If you’re going to challenge the Tesla Model Y, you better be ready. Geely-owned Zeekr was formed in 2021 and launched in Australia in 2024, making 22-year-old Tesla seem comparatively prehistoric as a company.
The Zeekr 7X is the third model from the Chinese luxury upstart in Australia after its small electric SUV, the Elon-like ‘X‘, and the 009 electric people mover, but the newest Zeekr makes the most sense: it’s a mid-size electric SUV which the local arm says will become its best-seller.
Similar in size to the Model Y – which Zeekr doesn’t directly name as a rival – the 7X is 5mm shorter and sits on a longer wheelbase, boding well for cabin space, packaging and driving dynamics.
The entry-level RWD variant also undercuts the Model Y by $1000 at launch – and its 480km WLTP driving range betters it by 14km, too – while Long Range AWD and Performance AWD models grades cap the three-tier 7X lineup.
While many supposed rivals have come out swinging against it, the Model Y remains the best-selling EV in Australia and is going for a fourth-consecutive year on top.
The Toyota bZ4X, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Volkswagen ID.4 and, more recently, the Nissan Ariya all compete in the same segment, but are yet to make an impact on the Model Y’s dominance.
The BYD Sealion 7 has come closest, landing a few blows by topping monthly sales charts, yet the Model Y is still leaving rivals in its wake Down Under so far this year.
The Zeekr 7X, then, brings a strong on-paper threat with highly competitive pricing, interesting design and sophisticated technologies as part of the Geely brand’s push to expand the brand, including an 800V electrical architecture that allows ultra-fast DC charging.
Is it time, then, you stepped past the old-faithful Model Y – even with its recent updates – and stepped into Zeekr’s younger, fresher electric SUV?
How much does the Zeekr 7X cost?
The 7X comes in three different flavours, with the entry-level – badged simply ‘RWD’ – variant opening the range at $57,990 before on-road costs to undercut the base Model Y by $1000.
| Model | Price before on-road costs |
|---|---|
| 2026 Zeekr 7X RWD | $57,900 |
| 2026 Zeekr 7X Long Range RWD | $63,900 |
| 2026 Zeekr 7X Performance AWD | $72,900 |
The 7X also undercuts rivals like the bZ4X, ID.4, Cupra Tavascan, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Subaru Solterra.
There are cheaper rivals, however, such as the Sealion 7, Ariya, Deepal S07, and Xpeng G6. Skoda has also announced a new entry grade for its Enyaq range, priced at a very sharp $54,990 drive-away.
To see how the Zeekr 7X lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool
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What is the Zeekr 7X like on the inside?
The spacious Zeekr 7X cabin is smartly finished and high-tech, starting with pillar-mounted sensors to open the doors.
You’ll have to explain this to first-time users, but they work pretty well at popping open the doors, with sensors stopping them from hitting an adjacent door, wall or parked car – even if a conventional door handle would have done the job.
The Long Range 7X we drove had perforated synthetic leather-trimmed seats, while the top-spec Performance offers Nappa leather instead, ahead of which you’re presented with a flat-bottom leather-wrapped steering wheel.
It has the same stitching found on the seats, across the dashtop and doors, and excellent attention to detail such as minimal piano black surrounds, brushed silver detailing and a 3D applique, all of which add depth and create a premium feel.
Steering column adjustment is manual in the base RWD, but the electric adjustment in the rest of the range is frustratingly accessed via the 16.0-inch central touchscreen.
So too is the setting up the mirrors, with adjustments made via the multi-function squared-off steering wheel buttons once you’ve made the selection in the touchscreen menu.
Thankfully, there are more conventional seat-mounted buttons for electric seat adjustment, including lumbar on the driver’s side, enabling you to easily find a suitable driving position that offers good rearward vision.
The centre console is generously sized and houses a cubby lidded by an arm rest that’s hinged on each side, so can open it towards the driver or passenger via a physical button.
Its felt lining is also echoed on sliding covers for the cupholders and a pair of wireless phone charging bays, while there’s a roomy lower section with two USB-C ports and a rubber mat.
The centre stack comprises proper, sturdy textured buttons ahead of the centre console for functions such as drive modes and the electric tailgate – but, sadly, physical climate controls aren’t included.
Once again, they’re found in the touchscreen menu, but at least they are positioned along the bottom of the home page, offering some respite from everything being hidden behind a digital wall.
The screen is excellent, offering quick and easy access to cameras views – including a silhouette of the car – backed by clear, crisp graphics. Opening the 62-litre frunk is done by simply hitting the frunk icon in the graphic of the car on the centre screen.
In the driver’s seat, where there’s plenty of hip and shoulder room, the thin and wide digital instrument cluster and head-up display are crisp, although we found the HUD tricky to read in harsh South Australian sunlight on occasion.
The second-row seating is even more spacious, with significant legroom amplified by plenty of space under the front seats for feet – but only the tallest passengers will come close to needing it.
