We’ve been expecting this for a while now, but the Geely Galaxy Starship 7 is finally making its way out of China, months after it was launched in the Middle Kingdom in November. Except it won’t use its indigenous name globally, because it will instead be known as the Geely Starray EM-i – despite being unrelated to the Boyue L that also uses the Starray moniker overseas.
Instead, as previously reported, the Starray EM-i is the plug-in hybrid version of the EX5, also known as the Proton eMas 7 here. Geely says it has already sold 80,000 units of the car in China and will bring it to Australia early in the fourth quarter of the year, putting the launch sometime in October.
Like the eMas 7, the Starray EM-i is based on the Global Intelligent New Energy Architecture (GEA), but with Geely’s EM-i (now standing for E-Motive Intelligence) Super Hybrid powertrain. This is centred around a 1.5 litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder engine that produces 99 PS and 125 Nm of torque, which is way down on what the Chinese-market car makes (111 PS and 136 Nm).
Mated to it is an 11-to-1 electrified dedicated hybrid transmission (E-DHT) that combines the P1 integrated starter-generator and P3 drive motor, the latter producing 218 PS (160 kW) and 262 Nm. Total output is rated at 262 PS, all sent to the front wheels. The P3 motor uses silicon carbide technology to optimise temperature management and ensure peak power no matter the battery charge, Geely claims.
Aside from the detuned engine, the global Starray EM-i also receives a smaller 18.4 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, compared to the 19.09 kWh pack in the Starship 7 that delivers an all-electric range of 120 km on China’s lenient CLTC cycle. As such, expect the car’s WLTP-rated range to be just under 100 km. A 3.3 kWh vehicle-to-load (V2L) function is also set to be offered.
Geely says the EM-i system has been developed to offer more cost-effective driving through longer range and low fuel consumption. Three drive modes are available – Pure for sole electric driving, Hybrid that switches between electricity and petrol to optimise range and efficiency, and Power that combined both power sources for maximum performance.
With the Starray EM-i set to be launched globally in just a few months’ time, we can expect the Proton version (it has already trademarked the eMas 7 PHEV name) to arrive in Malaysia soon after. However, the national carmaker is already juggling several launches in the second half of the year, including the facelifted X50, the eMas 5 and the new Saga MC3, so we probably won’t see the car until next year.
GALLERY: Geely Galaxy Starship 7 at Auto Shanghai 2025
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