Geely Emgrand L EM-i in Australia 1H 2027 – 80 km WLTP EV, 1,000 km total; in Malaysia as Proton eMas 8 PHEV?

Jonathan Lee · September 25 2026 Link copiedShare×Link copied!

Geely has confirmed that the Galaxy Starshine 6 will go on sale in Australia in the first half of 2027 as the Emgrand L EM-i. The plug-in sedan will form a three-pronged assault on Down Under alongside the Monjaro EM-i and the massive and powerful Battleship 700.

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The car is, of course, based on the fifth-generation Emgrand, so the badging is no big surprise. The “L” suffix, however, has only recently been added to differentiate it from the fourth-gen model that remains on sale in many markets – some of them built by Proton.

For Australia, the Emgrand L EM-i looks set to be beefed up under the bonnet, with Geely promising over 245 PS and 250 Nm of torque combined. This suggests that it will utilise the more powerful electric motor reserved for the flex-fuel range-topper in China, boosted by 27 PS and 30 Nm over the standard model to 190 PS and 240 Nm.

The motor will almost certainly be paired with the ubiquitous 99 PS/125 Nm 1.5 litre BHE15-BFN naturally-aspirated four-cylinder engine already used in the likes of the Proton eMas 7 PHEV, as well as an 11-in-1 single-speed dedicated hybrid transmission (DHT). With the largest available 17 kWh LFP battery, Geely is promising a WLTP-rated EV range of over 80 km and a total range of over 1,000 km.

As for charging, the Chinese-market Starshine 6 supports up to 30 kW of DC fast charging and we expect this to be carried over to global markets, enabling a 30 to 80% top up in 20 minutes. It also accepts up to 3.3 kW of AC charging and offers a 3 kW V2L function.

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Compared to the fourth-gen Emgrand (i.e. the Proton S70), the Emgrand L EM-i is a much bigger car. Measuring 4,806 mm long, 1,886 mm wide and 1,490 mm tall, it’s 204 mm longer, 77 mm wider and 24 mm taller, while its 2,756 mm wheelbase is 129 mm longer. Unfortunately, it still uses torsion beam rear suspension, so people will still have a hard time seeing this as a proper C- or D-segment sedan.

Available features include a 10.2-inch instrument display, a 14.6-inch infotainment touchscreen, a 50-watt Qi wireless charger, the usual Geely Galaxy multifunction control knob and “marshmallow” power-adjustable front seats with “ripple” quilting and ventilation. Geely also promises a large 609 litre boot, no doubt helped by the space-saving rear suspension.

With the Emgrand L EM-i already confirmed for right-hand-drive countries, could Proton be coming up with its own version? It certainly seems likely – remember, the national carmaker did tease an eMas sedan during the launch of the sub-brand in 2024.

Could this be what the Proton eMas version will look like?

Photoshop wizard Theophilus Chin has come up with renders of just such a car, which he has dubbed the eMas 8 PHEV. The big difference (aside from the badges, of course) is a new grille that replaces the Mercedes-AMG-style “waterfall” unit in favour of one with diamond-shaped chrome pins, à la the S70.

This, by the way, is not the first time Geely is launching its own RHD version of its cars in other markets ahead of Proton in Malaysia – that honour belongs to the Starray EM-i, which eventually became that eMas 7 PHEV. Given that, it’s unclear if Proton still collaborates with Geely on the conversion work for its eMas models, as once claimed by subsidiary Pro-Net.

GALLERY: Proton eMas 8 PHEV renders

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GALLERY: Geely Galaxy Starshine 6 at Auto China 2026Loading 19 photos…

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