There are map pockets on the back of the front seats, and air vents in the B-pillars, and there’s a tray in the back of the centre console for rear passengers, too.
The centre armrest of the 60:40-split rear seat includes two cupholders and a lined bin with its own separate lid, plus USB and USB-C ports for charging devices.
Four top-tethers and four ISOFIX anchors are included, and there’s ample room for three baby seats if required.
The illuminated boot boasts an underfloor storage area, a 12V power outlet and integrated bag hooks. Cargo area packaging is only partially limited by the sloping C-pillar and rear windscreen that help give the 7X its sleek, aerodynamic shape.
There’s no spare wheel and getting down underneath the rear-end reveals a flat underfloor – a result of battery placement and Zeekr’s quest to maximise driving range through aero efficiency.
It’s an excellent, spacious and smartly presented cabin, especially the leather-lined Performance flagship, with only a few foibles such as its touchscreen-operated features counting against it.
| Dimensions | Zeekr 7X |
|---|---|
| Length | 4787mm |
| Width | 1930mm |
| Height | 1650mm |
| Wheelbase | 2900mm |
| Minimum ground clearance | 172mm |
| Cargo capacity | 539-1978L |
To see how the Zeekr 7X lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool
What’s under the bonnet?
The Zeekr 7X is offered with two powertrain options across the three-level model lineup.
| Specifications | RWD | Long Range RWD | Performance AWD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drivetrain | Single-motor electric | Single-motor electric | Dual-motor electric |
| Battery capacity | 75kWh | 100kWh | 100kWh |
| Battery chemistry | Lithium iron phosphate | Nickel manganese cobalt | Nickel manganese cobalt |
| Power | 310kW | 310kW | 475kW |
| Torque | 440Nm | 440Nm | 710Nm |
| Drive type | Rear-wheel drive | Rear-wheel drive | All-wheel drive |
| 0-100km/h (claimed) | 6.0 seconds | 6.0 seconds | 3.8 seconds |
| Claimed range (WLTP, targeted) | 480km | 615km | 543km |
| Max AC charge rate | 22kW | 22kW | 22kW |
| Max DC charge rate | 450kW | 420kW | 420kW |
All 7Xs feature an 800V electrical system, a 22kW AC charger, and 3.3kW vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality which allows you to power external electrical appliances.
Its super-rapid charging capability should be applauded, but in reality Australia’s EV charging infrastructure isn’t developed enough to take full advantage of this – even if the 7X is future-proofed when it comes to charging.
To see how the Zeekr 7X lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool
How does the Zeekr 7X drive?
We had limits on getting to know what the 7X is like in the real world, as the launch drive didn’t include public roads of any kind.
Instead, our first experience behind the wheel of the 7X was on a racetrack which – perhaps even more irrelevantly – was followed by a spot of roughing it on a nearby off-road course.
During a handful of laps around The Bend circuit in South Australia, which has a smooth surface but was littered with loads of rubber ‘marbles’ following a weekend of Supercars racing, the 7X proved competent.
The double-wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension, and the longish 2900mm wheelbase and short overhangs, bring plenty of promise on paper.
And our initial impressions behind the wheel of the mid-spec Long Range RWD were positive, thanks to a well-sorted chassis and a good driving position – even if, once again, adjusting the steering column and wing mirrors needs to be done through the touchscreen.
The perforated synthetic leather-clad seats are comfortable, so much so that you sink into them and settle in after sliding across the shallow bolsters.
On track in the 310kW mid-spec 7X, acceleration was rapid, braking performance was solid and the steering was heavy enough to provide some confidence, but not overly communicative – not that there was much to communicate on the smooth track surface.
There are several drive modes – Comfort, Standard and Sport – that alter a raft of attributes including acceleration, steering and regenerative braking, with the change in steering character being most noticeable on track.
Sport mode simply weights up the steering via a lower level of assistance, contrasting with the lightest Comfort setting, but doesn’t seem to add any more precision.
Sport mode also sharpens the throttle response, but still wasn’t able to eliminate a brief dead spot in power delivery during initial accelerator pedal travel.
The Performance variant seriously steps things up, as you’d expect with its dual-motor AWD powertrain that delivers a punchier 475kW power output, and a substantial 270Nm of extra peak torque (710Nm). It proved predictably rapid, and the added magic beans of adjustable air suspension gives it quite a different character.
The extra shove, which makes Performance flagship’s claimed 0-100km/h time of just 3.8 seconds seem perfectly believable, is channeled through 21-inch Continental tyres. One of Long Range 7Xs on hand was running 19-inch Continentals and another rode on Michelins.
The only quibble when stepping into the Performance is that the seats are no different to the lesser variant, so burying the throttle pushes you back into the soft leather slightly unnervingly. However, the level of traction is superb, with no hint of wheelspin during a maximum-attack launch out of The Bend’s pit lane.
