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The popular Zeekr 7X is set to be joined by a sleek station-wagon sibling, plus two large plug-in hybrid SUVs in a filling-out of Zeekr's Australian showrooms.
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Zeekr is due to launch three all-new models in Australia over the next 18 months, including a super-sized rival to luxury BMW and Mercedes-Benz SUVs – and a sleek station wagon half the price of a Porsche Taycan.
The growing subsidiary of Chinese car giant Geely has only been in Australia for 18 months, but it has found early success with the 7X, a Tesla Model Y competitor that attracted 2500 orders before the first customer test drives.
It will be followed by three new Zeekr models by the end of 2027: the 7GT mid-size electric wagon, 8X large plug-in hybrid SUV, and 9X 'upper large' plug-in hybrid SUV.
"We're committed to launching one new car every year," Zeekr Australia head of digital Andrew Stamatakis told Drive.
"What we're working on now... between the 9X and 7GT, you'll see one of them this year. We're just working out which one we can bring to the market."
"... One of the cars will be here this year, 8X definitely next year, and then we're going to also have potentially the other one – 7GT or 9X, whichever we don't release this year."
Stamatakis said: "If we could get both cars in now, we would, but we want to bring these cars in in the market sustainably; we want to make sure we can get the supply."
An example of the 7GT was imported to Australia for evaluation and display last year, as a low-slung wagon version of the popular 7X SUV.
Just over 2500 wagons were reported as sold last year, only 121 of which were electric: the $204,100 Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo and $219,900 BMW i5 Touring.
The 7GT will not be as expensive, with prices in Europe about 8 to 9 per cent lower than equivalent 7X grades, pointing to RRPs in Australia of between about $53,000 and $66,000 plus on-road costs.
"We think so," said Stamatakis, when asked if Zeekr expects the 7GT to sell better than its niche category would suggest.
"The car is aesthetically beautiful. It's well built. It brings all the technology from 7X that we know and love. The price point, we're going to make sure that we price it to the market. We think it will do well for its segment."
The six-seat, three-row 9X is the largest SUV in the Zeekr range, similar in length to a Nissan Patrol, or a flagship German SUV such as a Mercedes-Benz GLS or BMW X7.
It is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine assisted by three electric motors – two rear, one front – for a combined output of 1030kW, good for a claimed 0-100km/h acceleration time of just 3.1 seconds.
Electric-only driving ranges based on Chinese CLTC testing are rated at 235km with a 55kWh battery, or 302km with a 70kWh pack.
Prices are yet to confirmed, but given the 7X is listed at $57,900 to $72,900 plus on-road costs, the 9X is likely to be a six-figure proposition.
"I think you only have to look at what cars are rolling around from big legacy luxury brands to see that there is definitely a segment of the market that demands a car that size and that luxurious," Stamatakis said.
"That's why we want to bring the car to Australia. We're constantly evaluating how we bring it, when we bring it, and the price, but yeah, we're not concerned by that."
He said Zeekr is working to make its name better known, to give the 9X the platform it needs to succeed.
"Brand awareness is a constant thing that we're investing in and working on, and I think by the time 9X comes, I don't think we're going to have an issue with people saying who is Zeekr. I think people know who we are now," he said.
The 8X is a slightly smaller five-seat sibling to the 9X, but it is hardly a small car, measuring more than five metres long, similar to a Toyota Kluger or Hyundai Palisade in footprint.
Its closest competitor as a full-sized but five-seat SUV is the Mazda CX-70, which is only sold with six-cylinder, mild-hybrid petrol and diesel engines, as well as a plug-in hybrid Audi Q8.
Stamatakis said it is "too early to speculate on what we could potentially price that car to," though if the 7X is a guide, an RRP range passing through $80,000 plus on-road costs is a reasonable guess.
The 8X is available with the 9X's 2.0-litre engine and tri-motor hybrid system producing 1030kW – for zero to 100km/h in a claimed 2.96 seconds – though a cheaper dual-motor version is offered, developing 660kW and claiming 0-100km/h in 3.7 seconds.
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Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
