2027 Geely Starray EM-i AWD review

Geely is a brand on the move, and if you like being on the move too, then the new Starray EM-i AWD variant could be the perfect choice for you.

This all-wheel drive plug-in hybrid (PHEV) mid-size SUV has a startlingly low price point, but doesn’t miss out on much when it comes to tech and spec.

With 130km of claimed EV range, AWD for slippery or unsealed roads, and a sticker that undercuts rivals by as much as $20,000, is there any real reason not to buy it?

Let’s investigate.

How much does the Geely Starray EM-i cost?

The Starray range now comprises three different offerings, with the base grade still offering good EV range and a long list of equipment, while the mid-spec version ups the battery range and inclusions list with heaps of additional fruit.

This five-seat AWD flagship adds a few grand to the asking price, but retains the big battery and adds some interesting drive modes, too.

If you scroll down you’ll find the full spec and tech lists for this model range, and all the powertrain details are listed there for you, too.

It’s worth considering alternative options in this class, because in almost every instance (unless you shop around) you might be paying a lot more money.

There’s the GWM Haval H6 PHEV AWD (from $47,990 drive-away), while the BYD Sealion 6 costs $52,990 plus on-roads for the AWD model. The funky looking Jaecoo J7 SHS Summit PHEV is close at $47,990 drive-away.

And the non-Chinese brands? Toyota will charge you at least $64,015 plus ORCs for an AWD RAV4 PHEV, and the AWD-only Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV starts from $58,990 plus ORCs.

To see how the Geely Starray EM-i lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What is the Geely Starray EM-i like on the inside?

It doesn’t feel like an SUV that costs as little as this one does.

The first thing you'll notice is the 15.4-inch infotainment touchscreen in the middle of the dashboard. It's big, but it's actually pretty easy to use.

Apple CarPlay connects quickly, responds without much delay and, during my time in the car, didn't drop out once.

I also like that you can still pull down the quick-access menu while using CarPlay, rather than being completely locked out of the car's own settings. That makes a difference when you want to change something without having to exit what you're doing.

The touchscreen is where you'll find the drive modes, including Hybrid, Snow, Power, Off-road and Pure. Pure mode prioritises electric driving until the battery runs out, while Hybrid is likely the sensible choice for longer trips. Power brings the petrol engine into the mix more readily, and Snow softens the throttle response.

There's a lot of functionality packed into this system, including satellite navigation, Spotify, ambient lighting adjustments, customisable vehicle settings, regenerative braking controls and over-the-air software updates.

You can even set up your preferred driving safety tech settings, which makes it easier than diving through a dozen screens to disable the bing-bongs.

There are Rest and Camping modes, too. Camping Mode lets you keep the air-conditioning running while you're parked up for a sleep, provided the battery has at least 25 per cent charge.

The digital instrument display is crisp and clean, with steering wheel buttons that make it easy to cycle through information.

The seats are trimmed in synthetic leather, and I reckon they look pretty good. They feel decent, too, although there's one small issue with the front passenger seat: it doesn't drop particularly low. Taller passengers might find themselves sitting a bit higher than they'd like.

All versions get heated front seats, while the Inspire adds ventilation (cooling) and massage – which is surprisingly intense, with a few different settings to choose from.

The climate control setup is a little stranger. It's operated through the touchscreen, and although the display shows two temperature readouts, it's actually only single-zone climate control. You can't set different temperatures for the driver and passenger, and that could cause arguments.

A 360-degree camera with front, rear, side and overhead views is available. It's useful technology for parking and driveway safety.

The higher-grade version gets a sunroof with an opening glass panel and a sliding shade, operated either through the touchscreen or the overhead controls.

There's also a head-up display, although it's not as large or as prominent as some of the systems you'll find in rival cars.

The Flyme audio system packs 16 speakers and sounds pretty good. I'd recommend playing around with the equaliser to see whether you can get it to suit your taste – maybe my music choices are just a bit too outlier.

There are some annoyances.

The sun visors don't extend, there's no grab handle above the driver’s door, and there's no USB port near the rear-view mirror for plugging in a dashcam.

The orange stitching on the steering wheel is also a bit of an odd choice, given it doesn't appear to be repeated elsewhere in the cabin.

There's a configurable rotary controller below the screen, which you can assign to functions such as audio volume or fan speed. That's a nice way to make a few commonly used controls easier to access without having to prod the touchscreen.

