UK Drive: Is the Geely Starray just another hybrid SUV?
The Starray is one of several new hybrid SUVs on the market, but can it stand out from the crowd? Jack Evans finds out.
What is it?
The Starray is the brand’s second car to launch in the UK and one which it hopes will be its mainstream winner. We’ve been testing it out to see.
What’s new?
It’s a popular configuration that we’ve seen put to good use in all manner of Chinese-made cars, with the likes of the Jaecoo 7, Chery Tiggo 8 and MG SV EV. It does mean that the Starray has quite a few rivals to contend with.
What’s under the bonnet?
You can also get the Starray with a smaller battery, which brings a lower range of 51 miles, but we imagine most drivers will go for the larger-battery version instead.
What’s it like to drive?
As we’ve found in other Chinese-made cars, the assistance systems do become a real pain and the number of menus that you need to delve through in order to shut them off is too distracting. Keep them on, and you’re facing a tidal wave of bongs, alerts and screen prompts – all of which seem to counteract the point of the systems in the first place.
How does it look?
That said, the car’s boxy look is there to afford some more interior space, so at least there’s a practical reason behind it.
What’s it like inside?
Space in the back is good, too, and headroom should be more than enough for most heights. With a 528-litre boot, the Starray is right on the money space-wise, and you can expand that to a useful 2,065 litres by folding the rear seats flat. In terms of practicality, it ticks the boxes.
What’s the spec like?
In reality, most people will be looking at the Starray’s monthly finance payments and, in this instance, it’s likely to be very attractive.
Verdict
The Geely Starray doesn’t do a lot to move the game forward, but neither does it do anything particularly wrong. Enthusiasts who love cars and enjoy driving are unlikely to be considering a plug-in hybrid SUV anyway, but for those who simply need to get from A to B with as little fuss as possible, the Starray could be appealing.
It’ll boil down to cost and with its competitive finance options, the Starray could tempt many.