Geely Starray EM-i named Wheels Best Value Medium SUV for 2026

An award announcement from Geely's own newsroom

Geely Australia announced on 20 October 2026 that the Starray EM-i plug-in hybrid SUV has been named the Wheels Best Value Medium SUV for 2026-2027. The company said the award recognises the model's blend of plug-in hybrid efficiency, standard equipment, practicality, ownership costs and overall value in one of Australia's most competitive segments. The announcement follows the Geely EX2 taking the Wheels Best Compact Car title for 2026, according to the same company statement. ¹

Wheels' verdict, quoted by Geely Australia, praised generous equipment, excellent passenger space and genuinely useful electric range for the $37,490 starting price. Geely Auto Australia managing director Alex Gu said the recognition was particularly meaningful given how competitive the medium SUV segment is in Australia. The announcement comes from Geely's own newsroom quoting Wheels' assessment; DriveAgent has not independently viewed the award citation. ¹

Range, pricing and the new AWD flagship

The Australian Starray EM-i range now spans three variants: Complete FWD from $37,490, Inspire FWD from $41,490 and the recently introduced Inspire AWD at $44,990, all prices before on-road costs as listed by CarExpert in its October 2026 AWD review. CarExpert separately lists Sydney drive-away pricing from $41,632 for the Complete, so buyers should not equate the manufacturer list price with an on-road-inclusive figure. ⁴⁵

There is a discrepancy in the published record: CarExpert's model information page, dated a day after its AWD review, still described two Starray EM-i variants, all front-wheel drive with a maximum 750kg braked towing capacity and 193kW, while the newer review lists three variants including the AWD with 1050kg of braked towing. The three-variant structure matches Geely Australia's own award announcement, which names the Complete, Inspire and recently introduced Inspire AWD; the page-level data appears not yet updated for the AWD addition. ⁴⁵¹

The AWD flagship adds an 80kW/150Nm rear electric motor to the 160kW/262Nm front unit for 220kW/412Nm system output, against 193kW in the front-drive versions, with a claimed 0-100km/h time of 6.3 seconds. It also lifts braked towing capacity to 1050kg from 750kg, though CarExpert notes the subfloor has been resculpted for the rear motor, reducing underfloor storage, and no spare wheel is offered. ⁴

Battery, claimed range and tested fuel use

Battery capacity differs across the range: the Complete carries an 18.4kWh lithium iron phosphate pack with a claimed 83km of electric driving range, while both Inspire variants use a 29.8kWh LFP pack, claimed at 135km (FWD) and 130km (AWD). Claimed fuel economy ranges from 1.6L/100km (Inspire FWD) to 2.5L/100km (Complete), with a 60-litre tank requiring 95-octane premium unleaded and Euro 6 emissions compliance. ⁴

CarExpert's testing of the Inspire AWD returned 135km of electric running on a Sydney-to-Berry return trip, exceeding the 130km claim, and a displayed 5.3L/100km with a depleted battery over the same run including a climb out of Kangaroo Valley. These are the publication's own on-road findings under its specific test conditions, not manufacturer figures. ⁴

Warranty and running costs

Ownership terms form part of the value proposition. Per CarExpert's review of the Inspire AWD, the model carries a 7-year unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty and an 8-year unlimited-kilometre high-voltage battery warranty, with 12 months' free roadside assistance extended to 7 years when activated by servicing. Service intervals are 12 months or 15,000km, with capped-price servicing over 5 years or 75,000km averaging $386 a year for a $1930 total. CarExpert's model page confirms the 7-year unlimited-kilometre warranty and lists the vehicle as built in China and shipped to Australia. ⁴⁵

Safety ratings and platform context

Geely announced on 6 February 2026 that the Starray EM-i, its first global plug-in hybrid SUV, achieved five-star ratings from both Euro NCAP and ANCAP. The company attributes the result partly to its GEA platform, citing isolated channels for the fuel tank and battery, a stated 140mm safety clearance against tank deformation, and protective framing around both tank and pack. CarExpert's review lists the ANCAP detail behind the five-star rating as 90 per cent adult occupant protection, 87 per cent child occupant protection, 86 per cent vulnerable road user protection and 82 per cent safety assist, based on 2025 testing. ²⁴

Standard safety equipment on the Australian range includes seven airbags, adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep and emergency lane-keep assist, surround-view camera and rear parking sensors, with front sensors added on Inspire grades, per CarExpert's specification listing. ⁴

Where it sits in the value rankings

Wheels' recognition is distinct from NRMA's Best Value Cars 2026 program, published in August 2026, in which the Chery Tiggo 7 Urban PHEV won the medium SUV category on a $36,259 five-year ownership total. In that NSW-based analysis, the Geely Starray EM-i Complete ranked eighth of 28 contenders, with a $40,607 NSW drive-away price, $42,115 five-year ownership cost and $23,007 depreciation. NRMA noted the Starray, like the BYD Sealion models, finished lower than expected partly due to higher comprehensive insurance premiums, at $9971 in its model. ³

Both evaluations support the underlying value case from different angles: Wheels' quoted verdict focuses on equipment and electric range for money, while NRMA's five-year cost modelling shows competitive running costs but flags insurance as a real-world ownership expense. CarExpert's comparison places the AWD's $44,990 list price well below PHEV rivals such as the Toyota RAV4 PHEV AWD (from $64,015 plus on-roads) and Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (from $58,990 plus on-roads), figures it attributes to those brands. Sales data compiled by CarExpert from VFACTS and EVC sources records 6669 Australian sales year-to-date in 2026 after 1066 in 2025. ³⁴⁵