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Star appeal hope for Geely’s Outlander rival
Richard Bosselman
August 21, 2025
Starray SUV expected to be the biggest breadwinner out of six new electrified vehicles incoming from Chinese powerhouse.
COMPETING directly against the country’s best-established plug-in sports utility, Mitsubishi Outlander, is the goal for a new entrant out of China.
Having established presence here with the fully battery-compelled EX5, Geely is now adding fuel to its sports utility mix.
The Starray EM-i (for E-Motive Intelligence) debuts a new ‘super’ hybrid system, which combines petrol and electric power for extended range and improved efficiency.
New Zealand appears to be just the second export market to see the technology.
The 4.7 metre long five-seater is coming soon in two trims and is expected to be the highest performer among a group of electric and hybrid cars announced today by distributor Giltrap Group.
That onslaught is headed by pure electric provider Zeekr, with three cars incoming - the X SUV in $59,900 front and $69,900 four-wheel-drive, the 009 plush people-carrier in $149,900 seven chair and $154,900 six-seat and the 7X, a svelte SUV whose price has yet to be set.
Also incoming are two electric commercials, the Farizon SV van from $74,990 and the Riddara RD6 utility, from $69,990.
These all come within a new sales division called NordEast, launched at an event in Auckland today, that will also handle Volvo, Polestar and Lotus, whose products largely - or in case of Polestar, wholly - now come out of China.
NordEast products will avail out of Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington and Christchurch, with Napier also representing Volvo and Polestar.
The ‘Euro’ marques will sell from separate outlets to the China-based brands; but it’s a big step up for Geely, which on arrival just a couple of months ago restricted to Auckland and Christchurch.
In all NordEast intends to be selling 5000 cars annually by end of 2028, but much relies on the volume cars, none more vital than Starray.
Though pricing has yet to be set, Geely New Zealand brand manager Jordan Haines says it will go head to head with Outlander PHEV, which spans from $54,990 LS, $59,990 XLS and $65,990 VRX.
Starray aims at five-seater Outlander rather than the three-row alternate.
On paper it matches for electric only capability - Geely claiming 83 kilometres’ versus the Mitsubishi’s 84.
But the Chinese figure is worked out using the WLTP scale preferred in New Zealand since 2022, whereas Mitsubishi’s appears to be using the far less accurate NEDC measurement, which will become redundant here after December 31.
Economy figures used by each brand are also respectively reliant on the different scales, so it could yet be that Geely’s 2.4 litres per 100km cited is more relevant than Outlander’s 1.6L cited optimal.
Geely’s hybrid system pairs a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with an 11-in-1 electric drive unit housing two motors. Together, the electric motors generate 160kW and 262Nm of torque, sending power to the front wheels.
Mitsubishi’s unit runs a 2.5-litre petrol four-cylinder to two electric motors, for maximum combined power of 185kW and total torque of 450Nm.
With the Geely, energy is stored in an 18.4 kWh LFP battery pack, which contributes to a WLTP-tested combined range of up to 943km. The Outlander has recently updated to a 20kWh battery, but overall range is around 690km, according to independent test data.
Next year another edition of Starray will add in. This has a larger battery, which will take EV range to 120km and combined range to more than 1000km, Haines says.
Geely’s EM-i also supports vehicle-to-load (V2L) and vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) functionality, allowing external devices or other EVs to be charged directly from the car.
As with the EX5, the entry-level car is labelled Complete and the higher-spec is called Inspire. The latter was shown to media today.
The higher level trim options an Ivory White interior, seen on a display car today, as an alternate to the otherwise standard Ebony Black.
Geely has signalled strong early interest in its only car currently here, the EX5.
The model which comes in $51,990 and $55,990 forms and runs a single 160kW/320Nm electric motor fed by 60.22kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery, with a 400-volt system. WLTP ranges of 410-430km are claimed, the Complete having longer legs.
Geely also owns Smart, but that sits with the Armstrong Group in NZ.
At today’s NordEast announcement, Giltraps’ senior executive Michael Giltrap said his company - NZ’s largest independent distributor, with 22 brands - began talks with Geely five years ago.
Since then the Chinese make has grown, most latterly being second to just BYD is respect to international spread and profit return.
Talk about NZ being a sales location for Zeekr, a Geely premium make, has been circulating for months, but Giltrap says the deal was only finalised at a meeting in Australia four days ago.