Geely Starray Em-I vs Genesis GV60

What's the difference?

While it has a few quirks and flaws, there is a lot to like about the Starray. For starters, the value it offers at its price point is excellent and will really put pressure on its competition. The design may lack flair, but it does have a roomy cabin with a good multimedia system, so it’s family friendly and easy to live with.

Yes, it could do with some refinement of its on-road manners and driver assistance features, but for the value it offers and the frugal powertrain, it will no doubt find plenty of buyers who enjoy its substance and not just its memorable name.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with meals and accomodation provided.

An electric SUV is certainly an unconventional choice for a halo model, and is unlikely to be a big seller, but that’s not really the focus for Genesis. Instead, the arrival of the GV60 Magma means something bigger for the brand.

It’s a clear sign of intent from Genesis that it means business with Magma and has a long-term plan for Australia and taking on the likes of BMW M and Mercedes-AMG.

But, as for the car itself, it’s undoubtedly a very nice proposition, with some genuine performance potential and an engaging driving experience - even if it is thanks to technology rather than simple mechanics.

To dismiss it as simple a ‘luxury Hyundai’ would be doing it a disservice, too, as it offers not only a more premium package but overall a different driving experience. It’s less outrageous than either the Ioniq 5 N or 6 N, but still outrageously fast.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

Geely is very proud of the Starray, of course, and the company gave a very detailed presentation on the thought behind the design - involving aerodynamics, Chinese ceramics and a video that appeared to show a Geely spaceship releasing the Starray into a barren landscape.

But to be perfectly honest, I wouldn’t know how to describe it to you. The Starrary is a very generic looking car to my eyes, at least. Of course it’s subjective, and there is a clear visual connection between the Starray and the EX5, which is nice. But it just doesn’t have any real visual impact that makes it stand out.

It’s the automotive equivalent of a blank expression. Maybe it’s because the brand is so new, but if you removed the badges, there’s nothing about the Starray that screams ‘I’m a Geely’, and it could be a car from any number of brands.

By comparison, there is a distinctive visual style to Geely’s rivals, namely BYD, both externally and internally, to give it character. Obviously the same is very much true for bigger brands like Hyundai, Kia and even Toyota.

Perhaps with more time Geely will make more of a design impact on our market, but for now it’s hard to say it really has any standout design elements.

The GV60 is somewhat of the ‘odd one out’ in the Genesis line-up, with its more aerodynamic shape giving it a distinct visual separation from its bigger SUV siblings, the more upright GV70 and GV80.

But like any self-respecting performance brand, Genesis has given the Magma version some major design upgrades to give it a more aggressive and dynamic look. In keeping with its ‘Unspoken Dominance’ pillar, the design team have added a new 'Magma signature' three-hole bumper plus a redesigned lower front bumper that improves air-flow and track-inspired, aerodynamic canard wings on the sides. 

There are new wheel arches and side skirts, which also have the three hole design element, that help accentuate the stance along with the new 21-inch alloy wheels.

Finally, the look is completed with a new rear bumper design and the unmissable rear wing. You could certainly argue the wing is a bit over-the-top but it completes the look and gives the GV60 Magma a purposeful appearance - even when standing still.

Inside has some obvious similarities to the Hyundai duo, namely the basic layout of the cabin, but there are some key differences to separate them.

The most obvious change is the overall higher level of design and finish, with the Magma featuring a lot of leather and suede, offset by contrasting Magma-orange stitching - with white stitching available as an option. The sports seats are a particular highlight, finished in a combination of leather and suede with the specific Magma stitching pattern.

Then there’s the new, unique, steering wheel and instead of the blue and red ‘N’ buttons, Genesis has included a multi-function ‘Magma’ rotary dial/button and a ‘Boost’ button that allow you to adjust the various drivetrain modes (more on those later).

Overall, despite some similarities, the more premium materials and finish certainly lifts the GV60 Magma over its Hyundai relations.

The one area the designers do deserve a lot of credit for is the roomy cabin. Too often modern electric or hybrid SUVs compromise interior space in the name of aerodynamics, but the Starray has generous interior space.

The front seats are comfortable and roomy, but more impressive are the rear seats. They not only offer good kneeroom and head clearance, but the seats themselves are comfortable and supportive. 