The centre console is practical, with a covered section featuring decent-sized cupholders, a wireless phone charger and another spot for a second phone, although that second position doesn't charge. The centre console bin is generously sized, there's a glovebox, and the door pockets have bottle holders.

There's soft-touch material across the upper door trims and elbow rests, which makes the cabin feel a bit more upmarket. The lower sections are hard plastic, but if you choose the lighter interior finish, it helps disguise that.

There's also a useful storage area beneath the centre console, with USB ports and a 12-volt outlet. It looks big enough to swallow a handbag.

In the rear, there’s a seriously roomy back seat.

I'm 6’0” (182cm) tall, and with the driver's seat set to my usual position, there was heaps of space between my knees and the seat ahead, not to mention loads of footroom and plenty of headroom, too.

It's the sort of space that should work well for growing teenagers, adult passengers or anyone considering the Starray as a rideshare vehicle.

There's a flat floor, which makes a difference if you're trying to fit three people across the back, and the seat base is relatively flat rather than heavily sculpted into two distinct seating positions. The backrest has a bit more shape to it and feels soft.

You get directional air vents, USB-A and USB-C ports, a small storage nook and decent-sized door pockets. The door armrests are soft, too, which is a nice touch when passengers are spending a few hours back there.

There are overhead grab handles and separate lights on either side, which parents will appreciate. But what you don't get are rear window sunshades, which is a shame. They're the sort of feature that can make a big difference.

Child-seat provisions are good, with ISOFIX points on the two outer positions and top-tether anchors for all three seats. There's also a centre seatbelt and a fold-down armrest with cup holders.

Worth noting is that the rear seat doesn’t have recline adjustment, and the fixed angle is quite laid-back. Some people will find that comfortable, but others might feel as though they're in the dentist’s chair.

That said, this feels like the sort of interior you'd expect in a car priced in the $50,000s or $60,000s, rather than $40,000s.

And the boot space is still decent, too. With the same storage capacity as the front-drive variants when the cargo floor is in play, there’s 428 litres available.

But if you look under the floor, there’s a little less in this AWD grade than in the FWD, because the subfloor has been resculpted to accommodate the different rear suspension and additional electric motor.

Even so, there’s still space for some charging cables and a tyre repair kit – and sadly, that’s it when it comes to a spare-wheel solution, because the brand doesn’t offer one.

But you can fold down the rear seats relatively easily and quite flat, making it a potential resting place if you want to activate one of those modes and get cozy in the back.

To see how the Geely Starray EM-i lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What's under the bonnet?

Here’s a rundown of the three different versions of the Geely Starray, and it’s worth noting that if you just need the most range and the best tech and spec, and power isn’t your be-all-end-all, then the FWD Inspire is probably going to do the job for you just fine.

But for those who want a bit better surety and some more grunt, the AWD delivers on paper, and in reality.

That table is a lot to digest, I get it.

But the headline here is the claimed range, which is 130km. And on test, I actually BEAT that claim from Sydney down to Berry on the south coast of NSW (via The Nasho!), with a return of 135km from a full battery.

Then the engine kicked to life, and while it was showing high-ish fuel use during a steep climb from Kangaroo Valley to the Hume Highway, by the time we’d descended from the Southern Highlands back to our starting point near Sydney Airport, the displayed average fuel use was an impressive 5.3L/100km. And it had some battery charge left, because of the extra regen braking on the descent.

It’s a very impressive and efficient powertrain.

To see how the Geely Starray EM-i lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How does the Geely Starray EM-i drive?

I've spent a fair bit of time in the front-wheel drive Geely Starray, and I reckon those versions make a lot of sense as urban runabouts. 

They're soft, cushy and comfortable, although that pliant suspension can sometimes leave them feeling a bit wobbly and wallowy.

The all-wheel drive version is a different proposition.

The extra electric motor at the rear comes with changes to the suspension, and you can feel the difference. 

This is a firmer, more controlled setup that feels better suited to a winding country road than simply pottering around town. In fact, it can be a little sharp over road joints and broken surfaces, so you are trading some of that plushness for better body control. 

But get it onto a decent stretch of country road and the Starray AWD feels composed, with enough grip and control to make it feel more confident through corners.

There's a performance advantage though, with 27kW more on tap than the front-drive versions. 

It isn't going to blow your socks off every time you put your foot down, but when the powertrain gets everything working together, it hustles.

If you want a Starray with a bit more muscle and a more precise feel on the road, I'd be looking at this AWD version.

It's not perfect, though.

