Geely Starray Em-I vs BYD Seal 6

What's the difference?

Hybrids are yesterday’s news.

If you’re looking for a combination powertrain in 2025 you want a ‘Super Hybrid’. This is the Chinese car industry’s term for what is more commonly known as a plug-in hybrid, but they are all the rage among car brands as they rush to simultaneously cut emissions and keep buyers.

The Geely Starray EM-i is the latest addition to a growing number of Super Hybrids available in Australia, joining the BYD Sealion 6, MG HS, Jaecoo J7, Omoda 9 and the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (which doesn’t have the fancy name but has the same tech).

This is Geely’s second entry into the Australian market, following the similar-sized but all-electric EX5 earlier this year. While it’s a new brand to Australia, Geely is an automotive giant, it’s so big in China it has been able to expand its global reach. Its parent company, also called Geely, has an ownership stake in Volvo, Polestar, Lotus, Zeekr, Proton, Smart, Lynk & Co. and Aston Martin.

But none of that really matters when you’re buying a car. So, how does the Starray stack up on its own merits? Is it a compelling new addition or just another forgettable offering in an increasingly crowded mid-size SUV market?

The Toyota Camry might be in a spot of trouble here.

The 2026 BYD Seal 6 has arrived, and not just at a lower starting price with a more electrified plug-in hybrid drivetrain, but with a wagon option, too.

In fact, the Seal 6 Touring Premium wagon is the halo variant of the Seal 6 range and its price matches the Camry’s entry grade.

The mid-size sedan and wagon duo from China, not to be confused with the already-launched BYD Seal electric car, make up what’s probably BYD’s strongest jab at Toyota yet. A true threat to the iconic Camry.

BYD’s biggest selling point for the Seal 6 is its range, more than 1000km in the real world, tested on just one tank and one charge from Sydney to Melbourne.

One day of pure highway driving and a day of winding country roads put that to the test on its Australian launch so you hopefully never have to.