As for cargo space, the boot has 428 litre of space, which is on par with BYD Sealion 6, but smaller than the 507 litres offered by the MG HS. Space can expand to 2065 litres with the second row dropped to load larger items.

Despite the modest boot capacity, the Starray doesn’t come with a full-size spare wheel, or even a spacesaver, and instead you have to make do with a tyre repair kit.

In terms of the multimedia system, there’s a huge 15.4-inch display that takes up a lot of space, and does look like someone just glued a big iPad to the dashboard. Then there’s the increasingly common 10.2-inch rectangular digital instrument display ahead of the steering wheel.

While this setup is highly functional, it does add to the generic design mentioned earlier. It also lacks any meaningful physical buttons, with the key audio and air-con functions all housed in the giant centre screen.

Standard on both Starray grades is Geely’s Connected Services, which includes a voice assistant, 4G connectivity, live traffic updates for the in-built sat-nav, over-the-air updates, as well as online streaming, remote vehicle functions and access to Geely’s own app store.

The over-the-air updates are important, because it will allow the company to change the car over time. For example, at launch it includes wireless Apple CarPlay, but Android Auto won’t be wireless until an over-the-air update early in 2026.

The Inspire features a premium sound system from Geely’s own Flyme brand, and it’s impressive. The 16-speaker, 1000W system is powerful and offers good clarity, so it’s worth the extra spend on the higher grade on its own.

The other glaringly obvious difference inside the cabin between the Hyundai pair and the Genesis is the latter’s signature 27-inch wide OLED multimedia display. Unlike many other vehicles that house two smaller screens in a single housing, Genesis offers an uninterrupted 27-inch display in high-definition.

It looks properly premium (especially when the map or other displays blend into the instrument section) and further accentuates that this is a luxury vehicle, even if much of the functionality is the same.

Accessing the Magma is possible either via the standard key fob or the latest generation Digital Key 2.0, which is able to be stored on your smartphone and even shared with others remotely.

Aside from the premium leather and suede finish, the cabin is quite practical for a performance car, with good space front and rear for up to four adults in reasonable comfort.

Again, the shared underpinnings - also known as the e-GMP architecture - is the Hyundai Group’s bespoke EV base so it has been designed to maximise interior packaging and it shows here.

Even though Genesis likes to compare the GV60 Magma to the Porsche Taycan as a performance EV rival, the reality is it sits closer to Porsche’s Macan on price and offers similar interior space despite being slightly smaller overall and slightly lower to the ground.

Of course, the commonality between the Hyundai pair and the Genesis means pricing the GV60 Magma is a challenge. 

It needs to be more expensive to cover its high level of equipment and finishes, but can’t be too much more expensive or customers are likely to stick with the Hyundai options.

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 and 6 N already cost $115,000, before on-road costs, which make them amongst the most expensive Hyundai’s ever offered in Australia. But Genesis is still a new-ish brand to Australian buyers, so it can’t charge significantly more, even if it does offer more luxury. Which is why the asking price of $130,000 feels like Genesis has hit the sweet spot.

At least for the car itself, but it leaves it in an isolated position in the broader market because there are no direct like-for-like, dollar-for-dollar rivals. There are several powerful, electric SUVs, such as the BMW iX3 and Tesla Model Y, but none are quite as performance focused as the Magma… except for the Hyundais.

For the asking price you get a unique bodykit for performance and visual differentiation from the standard GV60. There’s also 21-inch alloy wheels wrapped in Pirelli high-performance tyres.

Other Genesis-specific inclusions are suede and leather appointed seats, suede headlining, leather-appointed dash and door trims, a 10-way power adjustable driver’s seat, heated and ventilated front seats, remote start, fingerprint recognition, the brand’s Digital Key 2.0, a head-up display, connected car services and a 17-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system.

There is no mechanical difference between the Starray Complete and Inspire. Geely has developed a new naturally aspirated 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that pairs with an electric motor for a combined output of 193kW.

Power is sent to the front wheels only, with no all-wheel drive option. 

There are three driving modes - Pure, Hybrid and Power - with the former able to lock the car into EV-only driving, while the latter is able to combine the electric and petrol engine for maximum performance.

Even so, Geely’s 0-100km/h claim is only a modest 8.0 seconds and has a limited top speed of 170km/h, which is fine for Australian conditions.

