Geely Starray review

Our opinion on the Geely Starray

The Geely Starray shows promise with its electric-focused, plug-in hybrid powertrain. This is a well-priced PHEV that can run on electric power for a lot of journeys. There’s a competitive amount of practicality and equipment, but it lacks character and for driving experience, there are plenty of better alternatives to choose from. 

About the Geely Starray

You might not know it, but Chinese car brand Geely has had a big foothold in the UK for years. That’s because it owns Volvo, Polestar, Lotus and even LEVC - the firm behind London’s TX taxicab. Now Geely has decided it wants to step into the spotlight by launching Geely Auto in the UK, first with the EX5 in late 2025, and then this - the Geely Starray EM-i. 

At first you might wonder what the difference is between the Starray and the EX5 because they share the same mid-size SUV body shape, along with a lot of their underpinnings, plus the design is very similar. The EX5 is all-electric however, while the Starray is a plug-in hybrid.

There are two plug-in hybrid powertrains available, though the only real difference between them is the size of the battery, delivering either 51 miles or 84 miles of electric range. That later figure is a huge amount for any plug-in hybrid, let alone one targeting the affordable end of the C-segment family SUV market.

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We’ve tested the Geely Starray as a prototype in China and then again for a full road test on a wide variety of roads in the UK.

Geely Starray prices and latest deals

The Starray is available in three trim levels with prices from just under £30,000: 

• Pro
• Max
• Ultra

While the Starray kicks off at around £10,000 less than plug-in hybrid versions of the Ford Kuga and Hyundai Tucson, there is closer competition price-wise in the shape of the BYD Sealion 5 and Chery Tiggo 7, which both start from around £30,000. Then there’s the £32,000 MG HS plug-in hybrid. The Chery Tiggo 8 is also a competitor for the larger battery Starray Ultra at around £33,000. 

You can spec your Geely Starray right now on the Auto Express Buy A Car service or choose from loads of other plug-in hybrid SUVs. 

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The plug-in hybrid system is made up of a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with 98bhp paired with a 215bhp electric motor. The elements work together to provide a 255bhp total combined output. Both power sources go to the front wheels through a gearbox called an ‘E-DHT’ (electric dedicated hybrid transmission), which essentially prioritises the electric motor.

Performance, 0-60mph acceleration and top speed 

Even though there’s an 85kg difference between the Pro and range-topping Ultra (with the Max splitting the two) all versions come with the same straight-line performance. A 0-62mph time of 8 seconds is roughly on a par with rivals like the BYD Sealion 5, MG HS, Chery Tiggo 8 and Hyundai Tucson PHEV. 

Because the Starray utilises its electric power first, it feels like a pure-EV a lot of the time. The build up of power is smooth, like any EV, though the initial torque noticeably fades away at higher speeds. You do get a few driving modes: ‘Pure’ maintains electric-only running, ‘Hybrid’ mixes the two for maximum efficiency and ‘Power’ keeps the engine going all the time for the full 255bhp. 

Town driving, visibility and parking 

The Starray is a fine car to use in towns and cities - the steering is light, pedals aren’t hyper-responsive like in some plug-in hybrids from rival Chinese brand Jaecoo and the soft suspension makes easy work of big potholes and speedbumps at low speed. There’s a high driving position for a good view out - though the flat bonnet visibly stretches out in front of you so the Starray doesn’t feel all that small. There is a supermini-like turning circle of 10.4 metres, however.

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Country road driving and handling 

Having the likes of Lotus to call upon to fine tune your car’s suspension and dynamics is a resource many car firms would kill for. Geely says it did enlist the help of the Norfolk company’s engineers to hone the Starray in this area, but sitting behind the wheel you wonder just how much involvement there really was. The steering is inert and the suspension wobbles during cornering, there’s decent overall grip but many rivals, like the MG HS, provide more involvement for the driver.

Motorway driving and long-distance comfort 

The Starray does its best work when it's running on electric power, which makes the Ultra version an attractive option because of its longer electric range. Overall noise levels are kept to a minimum thanks to that focus on the electric side of the plug-in hybrid system. The petrol engine isn’t particularly enjoyable when it does kick in - it’s a pretty clattery and gruff-sounding motor and doesn’t add much to the total oomph available in the Geely. 

At high speeds the ride is a little too fidgety for our liking, the Starray never really settles down and we regularly had to make steering corrections on our test. Curiously, we were told by Geely to turn off the advanced driver assistance systems ahead of our drive. Naturally, we gave the Starray a go with them turned on, which resulted in the incredibly intrusive lane-keep assist rearing its ugly head anytime we went to make an overtake. 

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We’ve already said the petrol side of the plug-in hybrid Starray’s powertrain is a weak point for refinement, and it seems to perform poorly for efficiency too. Despite the massive electric range on offer, the Starray emits relatively hefty amounts of CO2. The 54g/km average on the official WLTP tests is high compared to rivals like the Chery Tiggo 8 (31g/km) or the MG HS (12g/km). 

Electric range, battery life and charge time 

Geely’s all-electric EX5 sibling to the Starray gave us a pretty average real-world range figure of 205 miles on our tests (down from 267 miles on the official WLTP tests), but funnily enough the plug-in hybrid Starray impressed us more with its electric power performance. 

The Starray’s choice of 18.4kWh or 29.8kWh batteries results in claimed range figures of 51 miles or a huge 84 miles. If you need an indicator of how far plug-in hybrids have come, you would have struggled to get a real-world range of 85 miles from the all-electric first-generation Nissan Leaf just 15 years ago. 

