Geely Starray Reviews

There are more and more Chinese car brands entering the Australian new car market seemingly every day.

A long-range version of the Geely EX5 has leaked in homologation filings in its home market of China less than three months after the budget electric model launched in Australia.

Six months ago the heavens were falling as a wave of new Chinese brands approached our shores, with some predicting mass casualties of legacy carmakers.Most of these new brands have arrived, including Deepal, Geely, Jac, XPeng and Zeekr, but have they wreaked the havoc that was predicted?The answer is no. After several months on sale the initial take up has been modest at best.Geely has sold about 500 of its cut-price EX5 electric mid-size SUV, which is a good start but not a knock-out blow to anyone.Jac has had trouble getting its T9 ute on the ground in Australia, but its 650 sales this year aren’t worrying Ford or Toyota.Deepal and XPeng don’t report sales figures yet, but anecdotal evidence suggests they haven’t hit critical mass.Zeekr has moved around 270 examples of its X small electric SUV and luxurious 009 people mover combined.It turns out that just because you are new and from China doesn’t mean you have a cheat code to success in Australia, as some may have thought.As with every other new brand, it will take time and resources to build up a strong following.Take a look at BYD, Chery, GWM and MG. These brands have had to grind it out over years to get a toehold in the local market.GWM and MG have since turned that toehold into a sizeable chunk of market share, like a wily pub veteran pushing elbows out at the bar to settle in, with both now established top 10 selling brands Down Under.It was a similar story for many of these brands that are now awash with sales.Chery launched with its Omoda 5 small SUV and said it would sell 10,000 in the first year … it did not come close.Fast forward a few years and Chery’s beefed-up line-up has accounted for more than 8000 sales through the first four months of this year and is on target to sell more than 20,000 vehicles in 2025. The cut-price Tiggo 4 small SUV leads the charge.BYD has sold more than 11,000 cars through to the start of May this year, but when it first arrived its Atto 3 sold just OK. Its sales really turbocharged years later after it brought in its line-up of plug-in hybrids such as the Sealion 6 SUV, Shark 6 dual-cab ute and the mid-size Sealion 7 electric SUV.Sales of the Sealion 6 and Shark 6 may fall back to earth now that tax incentives for plug-in hybrids have ended.In April, the BYD Sealion 7 electric SUV displaced the Tesla Model Y as the bestselling EV that month, which is only the second time since August 2022 a Tesla hasn’t been the bestselling electric car in a month.The MG ZS and GWM Haval Jolion are the second- and third-bestselling small SUVs, eclipsing rivals such as the Toyota Corolla Cross, Kia Seltos and Mitsubishi ASX.A few more car brands are on the cusp of launching with GAC and Skywell committed to landing here, but as recent history has shown, it’ll be a tough slog to carve out a slice of the Aussie market.But what about the effect on other brands?The only new car brand gone from the local market recently is Citroën, which was on a steep decline long before we knew any of these newcomers existed. Stellantis and its herd of car brands, such as Jeep and Alfa Romeo, look a little unsteady on their feet here, but this is not the result of new Chinese brands.The big boys of the Australian car industry are still doing well.Toyota’s market share has grown this year, compared to the first four months of 2024, as has Mazda, Hyundai and Kia’s. Ford’s is effectively even, too.So your favourite car brand might be around for longer than was predicted not so long ago.