I had to switch off the lane-keeping assistance because I found it too intrusive, while the speed-limit warning chimes are an irritation I cannot cop. The driver-monitoring system is less bothersome, at least, with a muted notification chime that those who are hard-of-hearing may not even notice.

The steering isn't especially engaging, but it is backed up by tyres that provide a decent amount of grip. This isn't a performance SUV, and it doesn't pretend to be one, but it feels confident enough when you're on a bumpy back road. 

It has the same tyres as the front-drive model (Goodyear EfficientGrip 235/60R19), and they’re decent grippers when it comes to the windy bits, though they’re hardly designed for off-roading.

There are those different drive modes, too, although I'd expect Pure mode to be the go-to setting for everyday urban driving.

The hybrid system can bring the petrol engine into the equation when needed, and it does so pretty smoothly. You can hear the engine working – there's a bit of a whine to it – but it isn't particularly intrusive unless you're heading up a continuous ascent, and the overall operation feels reasonably refined.

Around town, you can adjust the regenerative braking through the touchscreen, with different levels available depending on how much deceleration you want when you lift off the accelerator. 

The brake pedal takes a little getting used to, but that's not unusual in a vehicle that blends regenerative braking with conventional friction brakes. Set the regen to a stronger level and you'll have less reason to lean on the brake pedal in everyday driving.

To see how the Geely Starray EM-i lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What do you get?

First, some context. Here’s what you get in the very affordable, entry-level Complete grade.

2027 Geely Starray EM-i Complete equipment highlights:

• 18-inch alloy wheels 
• Automatic LED headlights with auto high-beam
• Rear privacy glass
• Keyless entry and start
• Heated, power-folding exterior mirrors
• 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster
• 15.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system 
• Satellite navigation
• DAB+ digital radio
• Wireless Apple CarPlay
• 6-speaker sound system
• Electric front seats 
• Heated front seats
• GeeLuxe fake leather seat upholstery
• Geely Connected Services
• Over-the-air software updates
• ‘Enhanced’ voice assistant
• 4G network connection
• Live traffic
• Geely Application Store
• Remote vehicle functions
• Online media streaming

Inspire FWD adds:

• 19-inch alloy wheels 
• Panoramic sunroof with power sunshade
• Power tailgate
• Ventilated front seats
• Driver’s memory
• 13.4-inch head-up display
• 15W wireless phone charger
• 16-speaker 1000W Flyme Sound system
• 256-colour ambient lighting
• Second-row central armrest
• ‘Rest Space’

Inspire AWD adds: 

• Rear electric motor
• Additional drive modes: Pure, Hybrid, Power, Snow and Off road
• Specific badging

To see how the Geely Starray EM-i lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Is the Geely Starray EM-i safe?

As with the other Geely Starray models, the AWD version comes with a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating, based on 2025 testing.

Standard safety features include:

• 7 airbags incl. front, front-side, curtain, far-side
• Adaptive cruise control
• Autonomous emergency braking
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Driver attention monitoring camera
• Speed sign detection and alert
• Overspeed warning
• Lane-keep assist
• Emergency lane-keep assist
• Rear cross-traffic assist
• Safe exit warning
• Surround-view camera with transparent chassis mode
• Rear parking sensors
• Tyre pressure monitoring

Inspire adds:

• Front parking sensors

The Starray has a Drive Setup system that allows the driver to configure a number of the active safety technology systems to their own preferences, and that makes it a more agreeable thing in daily driving. 

With the systems all active, they’re incessant – particularly the speed sign tech.

To see how the Geely Starray EM-i lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How much does the Geely Starray EM-i cost to run?

This is a new brand that is promising a very big game when it comes to ongoing ownership considerations. Check out the details below.

Beyond that, Geely is one of the fastest expanding brands in terms of dealership network coverage, with 100 showrooms and service locations already open after just 18 months in the market, and another 30 due in the coming months.

To see how the Geely Starray EM-i lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

CarExpert's Take on the Geely Starray EM-i AWD

For many customers, the front-wheel drive Inspire will do the job around town.

It is set up more for urban life than this one, which is hardly an off-road focused all-wheel drive SUV, but is definitely more adept at dealing with rough country roads and unsealed sections, if and when they occur.

If you’re simply drawn to the extra power and assuredness of AWD, then it’s worth the extra money.

And, as mentioned, compared with alternative mid-size all-wheel drive hybrid SUVs, this could be the most convincing model at its price.

CarExpert can save you thousands on a new Geely Starrary EM-i. Click here to get a great deal.

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MORE: Explore the Geely Starrary EM-i showroom