Car that comes complete with a backseat driver

Geely Starray EM-i drive by Steve Rogers

Who is thinking an electric car might be the solution to an expensive trip to the pumps?

The sky high cost of fuel could persuade those teetering on the brink to go full leccy but it is still a touchy subject so is this plug-in hybrid the answer to the conundrum?

The Starray Super Hybrid is the second Chinese Geely to reach our shores this year and has a potential electric range of 84 miles. That is better than the Audi Q3's 73 miles and the MG HS with 75 miles.

With ranges like this it is hardly surprising plug-in hybrid sales were up 35 per cent last year. The MG set the pace and was one of my stars of ’25.

Starray is a sibling to the electric EX5 mid size SUV, built on the same platform and virtually the same shape apart from a restyled front. It is the usual drill from China, incredible value for money, the Starray starts at a fiver under £30k, lots of space, lots of kit, it even has its own back seat driver but more of that later.

Chinese manufacturers are investing billions in PHEV technology and can bring it to the market faster than anyone else. This range more than covers most drivers' daily commute and there are no charging worries for longer journeys because the petrol engine kicks in when the battery is spent.

Geely does it by pairing a 29.8kWh battery with a 1.5 litre petrol engine. You need to go top of the range Ultra for the potential 84 miles, the entry Pro and Max models have a 18.4kWh battery which is good for up to 51 miles. Ultra can take 60kW fast charging and gets to 80 per cent in 16 minutes and that is faster than its rivals. A home charge for Ultra takes 4.6 hours and just over three hours for the lower battery capacity.

Isn’t it interesting how charging times are now more relevant than which car has the best acceleration.

Economy figures are eye watering combining electric and engine, but once driving on petrol only expect mid forties although I regularly cracked 50mpg on longer runs. The petrol engine gets noisy under hard acceleration but there are no complaints about performance which is brisk enough off the line and for overtaking.

It is early days for Geely and people haven’t clocked the badge. I was often asked ‘what car is this’ and the reply was always positive. The styling is neat, if a little conservative, and a similar shape to the Leapmotor B10.

The main thing is that it has an incredibly spacious cabin which is ideal for a family with three growing children. The back seat easily takes three lanky adults thanks to the width, generous legroom and flat floor.

I have almost reached the stage when I will stop complaining about the lack of switches and every function going through a touchscreen. It is no surprise this is the case with Starray, all 15.4in of it dominating the dashboard, although I did manage to work it out without too much frustration and there are some quick keys along the base of the screen and by swiping down the screen.

I liked the large rotary dial for adjusting the radio volume and liked it even more when I found, by accident, that it performs other functions as well.

Voice control helps but the Starray ‘lady’ hasn’t got her act together yet. You also have to learn ‘voice control speak’. Asking to adjust the temperature of the heated seat draws a blank but saying seat heating does the trick.

By far the greatest irritation is the way the car tries to take over the driving, hence the back seat driver jibe. Yes it is all meant to improve safety but it is far too sensitive and intrusive. I don’t want to be told to pay attention because I glance at the screen, even more irritating is feeling a tug on the steering wheel if veering to the centre on a narrow back road, and that is with the lane assist switched off.

And steering wheel paddles are needed to select regenerative braking levels rather than diving into the touchscreen menu. Better still lets have one pedal that brings the car to a stop and ironically is fitted to Volvos which is owned by Geely.

Whatever the frustrations, Starray is a compelling package for its sheer value for money, class leading electric range, good build quality, specification, which would take all day to list, and an excellent driver safety package.

The priority now is building a dealer network and a warehouse full of spares. It’s a long way to China…

Favourite feature: Automatic heated or ventilated seats.

Fast facts

Starray Ultra £34,990 (starts £29,990)

1.5 litre petrol/29.8kWh battery 257bhp

0-62mph 8secs; 105mph

117-201mpg (battery and engine)

32g/km. 1st VED £115

Boot: 528-2065 litres

Insurance group 32