While Genesis has done a nice job separating the GV60 Magma from the Hyundai twins visually and in terms of specification, where the three models converge is underneath.

That’s because the GV60 shares the same dual-motor electric powertrain as the N models. And that’s no bad thing because it makes 448kW of power and 740Nm of torque in its standard setting and can stretch to 478kW and 790Nm when you engage Boost Mode.

In addition to that there is also a Launch Control function that allows the Magma to sprint from 0-100km/h in just 3.4 seconds and the company claims it takes 10.9 seconds for it to reach 200km/h. The top speed is limited to 264km/h.

It also comes with Virtual Gear Shift, the Genesis version of Hyundai’s N e-shift, which simulates gears by creating a false ‘rev limit’ so you can tap the paddles on the steering wheel and feel like you’re changing gears even though it has a single-speed transmission.

The electric motor is powered by an 18.4kWh lithium-iron phosphate battery, which provides a claimed EV-only range of 83km, which is good for a PHEV but no longer class-leading, with some now pushing into triple digits.

Thanks to the hybrid assistance, fuel consumption is rated at just 2.4L/100km, on the combined cycle. It’s worth noting that both of those figures are to the WLTP test cycle, not the more generous Chinese testing protocol.

With a 51-litre fuel tank and the 83km EV mileage, Geely claims a total combined driving range of 943km. However, as always, we must point out that it is not really possible to achieve that 2.4L claim once the battery is depleted.

One handy feature of these plug-in hybrids with the bigger batteries is the vehicle-to-load or V2L functionality, which allows you to draw power from the battery to power small electrical devices, such as laptops or camping equipment.

The Magma has the same 84kWh battery with what it calls High-Performance Battery Control (or what Hyundai calls N Battery) which are specialised heating and cooling systems designed to ensure the GV60 can withstand racetrack hot laps, as well as spirited on-road driving. This is a key selling point for the Magma, as it allows for extended high-intensity driving, which would otherwise drain the battery too quickly to limit any meaningful track use.

Not that Genesis is pitching the Magma as a ‘track car’ as that’s the domain of the Hyundai pair, but even for on-road driving in the dynamic settings having the battery capable of adapting to the different driving conditions is worthy of note and shows the evolution of the technology.

Overall, the range is rated to 425km, which is good for a performance EV but the low 400 kay range is starting to look a little low these days by broader EV standards. It’s also less than the Ioniq 6 N and 5 N, mainly because the Magma bodykit adds more drag and the extra luxury adds more weight.

In terms of charging, the key detail to know is, with the 350kW charger, you can go from 10 to 80 per cent charge in as little as 18 minutes, according to Genesis’ claims.

And despite being the performance hero, it remains an EV at heart, so it is equipped with vehicle-to-load (V2L), which allows you to draw 200V of power from the battery to power small electrical devices if you need; which is not something many performance cars can claim to be capable of.

The good news is Geely gave the Starray a different ride and handling tune to what it offers in the Chinese market. The bad news is it’s the European tune.

Australian and European roads couldn’t be more different, with ours offering more potholes, bumps, dips, cracks and other imperfections that require more compliance than what’s needed for Europe’s typically smoother, less wrinkled roadways.

It means the Starray feels too firm for our back roads, but equally lacks body control at times too, so it’s not the most enjoyable SUV to drive on a winding country road. Around town the ride can get busy at times, but overall it feels better at lower speeds.

Just as importantly, the powertrain does a nice job in both conditions. It offers reasonable performance for this type of SUV, feeling slightly off the mark and effortlessly swapping between the electric motor and petrol engine.

We drove in EV mode initially and noticed the battery drained significantly in a short period, raising doubts about its ability to go 83km. However, as we switched to hybrid mode, we’ll have to reserve judgement and give Geely the benefit of the doubt when it comes to EV range.

Long story short, if Geely is serious about winning over Australian buyers, investing in local ride and handling tuning would help elevate the Starrary from just another imported SUV to something more memorable.

One of my personal favourite elements of high-performance EVs is their duality. On the one hand they can offer immense speed and power, but at the same time they can glide along in near-silence. Even the best adjustable drive modes in an internal combustion engine hero model can’t match it for the sheer breadth EVs can manage.

