The Geely Starray EM-i is yet another cut-price plug-in SUV looking to find its place in a crowded market, But is it any good?

Geely might sound like another brand that has suddenly sprung up from nowhere, but it’s been around a good long while.

In fact, it’s existed in its native China for 40 years, where it started out making fridge components before experimenting with the automotive sphere. That experiment has clearly worked out okay, as it is now the parent company of everyone from Lotus to Volvo, as well as having a stake in Smart and running LEVC, the firm behind London’s electrified black cabs.

So while it’s new to the UK, it’s not new to the car game and, like some many Chinese brands, it’s all-in on “New Energy Vehicles”. In other words EVs and plug-in hybrids with big batteries and big efficiency claims.

We’ve already tested the fully electric EX5 and now it’s the turn PHEV-powered Starray EM-i which, in a surprise to absolutely no-one, is a C-segment SUV looking to upset the established players with lots of kit and a low price.

Design, interior and technology

The mid-sized family SUV segment is overrun with choices and an awful lot of them look very similar. And the Geely Starray is another. There’s nothing offensive about the way it looks, but nor is there anything that’s going to turn heads.

From certain angles, there’s a touch of Mercedes around the rear three-quarters, and the sparkly green paint of my test car was an appealing addition, but on the whole, the Starray looks a lot like a slightly more angular EX5, and far too easy to lose in a car park.

If the outside of the Starray is similar to the EX5, the interior is indistinguishable. Just like its electric sibling, the Starray’s cabin is big, comfy and a bit bland. There is massive amounts of room on board. At 6’ 5” I had no problem sitting behind my own driving position, and there’s good space across the rear bench. There’s also a 528-litre boot which isn’t class-leading but is still sufficient for most uses.

Around the interior there are plenty of high-quality materials and a feeling of solid construction, but not much design flair. Apart from the asymmetric centre console with its pinstripe detailing and some odd speakers protruding from the dash top, it’s the familiar story of a slim digital instrument cluster and a massive central touchscreen dominating an otherwise blank expanse.

Like the EX5 that massive screen is massively frustrating. It measures a generous 15.4 inches but only around 1/20th of it is actually used for anything and the operating system is painfully slow. There’s a small cluster of fingertip-sized shortcut icons in one corner, plus a band of heating controls along the bottom, but the rest of the display is basically a big screensaver. Other brands make use of big screens by covering them with big buttons to access various features, but not here.

On the positive side, swiping down on the screen accesses various shortcuts including a drive setup function that remembers your ADAS settings and lets you deactivate them with a tap. Stupidly, though, the car has to be in Drive before you can do this (like the Geely-derived Volvo EX30). Quick access is important because, as with every Chinese car, these systems are woefully inaccurate and dangerously aggressive in their constant interventions.

On the negative side, you also need to swipe down this menu to control your heated seats or open the submenu to open the sunroof (yes, really). European and Korean brands are finally realising drivers hate this kind of over-complication and are addressing it. Hopefully the quick-to-adapt Chinese marques will do the same.

Geely Starray EM-i powertrain

The Geely Starray’s technical specs could have been lifted from any number of recent plug-in C-SUVs.

Under the bonnet is a 1.5-litre petrol engine working with a 160kW electric motor at the front wheels to deliver a total of 258bhp and 193lb ft.

A large 29.8kWh battery means the Starray EM-i Ultra can officially cover 84 miles on electric power alone and up to 618 miles total range. Lower-grade versions use a smaller 18.4kWh battery for up to 51 electric miles. The smaller battery makes do with 30kW DC charging while the larger gets a boost to 60kW, which allows a 30-80% charge in 16 minutes.

I have a colleague who swears he averaged 70mpg over a week with the Starray. So it’s either a reflection of his driving style or mine that I saw around 48-50mpg. That’s decent for a car of this size but similar to what I’ve seen from any number of recent PHEV SUVs.

Geely describes the “super hybrid” setup as “refined and powerful” and I’d go along with the first part of that. Obviously, in EV mode, progress is impressively quiet but even once the petrol engine kicks in it does so without much fuss. It can drone a bit under heavy throttle but is otherwise pleasantly subdued.

However, even under heavy throttle, it feels pretty wheezy. Around town the EV motor has enough urgency to nip through traffic but sink your foot as you reach a national speed limit sign and there’s a whole lot of not much. You’ll certainly question the 0-62mph time of 8 seconds.

The sluggish performance is just about forgivable but the Starray’s on-road manners are not. The ride is unacceptably poor and constantly unsettled. It’s marginally better at higher speeds but around town there’s a ever-present jitteriness that will set your teeth on edge. Dynamically, it’s also compromised with lifeless, and vague steering. Get too keen in the corners and there’s an odd sense of disconnect between the front and rear, along with a generous helping of body roll. No-one expects a family SUV to be a B-road hero, but so many rivals drive better than the Starray.

Geely Starray price and specification

Of course, not many rivals can match the Starray on value.

Prices for the entry level Geely Starray Pro start at £29,990 and even the top-spec Ultra with the larger battery costs just £34,990. For reference, a Skoda Kodiaq PHEV starts north of £42,000.

Every Geely Starray EM-i gets 19-inch alloys, keyless entry and start, tinted glass, faux leather upholstery, heated front seats and a 360-degree surround view camera. The 15.4-inch touchscreen with onboard navigation and wireless smartphone mirroring is also standard.

The Max model, priced from £32,690 adds a powered tailgate and panoramic roof as well as a head-up display, wireless phone charging, cooled driver’s seat and a 1,000W Flyme stereo.

Ultra’s only upgrade to that is the larger battery.

Verdict

The Geely Starray feels like an increasingly familiar story.

Its driving experience is on the border between dull and problematic but elsewhere it’s perfectly adequate.

If you don’t care about ride quality, handling or a user-friendly interface, it offers a very spacious, comfortable and well equipped car for not a lot of money.

A Toyota Rav4 or Skoda Kodiaq is easier to use and better to drive, but either costs £10k more, so you pays your money, you takes your choice…

Geely Starray EM-i Ultra

  • Price: £34,995
  • Powertrain: 1.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol, 151kW electric motor, front-wheel-drive
  • Battery: 29.8kWh
  • Top speed: 105mph
  • 0-62mph: 8 seconds
  • Electric Range: 84 miles
  • Fuel consumption: 201mpg
  • CO2 emissions: 32g/km
  • Charging: Up to 60kW

Rivals

  • Leapmotor C10 REEV – Cut from the same cloth as the Geely. It’s big, cheap and well equipped but trails rivals for ease of use and driving appeal
  • Chery Tiggo 7 – Impressive refinement and efficiency, but less EV range and more expensive than the Geely
  • Toyota Rav4 – A lot more expensive but arguably worth the money for being better built, better to drive and easier to use on a daily basis