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Compared to the mid-range variant, the Performance can carry more speed in corners, but the 7X’s high level of refinement meant the faster pace was largely reflected in the head-up display’s speedo rather than by any sort of flurry or fluster.
There’s more body roll – not because of a lack of composure, but due to the extra speed and traction. However, while this is not a high-performance car, the 7X Performance manages its weight reasonably well on its air suspension, especially for an SUV that hits the scales at around 2500kg.
The four-piston Akebono brakes are excellent, and should you mess up a line into a corner, the Comfort mode actually offers more steering adjustment than the heavier, more resistive Sport setting.
Sports seats would better hold you in around corners and allow you to make the most of the extra acceleration, which is ferocious out of corners and accompanied by some nose lift.
The seats are adequate in the mid-spec 7X but fall short in the Performance at pace. However, they feel just right when off-roading in the Performance, which seems unlikely to have been in the script when the 7X was being conceptualised.
The air suspension and continuously controlled dampers ironed out pebbly gravel well on the Performance’s big wheels, and can increase ground clearance from 172mm to 232mm, with the off-road section allowing us to feel the AWD system shuffling torque between each axle.
Large ruts and bumps were handled well, but this was as close as we got to any indication of real-world performance on Australia’s suburban roads or city streets.
There’s an Off-Road mode, which turns off the parking sensors and other systems to prevent a constant audio attack as you dig deeper into the terrain.
Our brief first drive, while far from definitive, suggests the 7X is a rapid electric SUV that also has promising composure. The mid-range variant seemed to offer better overall balance during our limited time behind the wheel – but things could be different in the real world.
To see how the Zeekr 7X lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool
What do you get?
The 7X comes in RWD, Long Range AWD and Performance AWD model grades.
2025 Zeekr 7X RWD equipment highlights:
- 19-inch alloy wheels
- LED headlights
- Rain-sensing wipers
- Panoramic glass roof with power sunshade
- Autonomous parking assist
- Sentry Mode
- 13.02-inch digital instrument cluster
- 16-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Satellite navigation
- 10-speaker sound system
- 2 x 50W wireless phone chargers
- Tri-zone climate control
- Four-zone voice command
- Ambient lighting
- Leatherette upholstery
- 14-way power driver’s seat with memory
- 10-way power passenger seat with memory
- Heated front seats
- Heated rear seats
- Rear bench with 10-degree power recline
- Heated, leather-wrapped steering wheel
The Long Range RWD adds:
- Rear privacy glass
- 36.2-inch head-up display
- Power-adjustable steering wheel
- Ventilated front seats
- Massaging front seats
The Performance AWD adds:
- 21-inch forged alloy wheels
- Air suspension
- Continuous damping control
- Automatic doors
- Nappa leather upholstery
- Rear side glass power sunshade
To see how the Zeekr 7X lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool
Is the Zeekr 7X safe?
The Zeekr 7X doesn’t have an ANCAP safety rating as yet, but sister authority Euro NCAP awarded it five stars earlier this year.
Its Euro NCAP scores included 91 per cent for adult occupant protection, 90 per cent for child occupant protection, 78 per cent for vulnerable road user protection, and 83 per cent for Safety Assist.
Standard safety equipment across the range includes:
- 7 airbags incl. front-centre
- Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Front cross-traffic alert
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Automatic lane change
- Surround-view camera
To see how the Zeekr 7X lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool
How much does the Zeekr 7X cost to run?
The Zeekr 7X is backed by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty and an eight-year, 160,000km battery warranty. Zeekr Australia also offers five years of roadside assist.
Service intervals are 24 months or 40,000km (whichever occurs first), but Zeekr Australia ‘recommends’ health checks annually or every 20,000km.
| Service interval | Pricing |
|---|---|
| 12 months/20,000km | $0 |
| 24 months/40,000km | $605 |
| 36 months/60,000km | $330 |
| 48 months/80,000km | $1150 |
| 60 months/100,000km | $3300 |
To see how the Zeekr 7X lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool
CarExpert’s Take on the Zeekr 7X
Our short first test of the 7X shows this all-new mid-size electric SUV is well finished inside and out, with a mostly clever design that’s teamed with a spacious, comfortable and practical cabin.
Drawbacks identified during our first encounter include a lack of physical climate controls, and touch-operated mirror and steering wheel adjustments. Auto-opening doors are also sometimes more trouble than they’re worth, often hampering entry and egress.
More differentiation for the Performance range-topper – notably the seats – would be welcome, but overall the 7X delivers plenty of cachet value thanks to its very smart design, high-quality materials and impressive fit and finish.
But we haven’t tested its driving range, nor driven it on real Australian roads, so we’ll reserve judgement until we’ve negotiated urban traffic, tackled pockmarked rural roads, and assessed energy efficiency in the newest Zeekr.
We also haven’t driven the entry-level RWD – yet our brief first date with the 7X has us eager to meet again, given this fresh Model Y rival’s ability to largely deliver on its promise.
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