When you first see the 2025 Geely Starray EM-i, you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s an electric car. Its sleek styling, full-width LED light bar and aerodynamic silhouette mirror the all-electric GeelyEX5 so closely that, at a glance, even I did a double take.

But this is no EV — it’s what Geely calls a “super hybrid”, better known as a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). It’s the brand’s second model in Australia, priced from just $37,490 before on-roads, and designed to give drivers the best of both worlds: smooth electric motoring when you want it, petrol backup when you need it at a price point that is very attractive.

To see how it stacks up, I took it over 24 hours on a five-hour loop from Sydney to the Hunter Valley, winding through busy city traffic, open highways, and scenic country roads. Our overnight stay at The Lane Retreat — surrounded by vineyards and eco-focused design — was the perfect backdrop for a car that promises to blend technology and sustainability.

Need to know basis - About the Geely Starray EM-i

‍Price when new: $37,490 - $39,990 before on road costs.
Seats: 5
Powertrain: Front wheel drive 1.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine mated to two electric motors.

Cost to service: 5 years capped price servicing, however each service price changes. Average cost per service across five years is $386.40. You can find up to date pricing here.
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Cost to insure: To be advised
Based on a 35 year old female living in Mosman with a 2025 Geely Starray EM-i with Stella Insurance. Get your quote today.

A year of comprehensive insurance coverage with Stella Insurance is quoted at $XX based on a comparative quote for a 35 year old female, living in Mosman, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, vehicle, driving history and personal circumstances.

Normal underwriting terms and conditions apply. Any advice provided is general in nature and has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation, or needs and may not be right for you. To decide if this product is right for you, please read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and the Target Market Determination (TMD) available at stellainsurance.com.au. Stella Comprehensive Car Insurance is distributed by Stella Underwriting Pty Ltd (Stella) (ABN 72 633 811 319) as an Authorised Representative (AR No 001282046) of Virginia Surety Company, Inc. (ARBN 080 339 957, AFSL 245579), who is the insurance issuer.

First impressions & design of the 2025 Geely Starray EM-i

From the outside, the Geely Starray EM-i doesn’t look like a budget-friendly SUV. The layered LED headlights, sculpted bonnet, and crisp shoulder lines give it a clean, modern look, while the rear light bar with 368 LED beads adds a distinctive glow at night and echoes premium European styling. It’s a design that feels far more premium than its sub-$40k starting price.

Step inside and that impression continues. The cabin feels airy and modern, anchored by a 15.4-inch central touchscreen running Geely’s Flyme operating system, plus a 10.2-inch landscape driver display. There’s even a 13.8-inch head-up display on the top-spec Inspire model which will project your blinkers, navigation information, speed limit and live speed.

The two interior colour options — Ebony Black or Ivory White — bring some welcomed personalisation, something you don’t often see at this price. Materials feel solid, with soft-touch panels and neatly integrated lighting. The front seats are heated, and the Inspire variant adds ventilation, a panoramic sunroof, and 256 ambient light colours for a little everyday luxury.

There’s plenty of space too. With clever storage throughout the cabin and generous rear headroom, it feels like a well thought out mid-size SUV ready for weekend getaways or the current chapter of your life without needing a seven seater.

Geely’s “EM-i” system stands for E-Motive Intelligence, and while the name sounds complex, the idea is simple: it’s a plug-in vehicle. It automatically switches between petrol and electric power to suit the drive.

Under the bonnet is a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine paired with two electric motors and a 18.4kWh battery. That means you can drive up to 83km on pure electric power — perfect for the daily commute — then rely on the petrol engine for longer trips, giving a combined tank range of 943km (WLTP).

There are three drive modes:

• Pure: electric-only for short city hops
• Hybrid: a smart balance of electric and petrol power
• Power: both systems working together for maximum performance

Geely promises the driving feel stays consistent even when the battery runs low, and you can charge it via AC (6.6kW) or DC fast charging (30kW) — taking it from 30% to 80% in around 20 minutes. It switches from a PHEV to a hybrid when the battery runs lower than 1/4 of charge meaning theoretically you can use the car as a hybrid full time and never charge it but to me that defeats the purpose of carrying such a large battery around everyday.

There’s also Vehicle-to-Load (V2L), which lets you plug in appliances like a laptop or even a small coffee machine — a neat feature for road trips or picnics.

