Geely Reviews

Geely is the Chinese powerhouse behind Polestar, Volvo and Zeekr, but its own brand is on track to be bigger than them all.The Chinese brand launched in Australia at the start of 2025, but it hasn’t gone on a model explosion like BYD or Chery, instead it is slowly building out its line-up Down Under.First came the all-electric EX5 mid-size SUV and next the related Starray EM-i plug-in hybrid SUV we are testing here. Both are selling well.The Starray range is simple, with just two variants.First is the Starray Complete starting at $37,490 (before on-road costs) and next is the fully loaded Starray Inspire priced from $39,990. We are living with the latter for three months.That is a sharp price that undercuts the rival 2026 BYD Sealion 6, which starts at $42,990 and rises to $52,990, and is more on par with the Chery Tiggo 7 Super Hybrid.The Starray is powered by a 1.5-litre four-cylinder non-turbo petrol engine paired to an electric motor, which combine for 193kW.A hybrid transmission sends power to the front wheels, there is no all-wheel drive option.This is matched to a circa-18kWh Lithium-Ferro-Phosphate (LFP) battery that delivers a driving range of up to 83km.That driving range misses the mark against some of its rivals, but luckily Geely is rolling out an update to the Inspire grade this year that will feature a bigger battery capable of delivering a range of up to 136km.Geely claims its current setup uses just 2.4-litres of fuel per 100km, which is excellent but it also requires pricier premium unleaded petrol.You won't get near this figure unless you are very militant about charging the car so it always has a decent amount of energy to allow for electric-only driving for most trips. I've relied mostly on hybrid driving during my stint and I'm averaging double the claimed figure.The Starray can be driven in three modes: Pure (electric-only), Hybrid (petrol-electric) and Power (petrol-only).If driving in Power mode expect fuel use to be much more than the claimed figure. The battery can accept a max DC charge rate of 30kW and can suck up to 6.6kW of juice via an AC connection.It also has a vehicle-to-load function, which means it can power appliances and other items, but you’ll need to buy an adapter to plug into the car’s charging port.One of the Starray’s big selling points is it is packed full of equipment.Outside the Starray Inspire has LED head and tail-lights, auto-folding side mirrors, rain-sensing wipers, roof rails and 19-inch alloy wheels.Inside some of the highlights are a big 15.4-inch central display paired with a 10.2-inch digital driver’s screen. A 13.8-inch head-up display projects vital information such as travelling speed and prevailing speed limit onto the windscreen in front of the driver.It has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, in-built sat nav, digital radio, wireless device charging and USB-A and -C charging ports throughout.The Inspire grade ditches the basic six-speaker stereo for a 16-speaker stereo from Chinese tech company Meizu, which is owned by Geely.The Starray also runs Meizu’s Flyme operating system for its multimedia.Customers can expect power-adjustable front seats wrapped in synthetic leather and with heating and ventilation functions. The driver’s seat also has a memory function.A giant panoramic sunroof is exclusive to the Inspire grade as is the power tailgate.Boot space is decent at 428 litres and can be expanded to 528L by removing the floor.There is no spare tyre, with owners forced to make do with a fiddly tyre repair kit.Geely ticks all the safety boxes with a wide range of active driver aids and seven airbags covering both rows.The Starray was given a five-star safety score last year with good scores for adult and child occupant protection during crash tests.Paint colour is the only optional extra, with anything but white costing $600. Our test car is finished in a handsome metallic jungle green.Geely covers its cars with a seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, and the battery is covered for eight years/unlimited km.The Starray is covered by a five-year capped-price servicing program that requires workshop visits every 12 months or 15,000km. It’ll cost almost $2000 over that time, with buyers to be aware of the $691 fourth service price. Next instalment we’ll cover how practical the Starray is in the real world and report back on fuel use figures, EV-only driving range and how it works for a family of four.2026 Geely Starray EM-i InspireAcquired: March, 2026Distance travelled this month: 436kmOdometer: 2776kmAverage fuel this month: 4.8-litres per 100km

