Geely Starray EM-i: under-$40K price likely, Australian specs revealed

The Geely Starray EM-i would possibly well perchance change into the most cost-effective mosey-in hybrid (PHEV) in Australia when it launches within the neighborhood between September and December 2025, space to duke it out with the Chery Tiggo 7 Natty Hybrid for the most affordable PHEV title.

Identical in size to the Geely EX5 battery electric (BEV) midsize SUV it would part showroom space with as the emblem’s second product to initiate in Australia, the Starray EM-i will compete straight with the BYD Sealion 6, Jaecoo J7 and MG HS Natty Hybrid when it’s some distance launched in Australia.

Starray space to battle Chery Tiggo 7 for most cost-effective PHEV title

However the Starray is sensationally space to cost thousands less than its Chinese hybrid SUV compatriots. Talking with Chasing Vehicles earlier this month alongside a pre-manufacturing, factual-hand-pressure Starray, a Geely Australia product spokesperson hinted at an affordable entry tag.

“I’m death to expose you [the price],” a Geely Australia product spokesperson urged Chasing Vehicles. “We had audible gasps when EX5 pricing was as soon as announced, and I’m aiming to contain audible gasps after we notify [Starray] pricing.”

Given the entry variant of the 2-grand EX5 fluctuate starts at $40,990 plus on-toll road charges — and that the Starray PHEV is more cost effective to manufacture than the EX5 – anticipate to gape the hybrid kick off within the high $30,000 fluctuate.

The Starray PHEV’s mixture of a petroleum engine, electric motor and battery will see it offer Australian traders 83 kilometres of entirely electric fluctuate and blended fluctuate (using the battery and 51-litre gasoline tank) of 943km WLTP, with gasoline consumption of 5.9L/100km on a ‘tiresome’ hybrid battery.

That can place the Starray aggressive with its key competitors, including the Chery Tiggo 7 Natty Hybrid (74km EV fluctuate, from $39,990 driveaway), the Jaecoo J7 (90km EV fluctuate, from $47,990 driveaway), and essentially the most efficient-selling BYD Sealion 6 (circa-75km EV fluctuate, from $Forty five,500 driveaway).

“We’re going to have the selection to place it a equivalent high-tail-up to the EX5 — for the patron’s sake, it would be a straightforward offer the attach it’s seemingly you’ll perhaps perchance be no longer overwhelmed with preference,” the Geely Australia spokesperson urged Chasing Vehicles.

Geely EM-i-S mosey-in hybrid powertrain explained

Two variants of Starray had been confirmed for Australia (likely to be known as the Full and the Inspire, as per the EX5) with standard specs already locked in for the pair.

Both tidy grades part the identical powertrain, which depends mostly around a 160kW/262Nm P3 electric motor using the entrance wheels thru an ’11-in-1’ Enlighten Hybrid Transmission that contains the P3 motor, a separate P1 starter-generator motor, and diversified attend watch over devices.

Below the bonnet sits a 73kW/125Nm non-turbo petrol four-cylinder engine, which is able to flee at a fastened RPM to act as a generator for the 18.4kWh (circa-17kWh usable) LFP ‘Aegis Immediate Blade’ battery that will perhaps perchance furthermore be charged at 30kW DC speeds or up to 6.6kW AC.

This powertrain is identified interior Geely Automobile Holdings (GAH) as EM-i-S. That is for the time being the entry-stage PHEV procedure of GAH, with a minimum of five PHEV tiers sitting above EM-i-S within the Geely universe, capped by the ultra-superior EM-P/Freevoy mixture within the Zeekr 9X.

A key shortcoming of the EM-i-S procedure frail within the Starray is that it does no longer pork up the fitment of rear motors, which manner that the Starray EM-i is restricted to entrance-wheel pressure — now not just like the AWD Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.

“We mediate FWD meets customer wants — [the Starray] is for daily commutes and for toll road trips on the weekend. It is match for reason,” the spokesperson urged Chasing Vehicles.

The Starray’s 4740mm length is 125mm longer than the EX5; size-vivid, the Geely PHEV slots neatly between the Outlander and Sealion 6. The Starray measures 1905mm huge and 1685mm high with weight anticipated to land around 1830kg.

Sitting atop Geely’s GEA modular skateboard platform (supporting both electric and hybrid propulsion), the Starray shares many standard laborious points with the EX5. GEA was as soon as developed between CEVT in Gothenburg, Sweden, and Geely’s Hangzhou Bay, China building facility.

Licensed points for Australia printed

Geely Australia has printed some specs for the Starray EM-i, with the entry-stage tidy grade including as standard:

• Computerized LED headlights
• Roof rails
• Rear privacy glass
• Keyless entry and birth
• 15.4-crawl central touchscreen and 10.2-crawl digital instrument cluster
• Linked car points (Geely App, over the air updates)
• Apple CarPlay from initiate
• Android Auto thru over-the-air update in Q1 2026
• Vitality-adjustable entrance seats
• Rear air vents
• 3.3kW bi-directional car-to-load functionality

The fluctuate-topping grade of Starray in Australia will add the next points:

• 19-crawl alloy wheels with Goodyear tyres
• Panoramic opening glass sunroof with sunshade
• Vitality tailgate
• 16-speaker Flyme top class stereo
• Heated and cooled entrance seats (with memory for the motive force)
• Inside of ambient lighting
• Wi-fi tool charger
• Heads-up boom

With the grade high-tail-up stated to reflect the EX5 fluctuate construction, anticipate around the Starray fluctuate-topper to appeal to a 10 percent top class over the wicked grade.