Geely Starray EM-i Inspire 2026 Review

For those feeling left in the dark, the hybridised Geely claimed the uniquely niche honour of returning the “Lowest fuel consumption driving the Sydney-Melbourne Coastal Drive by a plug-in hybrid powered production SUV”.

Although, the devil is in the detail, given the beefed-up battery pack totalled 29.8kWh as opposed to the 2026 Geely Starray EM-i’s 18.4kWh unit. Still, with a full charge and fuel tank, it managed to cover 1056km while averaging 3.83L/100km. Which makes the standard production car’s 943km range (of which 83km can be done in pure EV mode) sound feasible.

Economy aside, the starting prices are just as noteworthy. The range begins at $37,490 for the ironically named Complete, while the top-spec Inspire tested here scrapes in at less than $40K but only by $10 (prices exclude on-road costs). And with the price being so close, most should just opt for the range topper.

As you’ll find out, Geely hasn’t skimped on spec.

It plays in a strong, newfound Super Hybrid corner of the medium SUV segment against the likes of the BYD Sealion 6, Chery Tiggo 7 Super Hybrid and MG HS Super Hybrid to name but a few.

The Chery nabs the cheapest Super Hybrid title on a technicality, given its price includes on-road costs.

If you’re unfamiliar, then Geely Automotive Holdings (or simply Geely) will be a familiar brand in the future. However, up until recently, it’s played behind the scenes as the driving force behind Volvo, Polestar, Lotus, Zeekr, Lynk & Co and Smart. That’s a list of heavy hitters in anyone’s book.

Yet, like the fully electric EX5, the 2026 Geely Starray EM-i Inspire is another step in the process. The silent back-stage player is becoming the lead act. And it’s a handsome step to the centre stage, with the inoffensive yet upmarket design showing few signs of the budget pricing.

The Inspire grade is flush with kit, too. It features 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and taillights, proximity-based keyless entry, a panoramic sunroof and a powered tailgate. Inside there’s synthetic (or ‘GeeLuxe’) leather, powered front seats with heating and ventilation, dual-zone climate control and 256-colour ambient lighting.

Sadly, there’s no spare wheel – not even a space saver.

Geely’s warranty stacks up, with a total of seven years and unlimited kilometres. The battery is covered by an eight-year/unlimited-kilometre plan and roadside assistance is also included for seven years if you visit a Geely dealership.

Servicing is due every 12 months or 15,000km and a five-year capped-price plan comes to $1932.

This section could be the make-or-break factor in whether you buy the Starray EM-i and that’s because the active safety can be overbearing.

First off, what does the 2026 Geely Starray EM-i Inspire have in the way of safety aids?

The list is lengthy, and includes autonomous emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control with stop/go, lane departure warning with steering intervention, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, front and rear parking sensors, and a 360-degree parking camera.

However, the main bone of contention is with the driver fatigue monitoring and the road sign recognition. The former is quick to lambast you if you dare look anywhere but straight ahead, while the latter often gets speeds wrong – and results in myriad audible warning. The active lane keeping can be a bit too active as well.

And, unlike some other brands that deserve recognition for making changes to safety systems permanent, the Geely turns everything back on each time you ‘restart’ the car. There aren’t any simple shortcuts to nuke everything either, which makes the process tiring. It’s something you should test drive to see if you can tolerate its way of doing things before you buy.

The Starray comes with a five-star ANCAP safety rating and is also fitted with seven airbags, dual ISOFIX points and three top-tether anchorages.

You certainly aren’t going to be left wanting for tech inside the 2026 Geely Starray EM-i Inspire.

Ahead of the driver is a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster and a 13.4-inch head-up display in this top-spec model. The central infotainment display is a 15.4-inch landscape-style touch-screen and, like most modern cars, the vast majority of the Geely’s controls are housed within it. A dedicated row of climate controls is nice, although there are some additional buttons on the centre console, as well as a configurable rotating dial.