Driving experience: How does the 2025 Geely Starray EM-i drive?

Leaving Sydney behind, the Starray EM-i settled easily into the morning traffic as we took in the iconic sights of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House as we left the city. In Pure electric mode, it glides quietly from one set of lights to the next, with that instant torque you’d expect from a full EV. The steering is light (which I prefer), visibility is good, and it feels perfectly sized for urban life — not too big, not too small.

As the city gave way to open highway and Sydney's never ending construction works, the hybrid system blended in automatically, pulling from both power sources as needed. The transition was smooth, and for the most part, barely noticable when at low speeds. It’s only under heavier acceleration — such as overtaking or climbing those long country hills — that you hear the engine rev harder than expected.

That’s the trade-off with most plug-in hybrids: smaller engines sometimes have to work harder to keep momentum, especially when at times when the battery isn’t doing the heavy lifting. While it’s not loud enough to ruin the experience to the average driver, it’s noticeable compared with the near-silent EX5.

Once we hit the Hunter Valley backroads, the Starray EM-i showed us its sportier side. The handling around corners felt composed, bumps and corrugations were felt but well cushioned, and the steering remained confident through tighter corners. It’s not a sporty SUV, but it’s stable and easy to drive — the kind of car that feels reassuringly competent on most terrains, it's worth noting that it's not an all-wheel drive with power only going to the two front wheels which I think is a missed opportunity for the brand but alas here we are.

After five hours across two days, behind the wheel, what stood out most was the comfort and consistency. There’s little fatigue from the ergonomics but it's worth mentioning sometimes the safety systems can be a little persistent. j For everyday drivers — especially those who value quiet commutes but want petrol backup for road trips — it hits the right balance.

For anyone curious about going electric but not ready to give up petrol entirely, this setup makes a lot of sense. You can charge overnight at home, use EV mode for weekday errands, and still head off on a long road trip without range anxiety.

That 83km electric-only range will cover most urban commutes, and with Geely claiming a combined range of 943km, you’ll rarely see a fuel pump especially if you charge everynight. Plus, having Vehicle-to-Load capability means you can power small appliances — whether that’s a hair straightener between meetings or a portable projector and popcorn machine on a weekend away.

Ownership costs look solid too. Every Starray EM-i comes with a 7-year unlimited kilometre warranty, an 8-year warranty on the battery, and up to 7 years of roadside assistance through Geely Care+. Geely has a range of introductory offers for the Starray which you can find here.

Servicing is a little bit of a sting compared to the EX-5 but Geely is offering the option of either a finance offer or three years complimentary servicing, a mode 2 charging cable and premium paint for orders placed before November 30, 2025 which definitely makes it a compelling sell.

Interior & cabin design of the 2025 Geely Starray

Step inside the Geely Starray EM-i, and the first thing that stands out is just how bright and tech-forward it feels. The layout is anchored by a 15.4-inch central touchscreen running Geely’s Flyme operating system — with over the air updates meaning your car never gets old— paired with a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster and, on the top-spec Inspire, a 13.8-inch head-up display.

The interface has a smartphone-like feel: swipe, tap, and drag gestures make it easy to use, even if you’re new to high-tech cars. Wireless Apple CarPlay comes standard, and Android Auto is expected via an over-the-air update in early 2026.

The cabin itself feels open and minimalist, with subtle metallic accents and soft-touch materials giving it an unexpectedly refined edge for a sub-$40k car. You can choose from Ebony Black or Ivory White interiors — a rare touch of personalisation in this segment — and the Inspire variant turns up the ambience with 256-colour interior lighting, ventilated front seats, and a panoramic sunroof that fills the cabin with natural light.

Storage is cleverly integrated throughout: deep door bins, a wide centre console with additional storage underneath, and a separate section under the main screen for phones and wireless chargers (Inspire only). The rear seats are generous, with a high roofline and long seat cushions that make long drives comfortable even in the back seat.

For something under $40k, the attention to detail is impressive — it’s a space that feels a lot closer to premium than entry-level.

Two things I will say that annoyed me however is the window controls are back to front, you push down for the window to go up and visa versa. A few other Chinese cars do this and I don't know if it's an oversight but definitely caught me out a few times.

