First drive: The Geely Starray is a cheap and cheerful plug-in hybrid SUV
January 14, 2026 by Jamie Edkins
Car changing is a big deal
With a price tag under £30,000 and plenty of room inside, the Geely Starray has a daft name but is eminently sensible – just not exciting
The Geely Starray EM-i is the latest in an ever-increasing line-up of plug-in hybrid SUVs from Chinese brands in the UK. It joins the Jaecoo 7, Chery Tiggo 7 SHS, MG HS PHEV, and upcoming Leapmotor C10 REEV and adopts the same strategy – a big battery, lots of toys, and aggressive pricing.
So aggressive, in fact, that it’s the cheapest of the lot, coming in at a fiver less than the Tiggo 7 – just £29,990. Despite this, it feels pretty posh inside and has among the longest pure-electric ranges available – but is it any good to drive? We headed to Geely’s HQ and factory in Linhai, China, for an early drive of a UK-spec car on closed roads.
On first impression, the Starray EM-i isn’t going to make you say ‘wow’. It looks very similar to the EX5 electric SUV, and has a similar smoothed-off front end with no obvious grille. Naturally it does have cooling for the combustion engine, but it’s lower down on the fascia – up top you just get a set of slim headlights and the ever-present LED light bar, with the Geely badge front and centre.
The rest of the car is all smooth curves, which Geely says is inspired by traditional Chinese pottery. It’s pretty anonymous, but it shouldn’t turn you off – much like the Tiggo 7 or MG HS, it just looks ‘fine’.
The interior is a bit more impressive. Like the EX5, it has a swooping centre console and minimalist button arrangement with everything mostly driven through the large, 15.4-inch central touchscreen.
Material quality is generally very impressive, and if you go for one of the lighter interior trim colours it looks really quite posh. We didn’t get much of a chance to play with the infotainment system (it was still set to Chinese for our drive) but it’s the same Flyme setup as the EX5. Based on our experience with that car, it’ll be responsive, but a bit awkward to use with lots of long, convoluted menus. At least Geely has promised the Starray will have Android Auto from launch, which the EX5 didn’t.
Kit levels are, as you might expect from a Chinese car, generous. Regardless of trim level you get all-round LED lights, heated front seats that are electrically adjustable, keyless entry and a 360-degree camera system. The £32,690 ‘Max’ model will add an electric tailgate, panoramic sunroof, seat ventilation and wireless phone charging, while the top ‘Ultra’ model doesn’t get any more kit but does get a larger battery for its £34,990 price tag.
The Starray EM-i gets a plug-in hybrid setup with a choice of two batteries. The smaller one is 18.4kWh in capacity and manages 51 miles of EV-only range – that’s a little lower than the Tiggo 7 or MG HS. The larger battery, available on the ‘Ultra’ version, can do 85 miles per charge, though, and that’s up there with the very longest-range PHEVs on sale – beaten only by the Chery Tiggo 9 and the Omoda 9.
Both versions use the same 214hp electric motor and 1.5-litre petrol engine. The Starray is set up to drive on electric power most of the time – the petrol engine will cut in if you floor it, but for the most part it sits in the background and operates as a fairly efficient generator. Geely reckons you’ll be able to do more than 600 miles on a full tank and a full battery.
So what’s it like to drive? Well, our time with the car was limited to closed roads at Geely’s factory, but we were still able to get a decent impression of the car’s abilities. First of all, at low speeds it feels just like an EV – there’s certainly enough electric range that you could easily cover even the most taxing commute without ever worrying the petrol engine.
It’s quiet and smooth, with predictable controls. Lotus – another Geely brand – has reportedly had a hand in tuning the Starray’s suspension, and though there’s none of the sports car magic you might hope for it does feel quite comfortable and a little more controlled over rough surfaces than a Tiggo 7 or an MG HS.
Don’t expect thrills in the corners, though – there’s still a fair bit of body lean, and the steering is too lightweight and gives you no sense of what the front wheels are doing.
Should you buy one? Well, it’s not a drivers’ car – but nor are any of its alternatives. The Geely Starray feels posher inside than the MG HS or Chery Tiggo 7. It’s aggressively priced and has loads of equipment, but the anonymous looks and so-so driving experience might turn you off.
We’ll be driving the Starray EM-i in the UK very soon, so keep your eyes peeled for our first impressions from UK roads.
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