Geely Starray 2026 review: EM-i Inspire long-term | Part 3

I’ve been driving the Geely Starray Inspire for the past three months, but in the past few weeks the Chinese brand has shown off its secret power.

Geely launched the Starray in September last year, but it has already delivered a game-changing update to the range-topping Inspire grade. That’s record-breaking time for an update, which takes the big name brands four or more years.

Read More About Geely Starray Em-I

• Geely Starray 2026 review: EM-i Inspire long-term | Part 1
• Geely Starray 2026 review: EM-i Inspire long-term | Part 2
• Fuel crisis is the government's fault and BYD, Chery, MG, Geely and GWM could have this fuel crisis solved quickly so it would never happen again | Opinion

Out with the old, in with the new 

The headline changes are a much bigger battery, with a 30kWh unit replacing the former 18kWh powerplant. This boosts electric-only driving range by 53km to 136km. 

That’s good enough to force a name change to Starray Inspire Extended Range.

Max DC charging speed doubles to 60kW, which allows you to fill the battery from 30-80 per cent in 16 minutes. 

Claimed fuel use drops to 1.4L/100km from 2.4L/100km. 

There have been other minor upgrades to the car, such as massaging front seats and towing enhancements.

Besides that everything covered in my previous two instalments remains the same.

All that costs just an extra $1500, with the Starray Inspire Extended Range starting at $41,490 before on-road costs.

Crucially the Starray is now a more relevant competitor to the BYD Sealion 6 Extended Range, which starts at $46,990 (before on-road costs) but the Inspire is more inline with the full-fruit $52,990 Premium grade.

That’s a fair chunk of change left in your pocket if you are searching for a plug-in hybrid mid-size SUV.

On the road

After three months, more than 1000km travelled, and more than 24 hours of total driving time the Starray shines bright against its competition.

The power adjustable seats wrapped in synthetic leather have excellent adjustment, which paired with the adjustable steering wheel allows drivers of all shapes and sizes to find the ideal seating position.

There is great vision out the front, with the driver able to see all angles. Throw in a birds-eye view camera, multiple parking sensors and it's a cinch to negotiate tight carparks and city streets.

The hybrid tech works seamlessly blending electric and petrol power. You’ll barely hear the petrol engine unless in Power mode, which only uses the engine to drive the wheels.

It is a refined experience with minimal road noise or tyre roar entering the cabin.

The 1.5-litre four-cylinder non-turbo petrol engine and electric motor combo makes a decent 193kW.

In the real world that’s plenty, with the Starray bounding up steep hills and overtaking on the motorway with ease.

If you are in Power mode or the battery is depleted then it can feel breathless.

The steering is well weighted and predictable, which inspires confidence on tight, twisting roads.

It exerts decent body control with minimal lean through the corners.

Geely’s active driver aids are the best of any of the Chinese brands I’ve tested. All the tech worked as advertised and ditched the overbearing annoying beeps and bongs of rival brands. This is a big step forward and a surefire way to keep customers.

The only constant was the speed warning that goes off when you exceed the speed limit by 1km. This is fine, except the speed sign recognition tech needs a bit of work to make sure it is holding you to the right speed limit.

It’s not all rosy for the Starray, however.

The suspension is far too firm, especially at the rear where you’ll hear and feel it crash over speed bumps and splutter over potholes and lumps along the way. Not ideal with kids in the back seat and items in the boot will move around if not secured.

It would benefit from a local suspension tune that tweaks the set-up to better suit our roads and driving conditions, rather than the billiard table-like streets of China and Europe.

The Starray could do with an all-wheel-drive option, too. All that power through the front wheels is never a good idea, with the wheels spinning at the slightest hint of a heavy foot when trying to turn.

All-paw grip is a better and safer solution in the wet, which is an important consideration when buying a family car.

Geely’s fuel-use claim is a tough one. You’ll need to be super disciplined in keeping the battery topped up to have any shot at getting close to the 1.4L/100km mark.

The best I saw was 2.6L/100km for a 50km stint, and the worst was above 6.0L/100km.

But if you can travel most of the time in Pure mode (EV only), then you’ll be laughing. The new battery is much better at achieving the EV driving range claim of 136km, while the older version routinely fell short of its 83km claim.

2026 Geely Starray EM-i Inspire

Acquired: March, 2026

Distance travelled this month: 300km

Odometer: 470km

Average fuel use this month: 3.4L/100km