Chinese electric car maker BYD is following a secret five-year massive growth plan, which will see it sell half its vehicles overseas by 2030. This will make it a vehicle manufacturer on the same scale as Toyota and Volkswagen, according to a new report.The report by news outlet Reuters cites four people “familiar with the matter” who said BYD’s executives have committed to an ambitious strategy, which will see the electric vehicle brand undergo such an enormous output and sales increase that the company will rival even the world’s largest car manufacturers.BYD has just become the largest selling brand in its home country of China, overtaking Volkswagen last year with 4.27 million units sold.Last year BYD sold 417,204 vehicles overseas and this year the company plans to double that number to 800,000.  The Reuters report revealed BYD met privately with the company's investors to notify them of the growth plan, but it is not known if an actual 2030 predicted sales figure was disclosed.According to the insiders the way that the company wants to be able to achieve their grand plan is by localising production throughout the world. The plan outlines the need to have factories operating in Hungary, Uzbekistan, Brazil and Thailand in order to be able achieve its goal.BYD’s global growth plan will not include the United States, where recent high tariffs against Chinese carmakers have prevented the brand selling its cars there and made the company focus on Europe as the key to its success. Australia, too, will be part of BYD’s plan. Currently Australia doesn’t impose tariffs on Chinese carmakers and this combined with our fairly new and strong interest in electric cars has seen a multitude of Chinese brands arrive here offering what the established mainstream brands could not — very affordable electric cars.  This includes brands such as Geely, Zeekr, MG and Deepal.In April this year alone BYD sold 3207 in Australia, outstripping even Volkswagen with 2076 sales by an enormous margin. And all of BYD’s cars are electric or hybrids.BYD, which started as a battery maker before turning its hand to producing vehicles, arrived in Australia in 2022 with its first EV, the Atto 3 small SUV. The brand soon brought more vehicles to Australia including the Dolphin, Seal, Sealion 6 and Sealion 7 and the Shark 6. 

Geely is considering introducing a cheaper SUV to Australia, in the shape of the Cityray.

Geely is contemplating adding the Geome supermini/crossover electric vehicle to take on the BYD Dolphin and Hyundai Inster EVs in Australia, as well hybrids like the Toyota Yaris Cross and Subaru Crosstrek. If given the go-ahead, the keenly-priced, Kia Stonic-sized five-door Geome could land here with a mid-to-high $20,000 price tag, which could make it Australia’s cheapest new EV yet.

Geely reveals plug-in hybrid ute to challenge BYD Shark 6 and GWM Cannon Alpha

Will the Geely Starship 7 be the brand’s second model for Australia? Essentially a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) version of the company’s EX5 EV released in the beginning of this year, the five-seater mid-sized SUV could arrive before the end of 2025, opening up the brand to a much wider audience. If given the green light, it would directly target the popular BYD Sealion 6 and Mitsubishi

In 2025 branding means way more than a hot iron mark scorched into a steer’s backside.It’s about a brand’s personality, reputation and your interactions with it. What it says about you. What it delivers. How it makes you feel. A visual identity, a design style… and a million other things.   And there are automotive brands in the Australian new-car market that have strategically built solid brand equity over many decades.Current market leader, Toyota began dipping its corporate toe into global export waters by shipping cars here in the late 1950s. And other Japanese makers like Honda, Mazda and Nissan followed it in conquering initial hesitancy by steadily investing in strong retail networks, pushing product improvement and focusing on a positive customer experience.Ford has built its global brand around everything from the Model T and its revolutionary assembly line to pumped up muscle cars and victory at Le Mans. While here it embedded itself in the local landscape via a manufacturing presence spanning close to a century and regular victory at Mount Panorama.And more recently, relative newcomers like Hyundai and Kia have moved rapidly from cheap and (mostly) cheerful to innovators that repositioned the concept of value and quality in the local market.All of which led to large pockets of ‘rusted on’ brand loyalty. The concept of ‘Ford and Holden families’ started to diminish from the moment the latter departed the scene in 2020 (if not before), but Toyota’s reputation for value, durability and affordable ownership has seen it maintain a legion of never-say-die fans.Same for Ford, Mazda, Mitsubishi and others. But I'd argue a turning point was when, after an initial false start through a private importer in 2013, MG set up as a direct subsidiary in 2017.Great Wall had landed as the first Chinese car brand in the Aussie market in 2009, but MG 2.0 was different. Even if its ‘Since 1924’ positioning stretched credulity, its products were better than expected and pricing was ultra sharp.Sharp enough to encourage budget-focused new-car buyers, even used-car prospects, to give the brand a go.With the introduction of new-generation products in the early 2020s sales took off like a rocket, and it’s here that my ‘That’s a good idea’ theory kicks in.I reckon executives at rival Chinese car brands, keeping an eye on MG’s increasing success Down Under, all had the same ‘good idea’ at the same time. Namely, let’s get into Australia and grab a piece of that action. Hence the subsequent arrival of Chery in 2023, itself a factory-backed restart after an initial import-distribution arrangement broke down back in 2011. Followed by the flood gates opening, with BYD, Deepal, Geely, a ramped up GWM, JAC, LDV, Leapmotor, Smart, Jaecoo, XPeng and Zeekr all jumping in with Aion, Avatar, Jetour, Lynk & Co, Skyworth and others waiting in the wings.Doesn’t matter which category you’re talking about - white goods, sporting equipment, hi-fi - if one fresh competitor enters a mature market, it’s likely to be met with reluctance, even contempt by existing brand loyalists.But if near enough to 20 newcomers blaze into market at the same time, clearly something seismic is going on and it feels like you’d be missing a trick if you didn’t at least investigate the rapidly changing competitive landscape.Give them the benefit of 20/20 hindsight as well as a time machine and it’s not certain all the new brands above would currently be making an Aussie entrance.But multiple triggers have been pulled with retail network deals done, head office staff recruited, parts warehousing set up, service and sales training completed and marketing campaigns launched. So, in a mature market, early movers like MG, Chery and GWM have the advantage and more recent arrivals will need to find a way to win over buyers… fast. And it’s a fair bet the ever-impactful lever marked price will be pulled on a regular basis.Some of the newcomers as well as more than a few existing legacy brands will be forced into a price war. Like it or not, loyalty comes under pressure when the incentive is enticing enough and with a cut-price cage fight likely to take place sooner rather than later not everyone will leave the octagon alive.Stand by for new-car buyers tempted en masse into ‘unbeatable deals’ that mean brand loyalties will be stretched beyond breaking point. The shake out from this looming war of attrition will be huge. 

