Geely Starray Reviews

Any 4WD worth its salt used to need a V8.Think the Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series and the soon to be replaced Y62 Nissan Patrol.The LandCruiser’s big beefy 4.5-litre V8 twin-turbo diesel made a hefty 200kW and 650Nm, while the Patrol’s naturally aspirated 5.6-litre V8 petrol engine dished out a meaty 298kW and 560Nm.That’s some hard earned grunt for some big 4WDing, except the new breed of modern 4WDs makes those large capacity engines look breathless and weak.Fast forward to today and the new LandCruiser 300 Series and Y63 Nissan Patrol, with the latter due at the end of the year, both swapping out V8 power plants for more highly strung twin-turbo V6 units.The result? More power, and plenty of it.A Y63 Patrol now delivers 317kW and 700Nm thanks to its potent 3.5-litre twin-turbo petrol V6.Those outputs trump the LandCruiser’s 3.3-litre diesel twin-turbo motor that pumps out 227kW and 700Nm.That's just the start, as it’s the new breed of plug-in hybrid off-roaders out of China that are really flexing their 4WD muscle, though.BYD’s Denza sub-brand just launched its B8 off-roader.It uses a plug-in hybrid set-up that combines a turbo-petrol 2.0-litre engine with twin electric motors for a total 425kW and 760Nm.Put that in your tailpipe and smoke it Toyota and Nissan.Denza claims that is good enough to propel it from a standstill to 100km/h in 4.8 seconds.The B8 also delivers an all electric driving range of about 100km, not bad considering current fuel prices.It is also a proper off-roader with 3500kg braked towing capacity, 890mm wading depth and front and rear diff locks on the top-shelf variant.If petrol power is your thing, the Land Rover Defender Octa Black is the pièce de résistance of 4WDs.It combines a potent 467kW/750Nm 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 and mild-hybrid assistance with muscular off-road performance and primo luxury kit.The air suspension allows for a 323mm ground clearance and approach and departure angles of more than 40 degrees, along with a ramp angle of 29 degrees and a wading depth of 1000mm.Its manic V8 can propel it to 100km/h from a standstill in 4.0 seconds on the way to a top speed of 250km/h.That’ll leave the B8 eating your dust.Now a new type of 4WD is emerging, but its off-road capabilities may not be up to scratch.Geely’s new Battleship 700 is a big blocky off-road monster with 1000kW on tap thanks to its 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine and three electric motors.It can complete the benchmark sprint to 100km/h from a standstill in a red hot 3.1 seconds.Details are scarce, but a report from UK publication AutoExpress said it has a wading depth of 800mm, has big ground clearance and the brand is considering expanding its off-road modes, which won't have the big boys shaking in their all-terrains.Chery will launch a diesel hybrid ute this year in Australia and it could spawn a SUV bodied version in the future.It will pair a 2.5-litre turbo-diesel engine with electric motors to make mega torque numbers. It’ll also have three diff locks and be properly fit for purpose. It could rattle a few cages.

