What’s this new car all about then?
Starray EM-i is the second Geely SUV to be launched in New Zealand, following the EX5 back in March. Think of them as a set; after all, they do look similar.
Similar, but they’re not the same. While the EX5 is pure-electric, the Starray EM-i is a plug-in hybrid, or “super hybrid” in the terminology that’s been so enthusiastically adopted by Chinese carmakers of late.
Starray is technically a medium SUV, but it’s on the larger side of things: 4740mm long, or 100mm more than a Toyota RAV4 - and still outstretching the sister EX5 by 130mm.
If you think the EX5 looks a bit, um, ovoid, the Starray might appeal more. There’s definitely a sharper edge to the styling and Geely proudly says there are 9 different angles at work in the side profile… whatever that means. The layered front (the front lights have 264 individual LED beads) certainly gives it a bit of character.
The big point of difference for Starray is the EM-i (that’s E-Motive intelligence, people) super hybrid powertrain. There’s a naturally aspirated 1.5-litre petrol engine (73kW/125Nm) that needs 95-octane and an electric motor (160kW/262Nm), the latter drawing on a decent-size 18.4kWh LFP battery. It's front-drive.
In terms of this company's ambition to sell 5000 cars in NZ by 2028, the Geely Starray EM-i is a hero model.
That all gives you a WLTP electric range of 83km and an overall distance-to-empty in hybrid mode of 943km. Geely importer NordEast says it’s considering an even larger 29kWh battery, which would give 130km EV range.
The Starray battery can be DC fast-charged on a public station, too, although only at 30kW. Not brilliant, but still good enough for a 30-80% top-up in 30 minutes. It can give back, too: there’s vehicle-to-load and vehicle-to-vehicle (V2L/V2V) capability.
It's smooth and very quiet, even when the petrol engine is running. Not that you ever really know if the pistons are pumping.
As is the super-hybrid way, the petrol engine is there for support rather than a starring role. It mostly acts as a generator to feed the battery, although it can step in to help drive the front wheels when maximum power (193kW combined) is required - a quick overtake, for example.
You can also set a desired state-of-charge for the battery (or hold the current one) and the engine will summon up the correct number of kWh for you.
The Starray is large for the segment and extremely well-equipped, but it starts at just $45,990. Even the top model is under $50k.
Starray is superbly spacious, especially with the flat cabin floor in the back. The cabin architecture is a dead-ringer for the EX5, but that’s a good thing: you get the standard Chinese minimalist style and massive screen (15.4in for this model), but there are also a few physical controls, including a handy central dial that changes function between audio and climate with a click.
The 428-litre boot can expand to 528l if you don’t want the flat load-through to the rear seats, because you can drop the floor down a level. It’s a really practical family SUV.
How much is it?
This is the bit NordEast gets all giddy about. The Starray is large for the segment and extremely well-equipped (more about that in a minute), but it starts at just $45,990 for the Complete and even the fully kitted-up Inspire is under the $50k mark, just, at $49,490.
Those trim levels mirror the smaller EX5, which incidentally is slightly more expensive: $49,990-$53,990. Batteries, huh?
To sweeten the deal even more, buy a Starray before the end of the year and Geely NZ will throw in a 3-year service plan, 15,000km road user charges and premium paint at no extra cost.
Colour-wise, only Alpine White is standard; any of the other 5 hues normally cost $950 extra. There are some nice ones, too: featured here is the hero Glacier Blue and there’s also Jungle Green, as well as more Kiwi-centric silver, grey and black.
What’s it like to drive?
Smooth and very quiet, even when the petrol engine is running. Not that you ever really know if the pistons are pumping, unless you put your foot down and demand the full 193kW.
Speaking of that, although the Starray is actually a bit lighter than the EX5 (1739kg versus 1765kg for equivalent Inspire models), it’s also a bit slower. Not slow per-se, with 0-100km/h in a respectable 8.0 seconds, but nowhere near as perky as the EX5’s 6.9sec.
It is a bit firmer in the chassis, though. Still very much built for comfort, but there’s an extra edge in the ride and handling compared to its electric sibling (which we drove alongside the Starray on the media launch). It still rolls a bit in corners, but it’s nicely controlled and predictable. Overall, a good balance of decent ride and cornering composure.
Know what doesn’t like corners? Geely’s adaptive cruise control. The otherwise-impressive system washes 20-40km/h off the set speed even in the most gentle turns, requiring a hurry-up from the throttle… which kind of negates the point of having the technology in the first place.
Quite how the company ended up with this issue is hard to fathom, but the EX5 is just as bad. The local people are aware of it and apparently there are fixes at work that will come via an over-the-air (OTA) update. Geely’s impending entry into the UK market should also help focus the factory on right-hand-drive countries with corners a bit more, too.
Another OTA is on the way for wireless Android Auto. The Starray already has wireless Apple CarPlay, but followers of The Bot don’t yet have access to phone projection. Boo. But it's coming early next year.
Assessing the fuel economy of plug-in hybrids is hard, because it depends entirely on how you use them. Take full advantage of the Starray’s big battery, charge regularly and it’ll be as cheap to run as a full-EV until you need to use that big hybrid range.
But it’s worth noting that you really have to plug a super hybrid in as much as possible (without obsessing, because that’s the point of it) to get the full benefit.
On day two of the launch programme, we drove the Starray from Taupo to Auckland with zero-km EV range showing (the car keeps 20-25% battery for hybrid operation in reserve, though) and averaged 6.7l/100km over 300km of open-road driving. That’s good... but not Toyota RAV4-good. Having 80km-plus of EV running to draw on for the trip would have made the Geely’s economy exceptional.
And while charging the battery with the engine can be handy in certain circumstances, there’s an opportunity cost in fuel economy there, too.
What’s the pick of the range?
Geely NZ brand manager Jordan Haines calls the top Inspire a “no brainer” in terms of value for money. Company boss wants you to spend the maximum, what a suprise. But you can see his point.
The Complete is hardly a stripper. It has every active safety feature, including full surround view monitor, Geely’s fancy 9-layer “marshmellow” seats with heating and LEDs everywhere.
But for an extra $3500 the Inspire offers a ridiculously luxurious ambience for $50k: panoramic glass roof, 16-speaker/1000W Flyme audio system, 256-colour interior lighting, front-seat ventilation, 13.4in head-up display and a very grunty wireless phone charger.
Inspire also upsizes the wheels to 19in and adds font parking sensors and power tailgate.
What you can't have in the Starray are massage seats and a heated steering wheel, although you can in an EX5.
Over 90% of EX5 buyers have chosen the Inspire specification; Geely NZ expects the same for Starray.
What other cars should I consider?
It’s natural to look at other $50-60k super hybrids out of China. The Chery Tiggo 7 is even cheaper ($42,990-$46,990), although it’s not as lavish. There’s the Jaecoo J7 SHS ($49,990), MG HS ($52,990-$56,990) and of course one of the SUVs that started it all, the BYD Sealion 6 ($52,990-$64,990).
But remember how we casually dropped the Toyota RAV4 ($48,790-$60,990) into the conversation back there? Geely NZ reckons Starray EM-i also has the specification and price to draw buyers away from conventional hybrids like the all-conquering Toyota.
You’d have to say the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is a target, too. It has 80km-plus electric range and DC fast charging, but it’s also much more expensive: $64,990-$81,990.
The NordEast group (which also includes other Geely brands Zeekr, Farizon, Volvo, Polestar and Lotus) has a stated ambition to sell 5000 cars in NZ by 2028. In that context, the Starray EM-i is its hero model.