Sedans aren’t dead, as it turns out, with newcomer brands breathing life into the ailing segment in recent years.The issue for brands like MG, BYD and now Geely, as always, is the venerable Toyota Camry which absolutely dominates the sales charts.How do you knock such a legendary vehicle off its perch? Geely reckons it might be onto something with its hybrid-first Emgrand, set to hit our shores in 2027. Let’s take a look.First up, let's see where the Emgrand sits, and how it might be priced to succeed.At 4806mm long, this offering from Geely is bigger than a traditional small sedan like a Kia K4 or Hyundai i30 sedan, but a little smaller than a Camry. It’s a good format, and with a long wheelbase and seemingly ample interior and boot space, it certainly has the right ingredients.Geely’s people tell us the Emgrand is set to start life in Australia initially as a plug-in hybrid using the brand’s EM-i system, which combines a 1.5-litre engine and hybrid transaxle with a pretty sizeable battery pack under the floor.The version of this car sold in China (from Geely’s hybrid and electric Galaxy arm which also sells the EX5 and Starray SUVs) is priced at the equivalent of $A24,600, reaching up to the low-$30k mark at the more premium end of the spectrum.It's doubtful we’ll see the entry-level car make it to Australia though, so a starting price of around $30k wouldn’t be surprising.For reference, the Kia K4 hybrid is $32,090, the Hyundai i30 sedan hybrid is $33,250, the soon-to-launch BYD Seal 6 starts from $34,990, and the Toyota Camry is priced a little higher, at $39,990, all before on-road costs.As the Emgrand will be a plug-in hybrid first, its closest rival will be the BYD, and this is where things start to get a little technical for the Geely, because it will need to be specified and priced just right to thread the needle between its plugless and plug-in rivals.In my opinion, though, launching with the plug-in isn’t quite the right move, and the Emgrand would be better served using Geely’s new plugless hybrid i-HEV setup instead.This system claims to use as low as 2.2L/100km in the Emgrand (to lenient Chinese measuring standards) and can drive more than 80 per cent of the time in fully electric mode, despite not needing to plug in.Geely’s Australian boss, Alex Gu, told CarsGuide the system was very much on the radar, despite our tough new emissions laws making it difficult for plugless hybrids in the future.What makes more sense for the primary audience of this car though?A ride-share driver would much rather have the convenience of the plugless system doing hundreds of kilometres a day, compared to the inconvenience of needing to plug in.At least the EM-i system this car is set to launch with is claimed to consume as low as 2.9L/100km even when the battery is at the reserve level, so perhaps it won’t matter.The styling is pretty sharp. If you think it looks a little reminiscent of a Volvo S60 with its tall, sharp belt line, distinctive grille, and tidy European proportions, that's because Geely owns Volvo and has no doubt called on its design expertise.Inside things are remarkably restrained compared to some rivals, with an elegant dash layout and nice material choices.It includes a combination of a 14.6-inch multimedia touchscreen with the brand’s Flyme software, and 10.25-inch digital dash cluster, both of which are present in the EX5.A big bonus compared to the EX5 though, is the presence of a control dial and a few shortcut toggles on the centre console, which help to reduce the dependence on the touchscreen for everything.For what it’s worth, Geely’s software looks a bit better than some of its rivals, but is still clumsy to use with odd menus and poorly used screen real estate.Despite wielding a decent battery size, the Emgrand had plenty of room for my 182cm frame in both the front and rear seats, even with the front seat set to my comfortable driving position.Unlike plug-in sedans I’ve driven in the past, the Emgrand’s GEA platform places the battery under the cabin floor rather than the boot, so it maintains a generous 609 litre boot space. Great for the airport run, no?Powering the Emgrand is a 1.5-litre non-turbo four-cylinder engine (82kW136Nm) mated to a hybrid transaxle with an electric motor producing 120kW/210Nm and driving the front wheels. It is backed by either an 8.5kWh or a 17kWh battery pack which provides either 60km or 125km of pure electric driving range, according to the more lenient CLTC measuring standard.It’s hard to see the 8.5kWh version having much of a run in Australia, but 17kWh is much more appropriate. Charging speed is 35kW on DC for the larger battery, allowing a 30-80 per cent top up in 20 minutes. All versions of the Emgrand are capable of vehicle-to-load at 3kW.How does it drive? In our limited test which involved an agility exercise and a 0-100km/h sprint with a moose test, the Emgrand proved remarkably sharp. Its tidy, lower-riding chassis and surprisingly responsive steering is no doubt helped along by a long wheelbase and firmer suspension to make for a fun jaunt compared to an SUV.It’s also quite rapid in a straight line thanks to the primarily electric drive, and like the better batch of plug-ins, the Emgrand seems to maintain enough reserve charge not to take the wind out of the motor’s sails when it’s needed most.Time will tell, however, how the final product fares on more challenging Australian roads, especially when it comes to active safety calibration, which can ruin an otherwise great car.