Don’t for a second put up with politicians trying to shift any of the blame for fuel shortages onto panic buying or people filling up a few jerry cans. The government has not only known about the possibility of running out of fuel, but it ensured it happened through a risky practice that it had been warned about for years.As the war in the Middle East escalates and enters its second month the global economy is creaking under the pressure of petrol and diesel shortages, with Iran permitting very few oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz - the crucial shipping lane linking oil producers such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq and the UAE to the world. Iran’s holding 20 per cent of the world’s oil hostage wasn’t unforeseen. Fuel security experts have been well aware of the risk for decades. Six years ago CarsGuide published the story I wrote of the risk of a war with Iran causing a fuel shortage. In the story former Royal Australia Air Force Deputy Chief John Blackburn, now a consultant on defence and national security, said Australia's lack of larger fuel reserves was a huge risk.As of late March, 2026, Australia had 30 days of diesel and 39 days of petrol left. Jet fuel was down to just 30 days, too.“The issue is the government doesn’t mandate that industry has to hold minimum stock levels. Most other developed countries do,” Blackburn said.“My view is the government isn’t keen on doing it because it has a free market approach. Now if there are no risks around, then that makes economic sense. But this idea that during peace time we’ll just let the market run and in war time we’ll do something else is outdated because there is no such thing as peace time any more.”So the government knew the risks and was willing to take them and work it out later if a problem ever arose. And when I say government I’m not referring to Labor or Liberal, I’m mean both, because it has been the same policy of both sides over successive governments.  The problem is now here and you can hear the concern in politician voices - this is an incredibly worrying situation that won’t right itself the day after the Strait of Hormuz is reopened. And there has been no attempt by any successive government over the years to change this practice. As Blackburn said, if we were to take up electric cars, which are powered by the electricity we made ourselves, then the fuel supply would be as secure as it could get."If you want to reduce demand you need to diversify the types of energy cars and trucks use… electricity will be absolutely critical to this. The good thing with electricity and also hydrogen vehicles is that we can generate the electricity and the hydrogen in Australia – 100 per cent of it. We don’t have to be 90 per cent dependent on imported diesel, unleaded and jet fuel as we are today.”And as the Government scrambles to produce modelling that will tell us exactly how long we have left before the Hunger Games start, there still doesn’t appear to be any thought going into how we can decouple from petrol and diesel and transition to electric.Because the cars are here and the infrastructure is now rolling out fast. I’ve been writing car news for 15 years and I’ve watched the big take up of EVs and I’ve also watched the government do nothing to incentivise it as well.Chinese brands such as BYD, Geely, Zeekr, Chery, MG and GWM have such production capability that we’ve been told quietly that vehicle supply is not a problem - name a number and it’ll be here on the next boat.That’s a frightening prospect to the Ford, Honda and even Toyotas of this world that are scrambling to work out what to do and which Chinese brand to join because beating them is no longer an option. Look, I have no doubt everything will be fine, but I can’t stress enough that we shouldn’t be letting it get this close again to realise that electric vehicles are the only way to secure our country better from fuel threats. And hydrogen will work for long haul trucks no problem at all - it’s already being tested by big names you’re familiar with already and is just around the corner.In the meantime don’t accept the blame for the fuel shortage - it’s not you using too much, it’s them not buying enough in the first place.

Cold water has just been poured over the immediate future of solid-state car battery technology.Solid-state batteries have been spoken about as the silver bullet to range anxiety on electric cars, offering more than 1000km of driving on a single charge.It was thought that solid-state technology might be just around the corner, with brands moving closer to commercialisation, but it now looks like it may be further off than first anticipated.Chinese Academy of Sciences Professor at Tsinghua University Ouyang Minggao said solid-state batteries may require up to 10 years to reach one per cent market share.Minggao had previously estimated an earlier adoption time for the technology, but has now cautioned the potential for an imminent arrival.This lines up with comments from some major manufacturers, such as United States based General Motors (GM).“Solid state is still years away,” GM Vice President - Battery, Propulsion, and Sustainability Kurt Kelty said.There are also now questions about the safety of these batteries, with Minggao stating they are not “absolutely safe” as fine tuning continues. Increased safety of solid-state was one of the key advantages over other conventional batteries.Next year is a big year for solid-state, particularly in China, with several manufacturers introducing prototypes.Chery has been making the most noise about solid-state batteries, and has already announced two models to feature the technology.In addition to the Exeed ES8 is scheduled for a 2026 launch, the brand’s Exeed Liefeng will be introduced in 2027. It will come with a Rhino S battery which is targeting an energy density of 600Wh per kilogram, taking driving range to 1500km.BYD will begin small-batch production of its solid-state batteries next year, but it has not confirmed if any cars will be fitted with the battery.Geely is another Chinese brand pursuing solid-state, with its first in-house solid-state battery concept to debut this year.

