Geely Starray EM-i Super Hybrid (2025 - ) review

Yes, the starting price and various monthly finance deals offer good value for money (note the Chinese brands do not necessarily sell the cheapest models out there, but they do pack in the tricks and the toys that you’d have to pay extra for from other brands), but it’s the running costs that will blow your tiny socks off. Our test car was showing about 520 miles with a full tank of fuel and some battery power: it comfortably did 54mpg on our test route when the battery ran short (it never runs out as the engine will recharge it a bit in Sport mode). Added to this, if you can charge on a cheap off-peak rate at home overnight, and your week consists of local driving, you will rarely dip into the petrol tank and essentially drive it for tuppence on cheap electricity.

Although this is only the second Geely Automotive model launched in the UK, hot on the heels of the electric EX5, we do know Geely has a wealth of experience in engineering powertrains and car bodies to last. Hence its confidence in offering an eight-year warranty that is good for 125,000 miles. That really puts the bog-standard three-year European warranty to shame.

It might have everything as standard, from adaptive cruise control to blind-spot warning and a 360-degree parking camera system but trying to turn it all off requires a degree in computer sciences and the patience of Job. And believe us, you really will want to turn it all off before you set off. The Chinese love a loud warning ping and bong, and regular reprimands to pay attention, look forward, remove your hat (yes, really, although not this car) and so forth. It’s beyond intrusive – it’s rude. We’ll wear and hat AND sunglasses if we so desire. And maybe a fake moustache.

In electric mode, the Starray reigns supreme over Jaecoo, Omoda and BYD competitors: it is sublimely quiet and smooth, with lots of sound deadening against the wind and rain of the outside world. That 1.5-litre petrol engine, however, is another matter. It sounds and feels positively agricultural when it kicks in, which makes its brilliant economy start to feel less brilliant. Space in the rear for heads, shoulders and legs is very, very good; the boot is average. A few more inventive spaces for belongings up front wouldn’t go amiss.

We’re not sure why everyone waxes lyrical about the superb and advanced technology in Chinese cars: the digital graphics on the driver’s display remain tiny (you’re sunk if you need glasses for short distance reading), the touchscreens are not as intuitive as, for example, Renault’s, and most buttons have been replaced by a maze of sub menus on the screen involving multiple clicks. In a curious change on this front, in the Starray there is a gigantic central button which you might think controls the screen but just does media volume and fan speed. Weird, but we’ll take it as one less swipe. The Flyme Sound speakers are truly brilliant, however, delivering concert-hall quality, and you get both wireless phone charging and connection. There’s a head-up display for speed and navigation (we like) and a voice-activated virtual assistant (we don’t like).

The chassis, steering and braking, all of which comprise the character of a car, reflect the engineering input from colleagues at Lotus. Bloody good, in other words. If you have easy access to overnight charging and do journeys of under 70 miles every day, you’ll run this on electric and all will be well. When that noisy engine kicks in, you feel every inch of that £29,900 starting price point: a premium European badge would dial it out, but you pays your money…