Zeekr 7X review: Move over, Musk. And Benz, beware
[HANGZHOU] Fledgling car brands need a breakthrough model if they're to take off, and I think the 7X is Zeekr's. The easiest way to understand this pure electric crossover is that it's yet another Chinese rival to the Tesla Model Y – except it's too good to be just another rival.
While Tesla wrote the playbook on how to do a successful electric vehicle, the 7X shows that Zeekr is aiming to take things further, with the help of sumptuous interiors and some Scandinavian design.
It's about the same size as the Model Y, with a long 2,900 mm wheelbase that gives back-seat passengers space to stretch out. But beyond the numbers, it's the athletic stance that stands out, along with smooth lines accented by just enough muscle to give it some visual heft.
Chinese versions have a luminous 'stargate' grille that can light up as if to signal an alien mothership. That feature's unlikely to make it past the Land Transport Authority's wary eye for approval here, but it's one of many signs that Zeekr isn't content with anonymity. There are more inside, where you're surrounded by pleasing textures and materials that feel expensive, including Nappa leather in the top 'Privilege' version that Zeekr claims is 25 per cent more comfortable than regular leather.
The tidy, minimalist layout adds strong Scandi energy, which only makes sense, since former Bentley design chief Stefan Sielaff heads up Zeekr's main styling studio in Gothenburg, Sweden.
A 16-inch touchscreen handles most of the controls, but there are still physical switches for the everyday stuff, a quiet rebuke to carmakers that equate modernity with menu-diving. PHOTO: BIG FISH PUBLISHING
I wouldn't have minded trying the 7X there, but instead I had a brief go in Hangzhou, the brand's hometown. It wasn't enough to form deep impressions of the Zeekr's handling, but more than enough to be impressed by its refinement. The cabin is a quiet place, the ride is supple, and the car's setup feels like it aims more for serenity than stimulation.
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Still, if you do want performance, the 7X doesn't fall short. European markets get a single-motor, rear-drive version with 416 horsepower and up to 615 km of range (WLTP), or a twin-motor, all-wheel-drive rocket with 630 hp and a 3.8-second dash to 100 kmh. Optional air suspension can lift the car 4.5 cm if you fancy going off the beaten path, though a better reason for having it is that it makes the ride feel plush and composed.
Zeekr has also come out guns blazing with driver assist features. In China at least, the 7X has lidar, radar and sonar sensors, plus enough cameras to film a Netflix special. They enable Navigation Zeekr Pilot (NZP), a self-driving system already on Chinese roads.
I didn't try it out in a 7X, but had a short go in a 007 GT, a sporty wagon destined for export markets. All I had to do was set a destination, engage the system, and then sit back while the Zeekr piloted itself all the way to my car park entrance.
Regulations meant I had to jiggle the steering wheel every once in a while, to convince the car that I hadn't stepped out for lunch, while the NZP system spookily did the actual driving. It obeyed traffic lights, steered through messy junctions and, just like a real driver, crept above the speed limit now and then. It even decided on its own to overtake a lorry, executing the move smoothly and using the indicators politely, which already puts it one-up on most BMW drivers. Who knows how long it'll be before NZP pops out of the regulations bottle outside of China?
The 7X Privilege's nap-friendly passenger-side rear seat reclines electrically, extends a leg rest and offers massage and ventilation. PHOTO: BIG FISH PUBLISHING
Until then, the 7X has to impress by being a car you actually want to drive. It helps that it's ergonomically sound inside, with most things falling to hand easily. A 16-inch touchscreen handles most of the controls, but there are still physical switches for the everyday stuff, a quiet rebuke to carmakers that equate modernity with menu-diving.
A Snapdragon 8295 chip keeps the infotainment system snappy, while 5G connectivity and over-the-air updates promise that your Zeekr will get smarter over time.
The boot swallows 539 litres of cargo, there's a useful 62-litre frunk, and thoughtful touches include under-seat drawers and even a Zeekr-developed child seat with its own airbag for a baby's head.
It's the Privilege version that really sets the 7X apart from the Model Y and its ilk. Its nap-friendly passenger-side rear seat reclines electrically, extends a leg rest and offers massage and ventilation. There's also a flip-out screen and a fold-down tray table, which I first encountered in a Rolls-Royce, even though this car is a world apart from old-money opulence.
All that is why Elon Musk has to sleep with one eye open, but the traditional luxury players should be worried, too. Zeekr clearly intends to become known for being more high-tech than Mercedes and more high-end than Tesla, and the 7X spells that out plainly. That's exactly what breakthrough models do.
Electric Zeekr 7X Privilege AWD
Motor Power/Torque: 630 hp/710 Nm
Battery Type/Net Capacity: Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC)/100 kWh
Charging Time/Type: 5.5 hours (22 kW AC), 16 minutes 10 to 80 per cent (360 kW DC)
Range: 543 km (WLTP)
0-100 kmh: 3.8 seconds
Top Speed: 210 kmh
Efficiency: 19.9 kWh/100 km (estimated)
Agent: Premium Automobiles BEV
Price: TBA
Available Third quarter, 2025
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