The GV60 Magma very much defines this dual personality of performance EVs.

It is especially quiet, with changes from standard GV60, including insulating glass, active noise control, extra gear meshing and more, to ensure it is quiet and refined inside the cabin. Driving it in its Comfort setting is a very relaxed and quiet experience, which is just what you should expect from a $130K luxury SUV.

But once you get out of the city and onto some winding country roads, as we did on the outskirts of Canberra, this is where the Magma is designed to shine. Unlike Hyundai’s N models which are deliberately designed for track use, Genesis says Magma is more of a grand tourer, focused on spirited on-road driving.

So, when you find a road you like, you can select one of the more dynamic drive settings - GT, Sprint or MY (personalised) - and turn on the Virtual Gear Shift (VGS) and virtual sound (which is a single, V6-inspired engine simulation) and have some fun.

Much like the Ioniq N pair, the GV60 Magma is a technological tour de force.

Typically, too much interference tends to dull modern performance cars, leaving the driver feeling more like a passenger. But that’s not the case here, because despite all the technology, or rather because of the way it is deployed, it’s a lot of fun to drive.

That is perhaps the most important element Genesis has taken from Hyundai, even more than the hardware or software, is making an engaging performance car. 

Building a ‘fast car’ is easy, but building one that is enjoyable to drive is much harder and that sums up the GV60 Magma.

As you should expect from a premium vehicle, the GV60 Magma comes generously equipped with safety equipment, passive and active.

For starters there are 10 airbags, including a centre ‘bag between the front passengers, so all occupants are covered. There’s also ISOFIX points for the rear outboard seats, impact sensing auto unlocking doors and even a projected path light when reversing to warm pedestrians, on top of the surround view parking cameras.

Then there’s all the active safety features, which include autonomous emergency braking (AEB), driver attention warning, blind-spot collision avoidance, blind-spot view monitoring, intelligent speed limit assist, lane keeping assist, rear cross-traffic alert, smart cruise control and safe exit assist.

However, while it may possess all the systems expected in a modern car, unfortunately there are still too many beeps, especially without a clear reason why it is beeping. This is an area where the entire Hyundai Motor Group, including Kia, can do a better job of integrating and calibrating the safety technology to make it seamless.

The GV60 was crash tested by ANCAP in 2022 and received a maximum five-star rating, which remains valid today.

As Geely and many other new brands are learning, it’s easy to launch a new model into Australia, but it’s a whole different story to deal with the aftersales care - servicing, warranty, etc.

“We want to ensure every day with Geely is a good day,” said Li Lei, CEO of Geely Australia.

To that end, Geely has partnered with some of Australia’s biggest dealer groups to quickly expand to 47 dealers in less than 12 months. At the same time it has built two Parts Distribution Centres in Australia and has 135 service venues, to ensure if anything does go wrong with an owner’s car it can be fixed and returned as soon as possible.

Geely is offering a seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty for the Starray EM-i, along with an eight-year warranty of the battery pack. 

Servicing is annually or every 15,000km, whichever comes first, and with Geely’s Hybrid Assured Service Pricing you will pay $1932 over the first five years.

If you take up that offer and service with Geely, the company will also include seven years of roadside assistance too.

Despite being in the market for more than a decade, Genesis is still finding its feet in Australia. Having started with a ‘Studio’ concept in the Sydney and Melbourne CBDs and finding that a challenging way to sell cars, the brand has been expanding its reach with more conventional dealerships.

There are now eight showrooms, or Showcases as the brand prefers to call them, and four service centres - one each in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast. So there is still clearly some work to do for the brand to have a truly national reach.

But while it may be behind its rivals when it comes to physical location, they try to make up for it with customer care. 

The GV60 Magma is covered by the brand’s standard five-year/unlimited km warranty but owners also get 10 years of roadside assistance.

They also get complimentary servicing for the first five years, with intervals scheduled every 15,000km or 12 months.

And while the brand is expanding its footprint it is sticking with its ‘Genesis to You’ program that will see a service team member come to a location of your choosing - home or office - and give you a loan car while they take yours away for a service.

So you don’t even need to live near the service centres, Genesis will do the pick-up and drop-off for you. It may sound like a small detail but it should make ownership a much easier proposition.