China is starting to flex its off-road muscles.Geely is the latest Chinese brand to launch a rough and tumble four-wheel drive in the form of the Battleship 700.It follows the classic 4WD design formula, with a big blocky shape, square shoulders, prominent retro roundish headlights, monster wheels and a spare tyre on the tailgate.There are hallmarks of the Defender, 70 Series and some GWM Tank models in its looks.Geely, like all Chinese 4WD brands, is betting big on plug-in hybrid power to usurp diesel’s dominance in the heavy off-roader segment.Geely’s set-up uses three electric motors, but it hasn’t provided full details.We can look at some of its siblings from Geely's other brands, such as the coming Zeekr 9X.It uses a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine and three electric motors to make a whopping 1000kW sent to all four wheels, which enables it to sprint from zero to 100km/h in 3.1 seconds.That’s double the Land Rover Defender Octa Black, which is a beefy off-road monster that pumps out 457kW and 750Nm from its 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 and mild-hybrid assistance.It also dwarfs the Toyota LandCruiser’s 227kW/700Nm 3.3-litre twin-turbo diesel six-cylinder engine and the coming Nissan Patrol’s 317kW/700Nm 3.5-litre twin-turbo petrol V6.With that much electric grunt, you need a big battery.The 9X can be had with either a 55kWh and a 70kWh unit, with electric only driving range of up to 380km via the more lenient China Light-duty Test Cycle (CLTC).The 9X — like the Battleship 700 — is built on Geely’s 'SEA-S' platform, which uses 900V architecture.This means it will be incredibly fast to charge, with the 9X claiming a 20-80 per cent refill in 8.5 minutes. UK outlet Autoexpress has also confirmed the battleship 700 is planned to land there in 2028.This puts it clearly on Australia’s radar as it is another right-hand drive market, is closer to China and has a large 4WD buying pool.The report said it has a wading depth of 800mm, has big ground clearance and the brand is considering expanding its off-road modes.

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.However, the two current Geely models on sale Down Under also fall under the brand’s Galaxy sub-brand, so it may have a better chance than other cars in the brand's overseas catalogue.A spokesperson for Geely Australia said there is nothing to announce yet, but no model is off the table either.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.

Geely sub-brand Farizon has confirmed its new V7E electric van will launch in Australia this year.Few details have been revealed about the van at this stage, but variant specifications and pricing will be announced next month, deliveries beginning in May.It will join an increasingly busy electric van segment, with the likes of the Kia PV5 launching mid-year, along with the Ford E-Transit Custom, LDV eDeliver 7 and Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo, which are already in Australia.Pricing for these electric vans sits in the $60K-$70K bracket, so expect Farizon’s latest edition to be in a similar range. It has a lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery made by CATL, the world’s largest battery manufacturer, with a driving range of 330km. This is more driving range than the rivalling E-Transit Custom at 307km. The van will come with a 1300kg payload, which is more than the E-Transit Custom, but similar to the LDV eDeliver 7. It also has a cargo volume of 6.95 cubic metres.It is said to boast a generous internal load length and a low rear loading height.Farizon launched in Australia through distributor Jameel Motors in 2025, with its SuperVan electric van, which comes in short-wheel and long-wheel base variants, starting from $71,490 (before on-roads).It is powered by a single electric motor, producing 170kW and 336Nm, with its 83kWh battery offering 376km of driving range. There have been more electric vans launching in Australia over the past few years as the segment begins to move away from diesel alternatives. Diesel vans remain the popular choice for buyers, with the Toyota HiAce the dominant option, with more than 11,000 sales in 2025. 

Buyers are abandoning their supposed skepticism of Chinese carmakers, with affordability proving a key factor in buying decision-making. According to The Next Gear - Australia in Motion data from Gumtree Group (owner of CarsGuide), which surveyed more than 4000 prospective car buyers, 57 per cent of respondents said the country of origin for a car is an important factor in the purchasing process.Further, 42 per cent of respondents said they were unlikely to consider buying a vehicle from a brand originating in China. Unlikelihood to consider buying car from brand originating in following countries Sales data tells a different story. For February 2026 sales, China became the biggest country of origin for new-car sales in Australia. Gumtree Group's data also shows 11 Chinese-owned brands appear in Australian consideration sets. Brands BYD, GWM and Chery were all in the top 10 best-selling carmakers for February 2026, combining for nearly 15,000 sales for the month. China overtook Japan, which 71 per cent of respondents said they would likely consider buying a vehicle with that country of origin. China’s dominance in Australia is only going to increase from here, with many manufacturers offering budget EV options in a market where EVs are increasing of interest to buyers. Mainstream car makers are also starting to shift production across to China, either re-badging Chinese cars or manufacturing cars there.This offers brands the potential to build for and import cars to Australia cheaper, enabling more competitive prices. For example, the highly-anticipated Mazda 6e launching soon in Australia, is a re-skinned version of the Deepal L07, while many of Tesla’s popular EVs are built in China. This comparative cheapness is driving buyers to abandon their brand origin preference.Chinese-made cars are among some of the cheapest on the market, especially in the EV space, such as BYD’s Atto 1, Atto 2 and Dolphin, which are three cheapest new EVs in Australia. It is a similar story for internal combustion powered cars, with the MG3 currently available for under $20K as one example.

