The Geely Starray EM-i is the sort of car that makes sense, but doesn’t make you feel anything. It’s a mid-size plug-in hybrid SUV with a long electric range, lots of standard kit, and a starting price just under £30,000, and in today’s market, that alone is enough to attract attention.
I drove the Geely Starray briefly during a visit to its factory in Linhai, China, in a UK-spec car that was effectively fresh off the production line and about to be transported to a ship to our little island. This wasn’t a long or demanding test drive, and certainly not a substitute for time on British roads, but it was enough to get a clear sense of what the Starray is, and what it isn’t.
On first impressions, the Starray looks pretty good. The smoothed nose and clean surfacing give it a modern, vaguely EV-like appearance, even though there’s a petrol engine under the bonnet. It’s inoffensive, tidy and more contemporary than some rivals, without trying too hard.
That said, once you get closer — and especially once you climb inside — it becomes clear that this is a car designed to hit a price point. The materials and finishes are fine rather than impressive. Nothing feels especially fragile, but equally, nothing feels particularly rich. For the money, that’s acceptable, but don’t expect the upmarket feel the exterior hints at.
It’s not that the interior is bad — far from it — but it will be familiar if you’ve spent any time in recent Chinese-market SUVs. A large 15.4-inch central touchscreen dominates proceedings, backed up by a digital instrument display and a generally minimalist approach to physical buttons.
The impressive screen leads to a less-than-impressive infotainment system. The user interface looks good and responds quickly, but it has genuine usability issues, with menus that feel overcomplicated and not always intuitive, hindered by small fonts. Accidentally clicking the large rotary volume control, for example, will take you to the menu to change the wallpaper. That’s not a task that needs a shortcut, and especially one that’s so easy to trigger by accident.
Happily, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay will be in place on UK cars, so many of the tech issues become essentially a non-issue. Ultimately, while it’s not best-in-class, it’s good enough and easy to work around.
Without getting a tape measure out, I can’t say the Starray EM i is best-in-class for interior space, but it’ll definitely be towards the top of the list. There’s plenty of room in the back for adults, a flat rear floor, and a boot that’s competitive for the class, especially with additional under-floor storage.
Plug-in hybrid power: EV-like, until it isn’t
The Starray EM-i uses Geely’s ‘Super Hybrid’ setup, combining a 1.5-litre petrol engine with an electric motor and either an 18.4kWh or 29.8kWh battery, depending on trim.
In everyday driving, it behaves much like an electric car. It pulls away smoothly, runs quietly, and feels civilised around town. With a claimed electric range of up to 84 miles on the larger battery, most could realistically do all their day-to-day driving without using the engine at all.
The engine kicks in when needed to either drive the car directly, charge the battery, or bolster the electric motor when you need more power. But when you do lean hard on the throttle, the petrol engine is harsh, loud and droney, and that noise doesn’t add anything to the experience. This only really happens in fairly extreme driving scenarios, though, so drive it gently, as most owners will, and the Starray remains calm and unobtrusive.
Geely is keen to point out that Lotus Engineering had a hand in tuning the Starray’s chassis, but based on this short drive, that influence feels limited. A caveat, though — a few laps of Geely’s development circuit is in no way representative of a spirited drive through the British countryside.
The suspension is soft and comfort-focused, which suits the car’s intended role, but it doesn’t feel particularly controlled or engaging. There’s noticeable body lean in corners, and the steering is very light, offering little in the way of feedback or connection. It’s not unpleasant to drive, just unremarkable and not very ‘Lotus’.
Value: The real selling point
This is where the Starray really starts to make sense. Prices begin at £29,990, undercutting most direct rivals while offering a long electric range and generous standard equipment. Step up the range, and you get more battery capacity, more tech and more convenience features, without the price running away from you.
It’s also worth noting that Geely has already shown a willingness to discount its existing EX5 electric SUV heavily — by as much as £4,250 in some cases. If similar pricing strategies are applied to the Starray once it’s established in the UK, it could become even more compelling.
That doesn’t erase the car’s flaws, but it does make them easier to accept.
Geely Starray EM-i: The early Average Joes verdict
The Geely Starray EM-i isn’t exciting, but it doesn’t need to be and it doesn’t pretend to be. It’s softly sprung, dynamically forgettable, and let down in places by interior quality and a noisy engine under hard use. But it’s also spacious, smooth in everyday driving, and aggressively priced.
If you’re looking for a family SUV that offers a long electric range and plenty of kit for sensible money — and you’re not especially interested in how it feels on a winding road — the Starray initially makes a strong early case for itself.
We’ll reserve final judgement until we’ve driven it properly on UK roads. But on first acquaintance, the Geely Starray EM-i feels like a car that knows precisely what it needs to be, and doesn’t try to be anything more.
Model tested: Geely Starray EM-i Ultra
Price: £34,990
He is the founder of Huff Media, publisher of Professional Pickup, Professional Van, Average Janes, Average Joes, and CALIBRE. His work focuses primarily on light commercial vehicles, pickups, and real-world vehicle use, with much of his time spent on manufacturer launches, industry events, and long-term vehicle testing.
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