Hatchbacks are experiencing a renaissance in Australia, with a flood of new models hitting our shores, mostly from brands you might not be familiar with.It’s a market segment that's been increasingly abandoned by legacy brands, with nameplates like the Nissan Pulsar, Ford Focus and Suzuki Baleno disappearing to make way for lesser known models like GAC Aion UT, GWM Ora and MG4, and the car we’re looking at for this quick drive, the Geely EX2.These new challengers share a lot in common. They’re fully electric and ultra-affordable, opening up a world of low-running-cost opportunity, but where does Geely’s EX2 fit in? Let’s take a look.We tested the EX2 at a Geely drive event in China where we had limited time with the vehicle, and little information on Australian specification. But we got a little wheel time for a first impression.We know it will arrive in the third quarter of 2026, although we’re not sure how much it will cost. At this stage, we understand it is likely it will come in at least two battery sizesIn China, where it's known as the Geome, the EX2 is is smaller and priced lower than the GAC Aion UT (from $31,990 before on-road costs), but it's priced higher and is a size up from the BYD Atto 1 (from $23,990 BOC).With its bubbly styling, it will also fill a gap left by the departure of the GWM Ora hatch (from $35,990) later this year. Chinese prices range from the equivalent of $A14,121 to $20,276. It opens the possibility of sub-$30k starting price.The two battery sizes currently offered in China are a 30.1kWh unit, providing 310km or a 40.2kWh unit providing up to 410km range, although these are to the more lenient CLTC cycle.While this isn’t confidence inspiring for the kinds of ranges some of its rivals might be capable of, the CATL-sourced LFP batteries are at least water cooled in all spec levels, unlike the BYD Atto 1, which is good for maintaining range in cold or hot days, as well as the longevity of the battery. Charging speed is quoted from 30-80 per cent in 21 minutes, which suggests a slow but appropriate charge speed between 50 and 80kW. We hope Australian-delivered vehicles come with at least 6.6kW AC charging, meanwhile the China-delivered EX2 gets 6.6kW vehicle-to-load, too.Inside, this little car is quite clever in how space efficient it is. The front seat is an unmistakably small car, but offers enough adjustability for me to find a comfortable seating position at 182cm tall. The same goes for the back seat, which benefits from an EV-first platform and a nice flat floor, giving the EX2 above average space for a car in this category.There’s also lots of clever storage areas. It has a 70-litre frunk, which is a good starting point, as well as a 375-litre boot, and there's storage in the pass-through underneath the centre console. The console itself will look a little different in Aussie-delivered cars, as we understand it, because our right-hand-drive models will get a stalk shifter rather than the digital shifter on the left-hand drive versions we tested. A large storage bay up front makes the mistake of orienting the wireless charger right in the middle, wasting otherwise useful space.The 14.6-inch screen in our test cars looks good for a small vehicle, but I hope there’s been some significant software improvements to the brand’s ‘Flyme Auto’ software, which was a bit befuddling in the EX5 I drove in Australia recently. As usual, a lack of physical controls isn’t promising either.Things are good on the driving front though. This cute little hatch has a bit of attitude. It has two motor options, either a 58kW/130Nm, or 85kW/150Nm unit, both of which drive the rear axle rather than the front.This combines with a relatively light weight from the small battery capacities to make for an easily chuckable and cheeky little car.The steering wheel is even ultra compact, making it feel sharp to steer. The heavily electrically assisted rack isn’t as disconnected as the EX5, for example, making this car a sweet little thing to throw around the obstacle course set in front of us.Grip from the factory LingLong tyres wasn’t great (this made it extra fun to slide about in tight corners, but maybe not so great in every day scenarios where you actually want grip) which is something the local division might have some sway over before the car is delivered to Australia.The fully independent suspension front and rear no doubt helps with the handling, and the EX2 felt a little firmer than some of its competitors in our limited time with it.In terms of the drive experience, how nice this car is on the road will depend heavily on how invasive its safety kit is. We will hold off on judging that until we get to drive it on Australian roads.

