All-paw for the Starray soon and a giant off-roader with an offbeat name next year.

ALL-wheel-drive enhancement of its first-landed product here and confirmation that it intends to next year release a brawny off-roader battlewagon has come from Geely.

News of the moment is that the Starray EM-i medium sports utility (top image) which kicked off the brand’s presence here will avail from October in a new flagship format, from $55,990, that delivers all-paw driving to the model.

The new choice combines an existing drivetrain, a 1.5-litre turbocharged plug-in hybrid,with an extra e-motor on the rear axle.

It adds an additional 80kW of power and 150Nm of torque for total outputs of 220kW/412Nm.

The additional grunt brings a 0-100kmh sprint time of 6.3 seconds, down from 8.2 seconds for the front-drive.

Other changes to the Starray EM-i include a new five-link multi-link rear suspension set up (up from the four-link of other Starray models), as well as two new driving modes: snow and off-road.

Combined fuel consumption for the AWD is rated at 1.7L/100km, or just 0.1L/100km more than the FWD model, when measured to WLTP.

Electric-pure draw from 29.8kWh battery provisions range of 130km, or just 6km less than the FWD car, on the same scale.

The AWD’s fuel tank is nine litres larger at 60L, giving it a total combined range of 1065km (WLTP), which is an increase from 996km in the FWD car.

The Starray EM-i AWD offers a long list of standard features, including 19-inch alloy wheels, LED exterior lighting, synthetic leather upholstery, a 15.4-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay, a 16-speaker Flyme sound system and a long list of active safety features.

Additionally, national distributor NordEast, part of the Giltrap Group, has shared to a website that it will next land the Battleship 700 (immediately above), a Land Cruiser Prado-sized and shaped choice which is also running a petrol-electric drivetrain, Arrival in the second half of 2027 is indicated.

Final New Zealand specifications will be announced closer to its arrival.

In general export trim it combines a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with a 47kWh battery pack and a tri-motor all-wheel-drive system.

Geely quotes a combined system output of 830kW and says it can travel up to 170km on electric power.

The drivetrain incorporates an integrated differential lock, while the SUV is equipped with 233mm of ground clearance and can reportedly wade through up to 800mm of water.

At present Geely’s lineup here, aside from the Starray, comprises the three electric cars - the baby EX2, medium EX5 and the Riddara RD-6 utility.