light and a touch vague off-centre, body roll makes its presence known through corners, and the handling softens noticeably at higher highway speeds. Don't expect sharp dynamics. This is a comfort-focused SUV and it makes no apologies for it.

The good news is that for the everyday driving most buyers actually do, around town and on the suburban commute, the Starray is genuinely lovely. The light steering makes parking effortless, the tight turning circle helps in tight car parks and the visibility is excellent.

Is the Geely Starray EM-i Inspire AWD worth it?

Added in September 2026 at $44,990 before on-road costs, the Inspire AWD is the first Starray with a rear electric motor. It contributes 80kW and 150Nm, and Geely quotes a combined 220kW and 412Nm with a 6.3-second 0-100km/h time, down from 8.2 for the front-drive Inspire.

It also gets a five-link rear suspension in place of the four-link setup, Snow and Off-road drive modes, and a 60-litre tank that lifts combined WLTP range to 1,065km. Electric range slips from 136km to 130km, which you would not notice.

If you want the pace or you genuinely drive on loose surfaces, the $3,500 is easy money. Everyone else is better off in the front-drive Inspire, which stays our pick of the range.

We have not driven the AWD yet and will update this review when we do.

How efficient is the Geely Starray EM-i?

Efficiency is arguably the Starray's most underrated strength, and it now depends a lot on which variant you pick. The Complete claims 2.5L/100km on its 18.4kWh battery, while the Inspire and Inspire AWD run a larger 29.8kWh pack and claim 1.6L/100km and 1.7L/100km respectively. All three are WLTP test-cycle numbers that include battery assistance, so take them with the usual grain of salt.

Electric-only range is where the money goes. The Complete manages 83km, which covers most commutes but will have you plugging in every couple of days. The Inspire steps up to 136km, and that is the figure that changes how you live with the car. Most Australian buyers drive under 40km a day, so a Sunday night charge will see out the working week without the petrol engine ever starting. The AWD gives up a little to its extra hardware at 130km.

With a full battery and daily driving inside that range, you'll burn zero fuel. Easy. On longer trips with a depleted battery, the Starray settles into proper hybrid running at around 2.3L/100km, which is genuinely impressive for a vehicle of this size. On pure highway runs with an empty battery you'll see something closer to 5.5 to 6.0L/100km, still competitive. Those are our figures from the pre-update Inspire on the smaller battery, and the hybrid drivetrain is unchanged, so expect the current cars to behave the same way once the battery is flat.

Combined range follows the same split. The Complete claims 943km and the Inspire 996km, both from a 51-litre tank, while the AWD's larger 60-litre tank lifts it to 1,065km. All three are realistic. For context, Geely achieved a Guinness World Record in late 2025 with the original Starray, returning 3.83L/100km over 1,056 kilometres on the Sydney to Melbourne coastal drive.

Charging is handled by AC at up to 6.6kW, or DC fast charging at 30kW, which tops the battery from 30 to 80% in roughly 20 minutes. A 6kW vehicle-to-load function turns the car into a portable power source, perfect for camping or powering tools.

Ownership costs are competitive. Geely backs the Starray with a seven-year unlimited-kilometre warranty, an eight-year battery warranty, and capped-price servicing at $1,932 over five years. Service intervals are 12 months or 15,000km. Not the cheapest in the class, but close.

Is the Geely Starray EM-i safe?

The Starray EM-i scored a full five-star ANCAP rating under the current 2023-2025 criteria published in February 2026. It earned 90% for adult occupant protection, 87% for child occupant protection, 86% for vulnerable road users and 82% for safety assist. Those are strong numbers across the board.

Standard equipment includes seven airbags with a front-centre airbag, autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and junction detection, adaptive cruise, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert with braking, lane-keep assist, driver fatigue monitoring, a 360-degree camera and traffic sign recognition.

Early reviews flagged that the driver monitoring and speed warning systems were genuinely overbearing, bonging at any slight head tilt or 1km/h infraction. The good news is Geely has since rolled out an over-the-air update that addresses this, introducing a Drive Setup shortcut that lets you disable the intrusive alerts with a single button press. It's a meaningful fix, and it moves the Starray from frustrating to genuinely pleasant to live with day to day.

What are the main competitors to the Geely Starray EM-i?

The BYD Sealion 6 is the most direct rival. It claims more electric range on paper and has a strong brand presence, but it starts from $42,990 and the Starray edges it on interior polish and overall value.

The Chery Tiggo 7 Super Hybrid is priced from $39,990 driveaway and technically undercuts the Starray on all-in pricing. The safety tech calibration isn't as resolved though, and the interior finish doesn't quite match the Geely's.

The Jaecoo J7 SHS and GWM Haval H6 PHEV both sit around $40,990 driveaway, putting them right in the Starray's crosshairs. The Haval has a sharper design but trails on equipment at the price. The Jaecoo is decent enough but gives up boot space and practicality.

And then there's the MG HS Super Hybrid at $47,990 driveaway - a solid car, but you're paying nearly eight grand more than the Starray Complete for a package that doesn't feel eight grand better in the real world.

Should I buy the Geely Starray EM-i?

If your budget is around $40K driveaway and you want a mid-size SUV that can commute on electricity and still tackle long trips without range anxiety, the Starray EM-i deserves the top of your shortlist. It is roomy, genuinely well built, remarkably efficient and backed by one of the strongest warranty packages in the business.

The driving experience isn't sharp, the engine gets noisy when pushed and the infotainment will occasionally test your patience. None of that is a deal-breaker. For everyday family duty, at this price, there is nothing on the market that hits this complete a balance of value, practicality and efficiency.

Geely has quietly built one of the best value cars in Australia. Go and drive one.