Geely eyes record-breaking PHEV SUV for Australia

Geely says it’s considering the long-range Starray EM-i ‘Super Hybrid’ SUV for an Australian introduction, which recently set a new Guinness World Record right here in Australia.

The Geely Starray EM-i only just landed in local showrooms a few months ago, with Australian-market models featuring an 18.4kWh battery offering a claimed 83km of electric range on the WLTP cycle.

However, the Chinese brand recently set the record for “lowest fuel consumption driving the Sydney–Melbourne Coastal Drive by a plug-in hybrid powered production SUV” with a Starray EM-i equipped with a much larger 29.8kWh battery.

“Geely Auto Australia is constantly exploring opportunities to tailor its product range to meet local consumer and market needs, and the extended range variant of the Starray EM-i is one such model under consideration for our market,” said a Geely Auto Australia spokesperson.

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Known in some parts of the world as the EX5 EM-i and the Galaxy Starship 7, the extended range version of the Starray EM-i runs a similar 1.5-litre plug-in hybrid system as the local-spec model with a total power output of 160kW, and of course that larger battery.

Details for the extended range variant are hard to come by, with no official range claim on the brand’s global website. Geely does, however, quote combined fuel consumption of 4.3L/100km on the older NEDC cycle, as well as 1000km of “NEDC comprehensive range”.

That doesn’t sound all that impressive given the 18.4kWh version sold here quotes 943km of combined range and fuel use of 2.4L/100km on the stricter WLTP cycle, though Geely’s Guinness World Record attempt saw the 29kWh Starray EM-i use 3.83L/100km over 1056km based on a refuel of 40L.

If the extended range variant has the same 51L fuel tank as the Australian-market model (TBC), the combined range claim could be much closer to 1200km, given the world record attempt would have had around 10L of fuel to spare after more than 1000km between Sydney and outer Melbourne.

The Starray EM-i was launched in the Australian market back in September, priced from $37,490 before on-road costs. To the end of November, 939 units have been registered Down Under.

Geely Auto says it has sold 114,185 cumulative units worldwide to the end of November 2025, which effectively marks the first 12 months of Starray EM-i production globally.

Australia is among the Starray EM-i’s “key international markets”, alongside the likes of Italy, Mexico, South Africa, and Indonesia – with more to follow.

The Starray EM-i sits alongside the related all-electric EX5 SUV in Geely Auto’s local lineup, with the EX2 electric hatchback recently confirmed for a late-2026 Australian introduction.

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