Words: Richard Edwards
Published 18 August 2026
Geely’s extended range Starray EM-i is arriving in New Zealand this month, and an all-wheel drive variant of the plug-in hybrid SUV is coming close behind it.
Dane Fisher, who heads Geely distributor NordEast, confirmed both to us this week. “Starray is now arriving this month with extended range. So that now goes to 136 kilometre EV only and 996 combined,” he says.
The update, announced for Australia in May, sees the flagship Inspire become the Inspire Extended Range, swapping the 18.4kWh battery for a 29.8kWh pack. Electric-only range climbs from 83km to 136km on the WLTP cycle, combined range from 943km to 996km, and DC fast charging doubles from 30kW to 60kW, cutting a 30 to 80% charge to a claimed 16 minutes. Combined fuel consumption drops from 2.4L/100km to 1.4L/100km. The entry Complete retains the smaller battery.
The bigger battery answers the main criticism from our comparison test against the MG HS Super Hybrid last year, where the Geely impressed on quality and value but gave away electric kilometres to its rival.
AWD “Not far away”
The all-wheel drive version is the fresh news. It has not featured in Australian or New Zealand announcements to date, but Fisher says it is “not far away” and sees it as a growth opportunity. “Getting a mid-size SUV with 136 kilometre range, a thousand kilometres combined, with four-wheel drive starts really opening up new opportunities for us,” he says.
New Zealand pricing for the extended range variant has not yet been announced. The Starray launched here last November at $45,990 for the Complete and $49,490 for the Inspire, and in Australia the extended range car carries a $1,500 premium over the old Inspire, which would suggest something in the region of $51,000 here if the same approach is taken.
Australian extended range cars also gained specification additions including a front-seat massage function, though local equipment is yet to be confirmed.
The Starray’s arrival adds to a busy month for the distributor, with EX2 pricing confirmed at $32,990 and the extended range EX5 opening for pre-orders. Like all Geelys, the Starray carries a seven-year unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty and an eight-year battery warranty.
