China's hybrid Camry crusher exposed: 2026 Geely Galaxy Starshine 7 unveiled in China as new potential budget plug-in hybrid sedan rival to Audi A5, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and best-selling hybrid Toyota Camry

Geely has unveiled its Galaxy Starshine 7 plug-in hybrid sedan in China, offering a new electrified option in the segment. 

The model is expected to launch in China in the coming weeks, with no clear plans yet on if or where it will be exported, so there is nothing confirmed about the Galaxy Starshine 7’s potential future in Australia.

A spokesperson for Geely Australia said there is nothing to announce yet, but no model is off the table either.

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We expect to learn more about whether the Galaxy Starshine 7 is destined for Australia next month at the Beijing Motor Show. 

It measures 4958mm in length, 1915mm wide and 1505mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2852, seeing it sit on the larger side of the sedan category. 

It would offer a budget alternative to the plug-in hybrid sedan variant of the Audi A5 and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. 

The car is similarly sized to the Toyota Camry hybrid in Australia, which is the dominant player of the segment, so it would be a keen rival to the popular Japanese sedan.

We are yet to find out more substantial information about the car, but we know it will be powered by a plug-in hybrid set-up with an all-wheel drive system.

The 1.5-litre petrol engine produces 82kW, with the bulk of the power expected to come from the electric motors.

It will have battery choices of 19kWh and 28kWh, both offering electric-only driving ranges of 115km and 165km, respectively, according to CLTC but expect closer to 100km for the long-range battery in real-world conditions.

It also has a fuel economy of 2.0L/100km, which is half that of the Toyota Camry’s, although the Toyota is only a plugless hybrid. The plug-in hybrid C-Class has a fuel economy of 1.5L/100km, for comparison.

The only other information available on the car at this stage is that it can complete the 0-100km/h sprint in 5.4 seconds.