Second is a stalk transmission shifter, how you change from drive to reverse etc, it's on the steering column where your blinkers or wipers would go. I had a few times where I flicked it while driving and thankfully the car knows not to change but it's down to personal preference if this is deal breaker for you or not.

Other features across the range mentioning include...

2025 Geely Starray Complete features:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• LED headlights, taillights And daytime running lights 
• 15.4-inch infotainment screen
• 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster
• Wireless Apple Carplay
• Satellite navigation
• Six-speaker sound system
• Automatic climate control
• Powered front seats
• Heated seats (Front Row)
• Roof rails
• Privacy glass rear windows
• Ebony Black interior only
• Safety suite including:
• • Multi-collision braking system
  • Automatic high beam
  • Rear parking sensors
  • Surround view monitor with 3D vehicle view
  • Low speed pedestrian alert
  • Automatic emergency braking (AEB) 
  • Hill descent control (HDC)
  • Adaptive cruise control
  • Rear cross traffic alert and brake
  • Collision mitigation support front and rear
  • Lane keeping assistant
  • Traffic sign recognition
  • Lane Changing Assist
  • Blind spot monitoring
  • Emergency lane keeping assist
  • Driver fatigue alert

2025 Geely Starray Inspire adds:

• 19-inch alloy wheels
• Panoramic power sunroof with sunshade
• Ventilated front seats
• 256-colour ambient lighting
• 2nd-row centre armrest
• Ivory White or Ebony Black interior
• 13.8-inch Head-Up Display
• Wireless phone charging
• 16-speaker Flyme audio system with subwoofer and headrest speakers
• Geely Connected Services ( voice assistant, OTA updates, remote functions, app store, live traffic updates)
• Safety
  
  • Front parking sensors

Space, practicality & everyday fit of the 2025 Geely Starray

One of the most surprising parts of the Geely Starray EM-i is just how roomy and well-thought-out it feels inside. It’s classed as a mid-size SUV, but it genuinely delivers on space — the kind that makes it easy to live with day to day. Think extra storage options in the centre console both for the passengers and the driver, plenty of boot space and even additional space under the boot floor.

Up front, the driving position feels natural and high enough to give SUV confidence without being bulky or feeling like you're driving a spaceship. I'm 5 foot 3 but found there’s plenty of elbow room, wide storage bins in the doors, and a clever two-tier centre console that keeps your phone, keys and coffee separate — small details that make a big difference in daily use.

In the back, there’s an impressive amount of legroom and headroom. Even taller passengers will be comfortable, thanks to one of the longest rear seat cushions in its class -that's according to the brand. The floor is almost flat too, which means whoever’s in the middle seat won’t feel squashed in. There are rear air vents and USB ports, so everyone can stay comfortable and connected.

The boot space starts at 428 litres with the seats up and expands to over 2,000 litres when you fold the second row flat — that’s enough for everything from weekend luggage to a big IKEA haul. The wide opening makes loading easy, and on the Inspire variant, the power tailgate adds a nice touch of convenience when your hands are full.

For anyone juggling work, road trips, and everyday errands, the Starray EM-i slots easily into life and genuinely does tick a lot of boxes. It feels light to drive around town, big enough to handle weekend country visits or sports gear-heavy weekends, and with all its hidden storage touches, it’s clearly been designed for real-world use — not just the showroom floor.

Overall Thoughts & Recommendation: Is the Geely Starray worth it?

The Geely Starray EM-i is one of those cars that quietly makes a big impression. It’s not trying too hard to be flashy or over-engineered — instead, it focuses on delivering value, space, and hybrid versatility in a package that feels more polished than its price suggests.

For city drivers or young professionals looking to make the swith from petrol to something more future-focused, it hits a real sweet spot. You can enjoy the quiet, effortless feel of electric driving most of the time, but still have the peace of mind that comes with a petrol backup when life takes you further afield.

It’s not perfect — the engine can sound busy when pushed, and Android Auto users will have to wait until early 2026 for an update — but those are small trade-offs in a car that otherwise nails the brief. It’s spacious, tech-rich, well-priced, and approachable, with a design that looks every bit as premium as rivals costing thousands more.

For those who’ve been watching the hybrid market but weren’t sure where to start, the Starray EM-i makes that first step less overwhelming. It’s the kind of SUV that fits into everyday Australian city life, with the flexibility to grow with you — whether that means longer commutes, road trips, or simply wanting to drive something that feels new and future-ready.

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