China's latest plug-in hybrid weapon spotted in Australia! Geely's 2025 BYD Sealion 6, Chery Tiggo 7 PHEV and Jaecoo J7 SHS rival firms for local launch as 2026 Geely Galaxy Starship 7 spied in Sydney

Geely returned to Australian shores earlier this year with its EX5 electric mid-size SUV, but it’s soon set to back this up with a second offering.

A camouflaged prototype of what’s expected to be the Chinese brand’s second vehicle in Australia has been spied during testing in Sydney.

In other markets this car is called the Geely Galaxy Starship 7 and it’s a plug-in hybrid version of the EX5. It’s unclear what it’ll be called in Australia, though with a registration check it’s just called, ‘Geely EX5’.

Compared to the EX5 electric SUV, this spied prototype has a different front fascia with a split headlight setup. It also has a slightly different side sill design, as well as a fuel filler cap on the rear three-quarter panel.

Earlier this year at the brand’s Australian launch event, Geely confirmed its plans to launch more than six new vehicles in Australia over the next three years.

Geely won’t only sell electric vehicles (EVs) locally, but also plug-in hybrids.

It confirmed all the new models will be based on the “Geely Global Architecture”, which is likely a reference to the GEA platform that already underpins the EX5. The Starship 7 is also based on the GEA platform.

In other markets, this plug-in hybrid version of the EX5 is powered by a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and an electric motor that is fed by either an 8.5kWh or 19.09kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery.

The entry-level Starship 7 is claimed to be able to travel up to 55km on electric power, according to CLTC testing, whereas the flagship version with the larger battery can travel up to 120km on electric power.

At this stage it’s still unclear what the other Australian-bound Geely models will be. It’s understood that they will likely be from the Geely Galaxy brand.

In China, the Geely Galaxy brand offers a range of sedans and SUVs, the LEVC L380 people mover, as well as a range of smaller vehicles from the former Geely Geometry brand.

Once this new Geely PHEV goes on sale in Australia, it’ll likely be a contender for Australia’s cheapest plug-in hybrid. This title currently goes to the Chery Tiggo 7 PHEV, which starts at $39,990 before on-roads.

The Geely EX5 electric SUV starts at $40,990 before on-roads and extends to $44,990 before on-roads, so it will likely be more affordable.