In early 2026 Geely did something it really needed to. It updated the EX5 electric mid-sized SUV with a bigger battery offering more driving range.That’s the car we're tested here, the EX5 Extended Range in top-of-the-range Inspire guise.Traditionally, model updates bring cosmetic changes like a different wheel design, restyled front bumper, a larger touchscreen inside, but Geely has addressed the biggest issue with the previous EX5 - the limited driving range.The previous EX5 had a smallish 60.22kWh battery which offered 410km of WLTP driving range for the Inspire, according to Geely.That’s pretty low compared to rivals such as the Leapmotor C10 which offers up to 510km. The updated EX5’s 68.39kWh battery has a range of up to 475km in the entry grade Complete and 450km in the Inspire.I asked Geely Australia why the difference in range and was told it comes down to the Inspire’s heavier weight (it has a big glass roof) and its larger wheels.The bigger battery is really the only change made to the model in this update and a cargo cover for the boot has been added plus a mode 2 charging cable.The Inspire lists for $45,990 before on-road costs, which is $4000 more than the Complete. Those prices are up by about $1000 compared to the previous model.Standard features are identical to the pre-update model and while the Inspire gets more, it doesn’t get much more. I think the Complete is the better buy for less money and more range with almost the same equipment.Both grades have LED headlights, proximity unlocking, 15.4-inch touchscreen and 10.2-inch instrument cluster, climate control, sat nav, wireless phone charging, power and heated front seats, vehicle-to-load and vehicle-to-vehicle capability and selectable drive modes.The Inspire adds 19-inch alloy wheels (the Complete has 18s) 16-speaker Flyme stereo, power tailgate, panoramic sunroof, 256-colour ambient lighting, ventilated front seats with massaging function and front parking sensors.There’s nothing on the Inspire’s extra features list that seems essential to me. If anything the panoramic sunroof makes the cabin too hot in Aussie summer, power tailgates are too slow, and yes the stereo is good but the six-speaker unit in the entry grade is fine.Our car wears the new 'Jungle Green' paint which looks stunning when the sun catches and the interior was the 'Cloud White' which is a tone only available on the Inspire.The other standard interior colour for the Inspire is 'Midnight Black' and that’s the only colour offered on the Complete grade, too. The darker upholstery is probably the smarter choice if you have kids like me or wear fake tan like me, too.It’s a lovely cabin with comfortable and plush seats, and clean and uncluttered surfaces with a modern minimalist styling throughout. The big screen houses almost all controls and that is frustrating when it comes to changing the temperature or fan speed. Even the headlights are controlled through the screen.Fortunately speed displayed in the driver instrument cluster and in the clear head-up display, which is great for navigation.Cabin storage is excellent with an area under the floating centre console to store a handbag or small backpack. There are deep door pockets front and rear along with four cupholders. A large centre console bin is also good for stowing items away and under cover.The boot is sectioned into two layers with a total capacity of 410 litres which falls short of other electric mid-sized SUVs such as the Leapmotor C10 EV (581L).The EX5 is 4615mm long, making it about the same length as a Toyota RAV4 or Subaru Forester.The smooth exterior styling gives off a prestigious vibe, and while its not hugely different to other SUVs, I think it looks stylish and modern. Both EX5 grades are front-wheel drive with an electric motor which makes 160kW and 320Nm. While that’s not a huge power figure, acceleration in the Inspire is still decent with 0-100km/h coming in 7.6 seconds. That makes leaping out into traffic easy, while overtaking can be done with confidence.Most of the driving was done in the city and suburbs, along with my review test loop. After 301km of driving, the ride is impressively comfortable, but possibly overly cushioned. The dynamics are affected by body roll when pushing the vehicle harder into corners.A car like this won't often be driven that way though. The reason I do this is to see how stable it will be in an emergency situation that requires a quick lane change. It’s just not super agile and sporty, which isn’t on its to-do list, anyway.The EX5 is quiet, smooth, comfortable and easy to drive. I love the gear shifter mounted on the steering column stalk, which makes it easy to change from drive to reverse and back again.Visibility is excellent, the pedal feels good and the steering, while a little light and artificial feeling, is accurate. During my time with the EX5, my average energy consumption according to the tripmetre was 15.5kWh/100km. That's less than the 16.9kWh/100km Geely says you should see. I’m impressed with that. I normally exceed consumption claims.The maximum DC charging rate is 100kW which is fine but not particularly quick these days. This will allow the battery to be charged from 30-80 per cent in 20 minutes. The charging flap is next to the right front wheel guard.  

Three months in with our Geely EX5, is having an electric car at the price of an internal combustion engine car too good to be true?

Two months in, has the fancy veneer worn off the Geely EX5?

We're spending a few months with Geely's low-cost mid-size electric SUV.

Anyone looking for a roomy, frugal and good value mid-size SUV should have the Geely Starray EM-i Inspire on their consideration list.

Geely’s follow-up to its first Australian model follows a familiar pattern. The new Starry EM-i is a similar-sized SUV to the EX5, but instead of an all-electric powertrain this new model is a plug-in hybrid.

Geely's rapid expansion into Australia continues with its first plug-in hybrid. The memorably-named Starray EM-i will compete head-to-head with the likes of the BYD Sealion 6, Chery Tiggo 7, MG HS Super Hybrid and Jaecoo J7. But does it have what it takes to leave an impression on the crowded mid-size SUV market?