We end the working week with the third presentation of new cars, which also marks the end of this month. This is another Chinese representative from the Geely product range. Starray is already a well-known name, but the addition of EM in the name reveals that it is still something new. EM-i stands for Efficiency Meets Intelligence, and the Geely brand code actually indicates that it is a plug-in edition. These are models that combine a 1.5-liter gasoline engine with 73 kW/99 hp and an electric motor with 160 kW/218 hp and 262 Nm of torque. Allegedly, the thermal efficiency of the gasoline engine is 46.5%, which is an excellent result.
The E-DHT 11-in-1 (Eleven-in-One) unit is used, which represents a highly integrated drive system that unites 11 key components of the hybrid drive in one compact case. This hybrid unit reduces the weight of the system by 13.5%, and the overall efficiency of the electric drive is 92.5%. This helped the economy to be very good. Official fuel consumption is 6.2 l/100 km while weighted combined fuel consumption is 2.4 l/100 km, of course, according to WLTP. The range in fully electric driving mode is up to 83 km, while the total range is up to 943 km.
Unlike some competitors, the Starray EM-i also comes with DC charging. DC charging with a power of 30 kW is enabled, which means that charging the battery from 30% to 80% takes place in less than 20 minutes. The basis, however, is AC charging of 6.6 kW, when a fully charged battery takes less than 3 hours.
Geely Starray EM-i is 474 centimeters long, 190.5 cm wide, 168.5 cm high and is based on the GEA platform (Global Intelligent New Energy Architecture) with a wheelbase of 275.5 cm. There is also a luggage space of 528 liters (including 100 liters of additional space under the boot floor) or 2065 liters with the rear seats folded down.
In terms of safety, there are seven airbags (including the central one between the driver and front passenger seats), Shield battery protection, and a ‘sandwich’ battery design that has been tested in more than 100 extreme scenarios. Furthermore, these are numerous ADAS systems that combine a number of intelligent functions such as autonomous emergency braking (AEB), adaptive and intelligent cruise control (ACC and ICC), active lane keeping (LKA/ELKA), blind spot detection (BSD), cross traffic warning behind the vehicle (RCTA/RCTB), traffic sign recognition (TSI) and intelligent high beams (IHBC). There is also support for a 540° panoramic camera, which provides the driver with greater safety, visibility and control in numerous situations.
Furthermore, the aerodynamics have been optimized to achieve a low drag coefficient of 0.288 Cd, resulting in better energy efficiency, lower energy consumption and a quieter ride at higher speeds.
The passenger cabin is characterized by the Flyme Auto intelligent cockpit, which includes a 10.2-inch digital instrument panel, a 15.4-inch central display and a 13.8-inch W-HUD head-up display. It is this head-up display with a brightness of 12,000 nits that ensures crystal clear visibility even in bright sunlight, while the system supports OTA (over-the-air) updates and continuous improvement of functions. Numerous functions in the vehicle can be controlled by voice commands. Also, some features are available for monitoring and management via the mobile app. The Flyme Sound system with 16 speakers and a 1000 W amplifier, including speakers integrated into the headrests, is responsible for a very good audio backdrop.
The offer consists of two levels of equipment, Pro and Max, with the fact that they all have a drive on the front axle. Customers can additionally choose six metallic colors, with the basic one being white. For one of the remaining five, namely black, green, blue, gray and silver, an additional payment of 720 euros is required. The regular price for the basic Pro model is 36,990 euros, while the richer Max costs 38,990 euros, but now there is a generous discount of 7,000 euros. So now the basic but very well-equipped model can be obtained for 29,990 euros, while for the more expensive model you need to spend two thousand euros more. Geely Starray EM-i comes with a 6-year or up to 150,000 km warranty on the entire vehicle. There is also an 8-year warranty or up to 150,000 km on the battery.
Geely emphasizes that they listen to customer requests and make updates accordingly. Thus, Starray EM brings full Android connectivity, and they also announce a more powerful version of the model with Ultra equipment. It will come with a 29.8 kWh battery that will charge from 30 to 80% in 16 minutes. The electric range will be 135 km, while the combined range will enable almost 1000 km of driving. Also, the best-selling vehicle in China last year – Geely EX2 – will arrive at the end of the year. There are also several new SUVs, sedans…