Generally, the system is quick to respond to inputs, yet it can take time to understand where everything is within the dedicated menus. Wireless Apple CarPlay features but Android Auto is wired only until an over-the-air (OTA) update becomes available in the next few months (Geely says it’s due in the latter part of Q1).

This also highlights the fact the Starray accepts OTA, while Geely Connected Services is included for two years.

It also comes with a wireless charging pad, native satnav, Bluetooth, DAB+ digital radio, voice assist and various USB (both A and C). You might not have heard of Flyme Sound – we hadn’t either – but you’ll want to in the future as the 16-speaker, 1000W premium audio generates high-fidelity acoustics.

Despite the low price of admission, the 2026 Geely Starray EM-i Inspire is packing some very contemporary hybrid tech. In essence, it provides the best of both the series and parallel hybrid ideals into one package.

That means it gains a naturally aspirated 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with modest outputs of 73kW and 125Nm. However, don’t fret, because the Starray also gains an electric motor endowed with 160kW and 262Nm, with its current supplied by a significant 18.4kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack.

A second e-motor is tasked with charging it, too.

Geely claims a total system output of a hefty 193kW, which is fed through a continuously variable transmission with a planetary gearset to the front wheels alone. The latter goes a long way to explaining the 8.0-second zero to 100km/h time given traction can be an issue – and all-wheel drive isn’t offered.

World-beating consumption aside, the product you can actually buy isn’t quite as efficient as the one claiming the award. Still, the reality is that the 2026 Geely Starray EM-i Inspire sips a little more Guinness than the world record holder…

Yet, compared to conventional petrol-powered medium SUVs sans hybrid tech, the Starray is practically sober. On a dedicated 100km loop with 29.5km of city/suburban driving as well as freeways and highway stints at 110km/h, the Geely sipped just 2.1L/100km. That’s even better than the claimed 2.4L/100km from the manufacturer. It couldn’t match the Geely’s 83km pure-EV range (WLTP), with the petrol engine firing up for us at the 65.5km mark.

Continuing on, and as the petrol engine kicks in to both provide drive to the front wheels and charge the battery, the consumption creeps up to 4.3L/100km. Although, that evens out to 4.1L/100km throughout the entire week of testing, a figure we haven’t been able to match with the traditional hybrid king, the Toyota RAV4.

The LFP battery can accept a DC rate of up to 30kW, which equates to a 30-80 per cent charge in just 20 minutes. It’ll also accept a 6.6kW AC connection, and given it takes about three hours to be fully juiced using an at-home wall box, you might never have to visit a petrol station unless you’re venturing out of town.

Interestingly, not only does the Starray offer 6.6kW vehicle-to-load (V2L) capacity, but also vehicle-to-vehicle charging. This is still quite a novel function.

All told, having to fill up the 51-litre tank with 95RON premium unleaded is a costly pain.

It really is a tale of two halves with the 2026 Geely Starray EM-i Inspire.

Slower speeds, essentially sticking to the CBD and suburbia is where the Geely PHEV is at its happiest. The ride quality is absorbing and the Starray’s light and innocuous controls create an experience that’s easy to live with. Twirling around car parks is a sinch with fingertip-light steering and the instant shove from the EV side of the powertrain is reassuring.

There is a but coming…

But, given the Starray is based on the same GEA platform (Global Intelligent Electric Architecture) used for the EX5, it shares a lot of its less desirable dynamic traits. With MacPherson struts up front and multi-links at the rear, the target for the handling balance was clearly aimed at softness and comfort, which in turn creates issues when cornering.

The passive suspension setup is far too under damped, especially from the rear. This results in the Starray losing body control, porpoising long after driving through the bump or undulation. The 1739kg weight also doesn’t help make things feel tied down. And while keen dynamics aren’t the remit of a hybrid medium SUV, it can behave in a disconcerting manner.

