Geely Starray Em-I 2026 News

Geely has powered up the sales chart in July, making the top 10 best-selling brands for the month.The Chinese brand launched in Australia in March 2025, and has approached the local market with a more methodical approach than its competitors. It has only introduced three models so far, contrasting BYD that already has more than 10 models on sale since its distribution takeover in July 2025.Despite this relatively small footprint, Geely captured 3.6 per cent of total new car sales in July.Geely has grown by more than 500 per cent in the first seven months of the year, compared to the same period in 2025.  Geely's success has largely been driven by the EX5 electric mid-size SUV that managed 2034 registrations last month - its best month yet. The Toyota RAV4-sized EX5 is Geely’s best-selling car on sale in Australia, with nearly 9000 sales so far this year.Starting from $41,990 (before on-road costs), it continues to outsell the smaller BYD Atto 3 ($39,990) and eat into the sales of petrol rivals such as the Mazda CX-5 ($39,990).There are limited other fully-electric rivals with similar dimensions to the EX5, potentially giving it an edge in showrooms. It’s not just the EX5 selling well for Geely, with its smaller EX2 sibling registering 474 examples in its first few weeks on sale.The brand only introduced its new hatch with a sharp $26,490 price tag in late July, making it one of the cheapest electric cars on the market. The EX2, which is the most popular car in China, even managed to shift more units than the BYD Dolphin ($29,990) in July.The Starray Em-i plug-in hybrid mid-size SUV is Geely’s other model on sale in Australia, also enjoying a strong sales return, with 1177 units finding new homes last month.It poses as a direct threat to the BYD Sealion 6 ($42,990) and the recently-launched Toyota RAV4 plug-in hybrid ($59,515), but is noticeably cheaper at $37,490. Geely will continue to introduce new models at its own pace, with potential for some activity before the end of the year.  The brand is expected to launch a mid-size and a large SUV in the first half of 2027, followed by the Emgrand plug-in hybrid sedan later on in the year. The Galaxy Cruiser large rugged 4WD is also expected to land Down Under before the end of next year. 

There is a big boost coming for a popular budget plug-in hybrid SUV, with Geely revealing the pricing and specifications for its updated Starray EM-i.The mid-size Starray will continue to start from $37,490 (before on-road costs), but the top-spec model will now cost $1500 more, starting at $41,490.The main change for the car is the addition of a significantly bigger battery in the range-topping model.The new 30kWh unit is up from 18kWh, boosting total driving range by 53km to 996km. Electric-only driving range has also increased from 83km to 136km. This battery comes with improved charging times at 60kW, enabling DC charging from 30-80 per cent in 16 minutes. It also has better fuel efficiency when the battery is charged, now offering 1.4L/100km, down from 2.4L/100km. There have been other minor upgrades to the car, such as massaging front seats and towing enhacements.The updated Starray EM-i will continue to take on other Chinese PHEV rivals such as the more expensive BYD Sealion 6 and similarly priced Chery Tiggo 7, as well as the MG HS and the GWM Haval H6. It still gets the same 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine and dual electric motor set-up, producing 160kW and 262Nm as on the previous model.It keeps a 15.4-inch central touchscreen and 10.2-inch digital display, along with wireless and wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.The top-spec model receives a 13.6-inch head-up display and wireless phone charging functionality.The car will be available in dealerships from the end of this month.  It comes at a time when Geely continues to grow its lineup Down Under, with the budget-focused EX2 electric hatchback and the Toyota Camry-rivalling Emgrand PHEV sedan coming soon. 2027 Geely Starray EM-i pricing Australia

A family SUV has picked up a big boost soon after its Aussie release. The Geely Starray EM-i has received a serious upgrade in China less than three months after the older version launched in Australia, according to CarNews China. The updates in China has seen its EV-only range boosted to 200km in the top-of-the-range variant, according to the very generous CLTC testing system.The current Starray can travel up to 83km thanks to its 18.4kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery.It keeps the 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine from the current version and pairs it with an upgraded electric motor that makes a combined 175kW, up from 160kW.This increased power could result in a slight improvement on the 8.0 seconds for the current car’s 0-100km/h sprint. Fuel efficiency for the current model sits at a combined total of 2.4L/100km (WLTP), and this is unlikely to change with the new variant. The Starray gets a bigger 15.4-inch multimedia screen and a 10.2-inch digital driver display, with a six-speaker audio system. The announcement comes after the car’s release in Australia in September of this year.Aussie versions of the car starts from $37,490, before on-road costs, which is a little cheaper than the all-electric EX5, starting at $40,990. It is priced competitively with its rivals, such as the Chery Tiggo 7 Urban and BYD Sealion 6 Essential.More than 500 examples of the Starray have been sold in Australia in just a few months, which represents a solid start when compared to other brands.Another of its rivals, Leapmotor’s C10, comes in hybrid and all-electric guise and has only mustered 509 sales since its March 2025 launch. Starray and EX5 combined sales are approaching 4000 in roughly the same period. Geely when contacted for comment were not willing to confirm whether the updated Starray variant will makes its way to Australia.

New affordable plug-in hybrid mid-size SUV hits the market.