BYD has continued its strong safety record in Australia with a five-star ANCAP rating for the electric Sealion 7 SUV, while newcomer Geely has also achieved top marks for its new EX5.The latest result means BYD’s entire Australian line-up, which includes the plug-in hybrid Shark 6, Sealion 6 and electric Seal, Dolphin and Atto 3 models, now carries the benchmark safety score.ANCAP, Australia’s peak vehicle safety testing body, noted the Sealion 7’s strong safety performance across all four key categories.Most notable was its performance in Child Occupant Protection, with the Sealion 7 achieving full marks in the frontal offset and side impact tests using six-year-old and 10-year-old dummies.Full marks were awarded in Adult Occupant Protection tests, such as the side impact, oblique pole and far side impact tests.ANCAP noted “weak” chest protection for the rear adult passenger’s chest in the full width test, suggesting improvements on future cars are needed.High scores were also awarded for the Sealion 7’s performance in autonomous emergency braking (AEB) tests with a pedestrian, cyclist, motorcyclist, and other vehicles, contributing to strong scores for the Vulnerable Road User Protection and Safety Assist categories.The Geely EX5 was commended for its ability to avoid incidents in tests on its advanced driver assist systems, particularly in the lane support and car-to-motorcyle tests, where it received full marks.Physical crash testing also saw strong results, with full marks awarded in the side impact, whiplash and far side tests.ANCAP noted several welds around the car’s A-pillar became detached in the frontal offset test, causing a deduction in points. However, more severe testing didn’t cause any further structural damage.As with the Sealion 7, the EX5 performed strongly in Child Occupant Protection tests using six-year-old and 10-year-old dummies, while protection of the rear adult passenger’s chest was similarly rated as “weak” in the full width frontal test.Overall, ANCAP CEO Carla Hoorweg said it was refreshing to see electric vehicles performing strongly in crash testing.“As electrified vehicles continue to advance technologically, it’s encouraging to see equal investment in safety, ensuring that innovation and the protection of drivers, passengers and families go hand in hand,” said Hoorweg.On the Geely EX5’s performance, Hoorweg added: “Geely has made a confident entrance into the Australian and New Zealand markets with the Geely EX5, landing a five-star result right out of the gate.“The Geely EX5 delivers good overall safety performance and sets a benchmark for Geely’s local presence.”Both the BYD Sealion 7 and Geely EX5 are shaping up as two of the Tesla Model Y's biggest rivals in Australia to date, with each brand offloading 730 and 188 units as of March 2025, respectively, since their arrivals on the Australian market earlier this year.Check out the full details of both the BYD Sealion 7 and Geely EX5’s safety tests on the ANCAP website.