Electric vehicle sales in Australia are booming, but not in the locations where you might expect them to be.There has been new insight into where Aussies are buying EVs in Australia from the National Automotive Leasing and Salary Packaging Association (NALSPA).NALSPA’s data shows where EVs are being purchased using a novated lease and the Electric Car Discount (ECD).Range anxiety is often quoted as one of the major roadblocks to the uptake on EVs in Australia. This data suggests it might not play on people's minds to the extent previously thought.Many of the suburbs on the list are not immediately located in the city centres, but further out.The top two postcodes are both on the outskirts of Melbourne in Victoria, around 25-30km away from the CBD.Next up on the list are two postcodes from the west of Sydney, before a rural area in the ACT.The outskirt city theme continues down the list, with a postcode roughly 30km from Brisbane, Queensland, followed by another outer Melbourne postcode.Rounding out the list is a postcode in the greater Western Sydney area, along with NSW/ACT border town Queanbeyan and a postcode around 10km away from Canberra’s centre.This point outer metro residents searching for some respite from high fuel costs from their long commutes and they have access to roof top solar power.Top 10 postcodes for electric vehicles using novated leasing and EDCThe ECD waives the Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT). The incentive applies to new battery-electric vehicles, up to a total cost of $89,332.NALSPA Chief Executive Officer Rohan Martin said the data demonstrates the importance of the ECD, especially to people living outside of the major cities. “Australians living in the outer suburbs often face longer commutes and are more likely to have access to rooftop solar and off-street parking so switching to EVs with the help of the FBT exemption is a smart cost-of-living and green choice for them, especially during the ongoing cost-of-living crunch,” Martin said. “We cannot increase EV uptake further, especially during this early adoption phase, without continued targeted demand-side incentives - that's the stark reality. The EV Discount is more than proving its worth but there is still much heavy lifting to be done.”This news comes after the federal government announced a statutory review in the EDC last year, with rumours the whole scheme could be pulled. Costs for the scheme have increased significantly beyond original forecasts, with it costing $1.35 billion last financial year. There is potential for these costs to blow out further as EVs become a more attractive option for buyers with petrol and diesel fuels soaring up in price, along with increasingly scarce availability.