We’ve driven the smaller battery Starray, which still has more electric range than you get in a Kia Sportage PHEV, Hyundai Tucson PHEV or a Ford Kuga PHEV. We also found that a very respectable 45 miles of range is possible in normal driving, if you’re careful. 

Should you need to charge the Starray regularly it’s good to know it won’t take long. The small battery option has a 30kW maximum rate - meaning a 30 to 80 per cent recharge takes 20 minutes while the larger battery takes 16 minutes for the same charge thanks to its excellent 60kW maximum charge rate. Sending power in the other direction, there’s vehicle-to-load capability to charge things like coffee machines, camping equipment or even e-bikes. 

The battery warranty lies within the Geely Starray’s standard eight-year or 125,000-mile warranty, which should give new customers of this unfamiliar brand from China plenty of confidence. 

Tax 

Because the Geely Starray isn’t the greenest plug-in hybrid (in terms of emissions), for company car drivers it might not make the most sense. The small battery models sit in the 17 per cent Benefit-in-Kind tax band, while the larger battery car drops to seven per cent. 

Depreciation

Our residual valuation experts predict the Starray will lose 48.1 per cent of its value after three years and 36,000 miles. That's fairly competitive for the mid-size PHEV SUV market, placing below rivals from Ford and Hyundai, but above others from Chery and MG. 

To get an accurate valuation of a specific model, check out our free car valuation tool... 

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There are a few tweaks to the Starray’s design compared to the electric EX5 with different bumpers and lights, front and rear. Geely has clearly kept the design safe, but what it lacks in distinctiveness, it makes up for in equipment. 

The Geely Starray Pro gets: 

• 10-inch driver’s display
• 15.4-inch central touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Sat-nav (a subscription for the first two years)
• Heated seats
• Keyless entry

The Max adds:

• A 13.8-inch head-up display
• Wireless phone charging
• A 1,000W sound system
• Panoramic sunroof

The Ultra adds the larger battery pack plus faster charging capabilities. 

Interior and dashboard design

Sitting inside the Starray, it’s all very generic. There’s little to differentiate the cabin from those of other Chinese SUVs, such as the Chery Tiggo 8 and the incredibly bland Leapmotor C10. In fact, if you covered the steering wheel’s badge, we reckon most would struggle to tell the difference. 

One peculiar feature is the large volume dial, which you can press twice to change the touchscreen wallpaper - should you feel the need to choose between a kitten in a bucket or a coastal scene (yes, those really are some of the options) quickly. 

Materials and build quality 

Despite the budget pricing, there’s some real quality to the Geely Starray. We didn’t experience any significant rattles or creaks during our drive and elements like the faux wood on the centre console, plenty of soft plastics and well-damped buttons (the few dotted around the cabin, at least) are all indicators that Geely is targeting a more upmarket approach. 

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Infotainment, sat-nav and stereo

The Geely’s interior does have redeeming qualities. We experienced no lag on that huge touchscreen, with quick-loading menus and a navigation system that’s easy to get your head around. That’s just as well because the Starray features very few physical buttons, even the panoramic sliding sunroof is inexplicably controlled by a slider buried within the Geely’s menus. 

You can avoid using the touchscreen for various functions (like opening the sunroof) with the voice control assistant, but we found this often took several, increasingly frustrating attempts. 

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Geely claims there are more than 30 storage spaces dotted around the Starray’s cabin. Sensible features we like include the door bins being big enough for medium-sized water bottles and a huge space under the centre console for handbags. The wireless smartphone chargers are also angled and use rubber to stop the phone from flying around during driving. 

Dimensions and size 

The Geely Starray sits right in the middle of the C-segment mid-size SUV class in terms of dimensions - resulting in decent interior space. It’s a classic SUV shape with a boxy profile and large doors - great for families. 

Seats & passenger space 

 There’s a huge amount of passenger space, both front and rear, thanks to a high roofline and flat floor - though sadly the Starray doesn’t get the clever sliding drawer under the back seats like the EX5 does. The panoramic roof doesn’t impact headroom much either. The low windowline and white ceiling help give the Starray’s cabin a bright, airy feel as well. 

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Boot space 

The Starray’s 428-litre boot is on par with the plug-in MG HS and BYD Sealion 5, but on top of that is an additional 100 litres of space under the floor. There’s no option of a seven-seat configuration like in the similarly-priced Chery Tiggo 8 and there’s very little in the way of extra storage features in the boot. 

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Given Geely only arrived in the UK in 2025 with the EX5, it’s too early to comment on ownership experiences for the brand. The Chinese firm has been keen to instil confidence in buyers, however, with an eight-year or 125,000-mile warranty (which includes the battery) plus four years free UK roadside assistance. 

As for safety, the Starray received the maximum five stars from Euro NCAP, just like its EX5 sibling. Aside from the seven airbags, the Starray also has adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane keeping and emergency lane assist, blind spot detection, rear cross traffic alert and a 360-degree camera.

Best buy: Geely Starray EM-i Ultra 

While the Starray should attract plenty of new customers with its low headline price tag of under £30,000 - the best model is at the top of the line up. That’s because the Ultra’s electric range and charging speed give it added flexibility to use pretty much as you would an EV. Overall kit levels are very good no matter which trim you go for and there’ll be no difference to the driving experience across the Starray range either. 

Geely Starray alternatives 

There’s a whole load of mid-size SUV rivals that are targeting a similar space to the Starray. BYD’s Sealion 5 offers the same amount of space and is priced almost the same, though it comes with either 38 miles or 53 miles of range. As for the MG HS we know from experience that’ll stay true to its 75-mile electric range claim from our plug-in hybrid range test, plus it feels more polished than the Geely or BYD behind the wheel. 

Deals on the Geely Starray and alternatives

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