Can some Lotus magic add excitement to this budget SUV? Geely launches new Starray PHEV

Geely has just launched its second car in the UK. The new Starray EM-i Super Hybrid will join the electric EX5 in showrooms this February, with a starting price of £29,990.

It’ll serve as an alternative to cars like the Citroen C5 Aircross and MG HS, but it should be more fun to drive than those cars. That’s because Geely has leveraged its ownership of sports car brand Lotus to tune the suspension.

New Geely Starray EM-i: what makes this car different?

It’s a good question, because there are a lot of new, affordable Chinese SUVs flooding the market right now which makes choosing between them quite tricky. Generally speaking, they all tend to be very well-equipped, cheap to buy and spacious inside, but a lot of them are let down by the driving experience.

This is where Geely sets itself apart, because it has the advantage of owning Lotus, the same company which managed to make the gargantuan Eletre SUV handle like a sports car, so it knows a thing or two about tuning suspension.

Lotus has been involved in the development of the Starray EM-i, just as it was with the Geely EX5 electric SUV. When deputy reviews editor Tom Wiltshire drove that EV, he said it was the best-driving Chinese car yet. This gives us high hopes for the Starray EM-i.

The issue with a lot of Chinese SUVs, such as the BYD Seal U and the Jaecoo 7, is that the suspension and steering setup don’t feel quite natural. They can feel a bit floaty or jittery over bumps, and the steering is overly light and devoid of feeling.

Most people will probably never notice, nor care that much about lacklustre handling. But if you do enjoy a spirited B-road blast then this Geely could be the Chinese SUV for you. We’ll have to wait until we drive it to find out for sure though.

New Geely Starray EM-i: what else do I need to know?

Beyond the involvement from Lotus, the Starray EM-i has a few other things going for it. With prices starting from £29,990, it’s almost £10,000 cheaper than a basic Volkswagen Tiguan, and the cheapest plug-in hybrid version of that car costs close to £44,000.

You can get a plug-in hybrid MG HS for similar money though, and the Chery Tiggo 7 also costs about the same with the hybrid engine.

And you get plenty of standard equipment. All cars come with heated and electrically-adjustable front seats, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and Keyless entry. For around £2,700 more you can upgrade to the Max version, which adds things like a head-up display and wireless phone charging.

Powering this car you have a petrol plug-in hybrid system, although exact technical details around power and performance are thin on the ground at the moment. We do know that you’ll be able to do up to 84 miles on electric power alone according to official tests, which is up there with the best plug-in hybrid cars.

For added peace of mind, Geely is offering this car with an eight-year or 125,000-mile warranty, beating Kia’s seven-year coverage.

When can I buy the Geely Starray EM-i

Order books for the Geely Starray EM-i will open in February this year, so the car will be revealed in full over the next few weeks. Make sure to check back here for updates on the engine, as well as the exterior design and interior reveals.

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