Which makes it hard to comprehend that Aussie-spec Starray’s have be re-tuned by Geely, with Chinese-delivered examples being even softer than the setup we receive Down Under.  

Additionally, while the steering is painless at low speeds, it gives very little feedback through the peculiarly shaped wheel. That factor in of itself is hard to become accustomed with. You can manipulate the weight via the drive modes (Eco, Normal and Sport), but none of them provide a Goldilocks setup.

Despite being front-wheel-drive only, the Starray isn’t as affected by torque steer as other plug-in hybrid SUVs and its Goodyear tyres provide decent purchase. But with significant combined outputs, the front axle can still be overwhelmed, and it does suffer some kickback over bumps.

The ironically named ‘Intelligent’ cruise control also proves a significant bugbear, particularly on single-lane country roads. It cuts power with the slightest amount of steering angle, sometimes dropping the speed by 30-40km/h on a signposted 100km/h country road when there is no need to do so. Not only does it render cruise control useless, it’s at best annoying for road users travelling behind, and dangerous at worst.

If you’ve been inside any modern Chinese EV, the cabin of the 2026 Geely Starray EM-i Inspire won’t look out of place. It carries an ultra-minimalist aesthetic, but with a few design details to keep things interesting.

Simply put, it’s a nice place to be and, if you covered up the badges and asked a friend to state the continent of origin, they could very well say Europe. And with premium brands like Volvo, Polestar and Zeekr within the Geely fold, you’d bet its leaning on outside expertise to achieve these results.

Again, for this price point, the quality is hard to argue. Removeable headrest pillows are even part of the experience. Ebony Black is standard, while the Inspire has the option of Ivory White, which certainly brightens up the cabin if selected, but could be hard to keep clean if you live in jeans or have young kids.

Yes, there are some oddities to the interior, with the strangely shaped two-spoke steering wheel being at the forefront. The column-mounted gear selector frees up space within the centre console, though, and overall storage areas are as useful as they are abundant.

Back-seat leg and headroom are two more things that aren’t in short supply. Even taller occupants will have plenty of room, while the panoramic glass roof fosters and airy vibe. The front seats lack a bit of under thigh support, while the rear pews are angled in such a way that you sit deep with your knees up high. Amenities are good, too, with rear air vents, USB ports, a central arm rest with cupholders, dual map pockets, lighting and door bins.

At 428 litres, the cargo capacity is decent rather than class leading – although, with the split-level boot floor in its lowest setting, that expands to 528L. And when the 60/40-split folding back seats are stowed, it balloons to 2000L.

On the face of it, the 2026 Geely Starray EM-i Inspire is a no brainer for many buyers. It’s shockingly good value, and not in the cheap-and-cheerful way of the past. This is another Chinese SUV that backs up its low price with tangible quality.

You’re also getting a lot for your money in terms of features and creature comforts. Plus, the hybrid powertrain is sophisticated and forward thinking. And it simply works. The bold efficiency claims, obscure records aside, are replicable in the real world, too. And when you couple that with strong warranty and servicing, it makes the running costs affordable.

Which makes its shortcomings even more frustrating.

Ultimately, Geely has created a very competent SUV that’s hampered dynamically and by its incessant and overbearing safety systems. Which is a great shame because the Starray EM-i Inspire would be so easy to recommend if its issues were rectified.

The ball’s now in your court, Geely.   

2026 Geely Starray EM-i Inspire at a glance:
Price: $39,990 (plus on-road costs
Available: Now
Powertrain: 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 73kW/125Nm (electric motor: 160kW/262Nm)
Combined output: 193kW/292Nm
Transmission: Continuously variable automatic
Battery: 18.4kW lithium iron phosphate
Range: 83km (WLTP)
Energy consumption: 14.7kWh/100km (WLTP)
Fuel: 2.4L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 56g/km
Safety rating: Five-star ANCAP (2025)

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