With fuel prices surging to around two dollars a litre nationally, and more that three dollars a litre in some regional areas, now is one of the best times to consider switching to a fully electric vehicle.Price was once one of the biggest deterrents for buyers wanting to make the switch, but now that gap has well and truly closed.To highlight this we’ve pulled together the most popular cars from last year in each mainstream car category, and the fully electric alternatives you can now buy for the same money.Seeking a practical small SUV? Top of the charts last year was the Hyundai Kona, and one of its most popular variants is the entry-level Kona Hybrid which starts from $36,950.To be fair here, the Kona Hybrid is a great choice anyway, as one of the most fuel-efficient small SUVs you can buy, but if you’re looking to wean yourself off fuel altogether, a great alternative is the Jaecoo J5.Surprisingly spacious and swish-looking, the J5 starts from just $35,990 before on-roads and offers a 402km (WLTP) range with a 155kW/288Nm electric motor driving the front wheels. It can even charge relatively quickly with its 130kW DC peak speed taking it from 20 - 80 per cent in just over half an hour.Read our Jaecoo J5 review hereYou actually can’t buy the popular GXL hybrid front-wheel-drive version of the Toyota RAV4 anymore, because production ended in the lead up to the launch of the new-gen version. The bad news is, the new one will cost even more than the outgoing car, which started from $45,810 before on-road costs.The RAV4 has earned its place as Australia’s most popular mid-size SUV through its family-friendly design, practical size and interior, and its no-nonsense approach to pretty much everything. The brand’s 2.5-litre 160kW hybrid system remains one of the most user-friendly hybrid systems on the market, too.What can you get as an EV for the same money? Quite a few options these days, as it turns out, and one of the most appealing is the just-updated Geely EX5 Extended Range, which is priced from $45,990 before on-roads.This relatively straightforward EV also provides a spacious interior and practical dimensions, but even combines it with more modern luxuries than the RAV4 offers in equivalent guise. It features synthetic leather interior trim, bigger screens with more connected technology, and its most recent upgrade brought with it a boost in driving range to 450km (WLTP). No wonder this one is storming up the sales charts.Read our Geely EX5 review hereFord’s big Everest off-roader is the most popular option in the large SUV space, and buyers tend to splash a bit more, reaching for the upper mid-grade Sport variant, which wields a 3.0-litre diesel V6 paired to a full-time 4WD system.This car wears a before-on-roads price-tag of $75,990, so what can you get as an EV instead?How about the just-released Tesla Model Y L? Starting from $74,900, sporting six-seats, and expanding in every dimension, this new take on the best-selling electric car in Australia offers more than you might expect.Sure, it’s not a big off-road oriented 4x4, but if it’s a fuel-free family hauler you’re looking for, you could do worse. With 378kW/580Nm it’s rapid, too, and with a huge battery offering up to 681km of range, it’s one of the furthest-travelling EVs on sale in Australia.Plus, it’s much more affordable than truly large electric SUVs, like the Kia EV9, which starts much higher at $97,000 before on-roads.Read more about the Tesla Model Y L hereThe Toyota Corolla continues as a perennial favourite among Australian buyers, and with the popular Ascent Sport hybrid starting from $32,110, why wouldn’t it?The swish little hatch offers Toyota’s perennial 1.8-litre four-cylinder hybrid drivetrain in a front-wheel-drive layout, sporting a modest combined 103kW. There’s no denying that as far as cars with combustion engines go, it’s pretty fuel efficient, officially consuming 4.0L/100km, but what if you could forgo fuel altogether?The obvious answer for some time has been BYD’s Dolphin Premium. Starting from $36,990 before on-roads it carries a slight price premium over the most popular Corolla variant, however, the Dolphin also brings with it a long electric driving range of 490km (WLTP), and a punchier 150kW/310Nm electric motor.It also scores a much more contemporary and screen-laden interior, with bonus luxuries like synthetic leather seats, plus it undercuts the nearest equivalent MG4 by a decent margin.Read our BYD Dolphin review hereKia’s Picanto soldiers on as a hold-out in an embattled city car segment, which, despite ever-rising fuel prices, Australians have turned their back on. It’s still a great option, offering both manual and automatic transmissions, although its 1.2-litre four-cylinder engine feels its age.Starting from $20,790 before on-road costs in automatic form, the Picanto is solid value, and while its wheezy engine produces just 62kW/122Nm it’s hardly the fuel sipping hero you might need, still managing to consume 6.0L/100km.This is where BYD’s Atto 1 comes into play. Now Australia’s most affordable electric car, the sharply-styled city hatch is slightly more expensive than the Picanto, as it starts from $23,990 in base Essential form.This entry-level Atto 1 is about even with the Kia on power, producing just 65kW, but it gets a boost in the torque department, with 175Nm. It also scores a middling 220km of range from its small 30kWh battery, but in a city runabout, do you need more?The smallest BYD also scores spec bonuses over its combustion Kia rival, with synthetic leather interior trim, a more contemporary interior design, and even a vehicle-to-load power distribution system.Read more about the BYD Atto 1 here

Japan has lost its crown as the number one source of new cars for Australia - and it could be for good.