Is this the strangest car on sale today?

Starray.

It could be the name of a character from a B-grade 1990s sci-fi movie. Or a David Bowie song. But what it actually is is the latest mid-size SUV to arrive in Australia to give buyers even more choice.

So why should you care about this one? Well, aside from the very strange name, this new model comes from the biggest car brand in the world you’ve never heard of – Geely.

The Geely Starray EM-i (to give it its full name) is only the second model the Chinese giant has offered in Australia, following the EX5 electric SUV earlier this year. But Geely is a juggernaut in the rest of the world.

Not only does the wider Geely group of companies own everything from satellites to smartphone companies, in the automotive world Geely has become a true global player. It has an ownership stake (to various degrees) in Volvo, Lotus, Polestar, Zeekr, Lynk & Co. Proton, Smart and Aston Martin.

But being a big brand isn’t a guarantee of success in the Australian car market, especially given the sheer volume of new car companies that have arrived in the last few years. Having an unusual name certainly helps the Starray stand out, but it will need some substance behind it to find willing customers.

So, what’s the Geely Starray EM-i all about?

Well, it’s a mid-size SUV (yes, another one) that will compete with a hugely diverse array of rivals from the Toyota RAV4 to the BYD Sealion 6. This is one of the biggest market segments in Australia, both in terms of total sales volume but also choice for customers. So it means Geely is targeting a big pool of buyers, but faces stiff competition.

To help it appeal, the Starray is powered by an incredibly frugal plug-in hybrid powertrain – or Super Hybrid as Chinese brands tend to refer to them – that uses just 2.4-litres per 100km and has a claimed electric-only driving range of 83km.

The powertrain itself is a naturally-aspirated 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine paired with an electric motor and 18.4kWh battery. It’s not a potent engine – 0-100km/h takes 8.0 seconds – but it’s a smooth and efficient powertrain and that’s what you should be looking for in this sort of SUV.

The other thing you should look for is a spacious cabin, and the Starray delivers on that front. There’s good room in both the front seats but also the second row, which means your friends and/or kids will be comfortable.

While the cabin has plenty of technology, with a digital instrument screen and huge 15.4-inch central touchscreen, it does lack any sort of unique design that makes the Geely stand apart from many of its similarly-new rivals.

That’s also true of the exterior design and, to be blunt, the driving experience. The Starray is yet another new model that has arrived in Australia without any understanding of the unique nature of Australian roads.

Our roads, both in the city and country, are filled with more bumps, dips and other imperfections than places like Europe. So while we have similar buying habits to Europe in many respects, we don’t need the same type of suspension package.

Unfortunately, that’s what Geely gave us, so the ride is often too firm but also lacks some control at times, which means the Starray isn’t a class-leader when it comes to driving dynamics.

To be blunt, you don’t buy these type of SUVs for their dynamic qualities, but you should expect a comfortable and well-controlled driving experience.

What’s arguably more important to most buyers is the price and value, and on that front Geely has done an above-average job. The two-pronged Starray line-up begins at just $37,490 (plus on-road costs) for the Complete and the higher-grade Inspire is just $39,990 (plus on-road costs).

That’s a very competitive price for a plug-in hybrid SUV, especially when you consider standard equipment on the Inspire includes 19-inch alloy wheels, a panoramic sunroof, ambient interior lighting, power tailgate and a 16-speaker, 1000-watt sound system (which is provided by the Geely Group-owned Flyme brand).

So more than the name, or the driving experience, what will really make the Starray EM-i stand out in a crowded buyer’s market is that value equation. Which could be all it takes to help Geely expand its global empire deeper into the Australian market.

Which means you should remember the name, not Starry but Geely.