Zeekr 7X priced for Australia: Latest Chinese electric SUV undercuts Tesla Model Y as premium EV brand goes for mainstream sales

The Zeekr 7X will be priced from $57,900 plus on-road coats as part of a value-focused premium sales pitch aimed at shaking up the EV establishment.

Undercutting original circa-$70K expectations by thousands, the new 7X is set to take the fight to electric SUV heavy hitters such as the Tesla Model Y and BYD Sealion 7 as well as the Kia EV5.

The Zeekr 7X will be offered in three model variants: Rear-Wheel Drive, Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive ($63,900 plus on-roads) and Performance AWD ($72,900 plus on-roads).

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The price of the 7X Rear-Wheel Drive undercuts the base Tesla Model Y by $1000 but is $2910 more expensive than the BYD Sealion 7 that is also proving popular in the medium SUV space. The 7X could also compete with the Kia EV5 that priced from $56,770 before on-road coats.

Zeekr says more than 500 pre-orders have exhausted the first shipload, first deliveries of which will kick off in October, a year after the brand’s October 2024 Australian arrival.

And the company that is part of the Geely Group – which also owns Volvo and Polestar – says the 7X will be its top seller, as it is playing in the sweet spot of the EV market.

Rear-Wheel Drive models are expected to make up most sales of the crucial new model.

The base variant gets a 75kWh LFP battery marketed as Golden Brick. It claims 480km of EV range and can charge from 10-80 percent on a DC connection in 13 minutes.

AC charging can be done at up to 22kW, but for the more common 7.4kW charger it would take about 11 hours to top up.

Standard gear includes 19-inch wheels, a 10-speaker sound system, 13-inch digital instrument cluster, heated and electrically adjustable front seats, panoramic sunroof with a retractable blind, electrically adjustable rear seats, ambient lighting and a powered tailgate.

It also gets a camera to monitor rear seat occupants, allowing a constant picture-in-picture display within the 16-inch central infotainment screen.

The Long Range variant switches to the more expensive (and energy dense) NMC chemistry and ups the capacity to 100kWh, in turn stepping up the WLTP claimed range to 615km. A 10-80 percent charge can be done in as little as 16 minutes.

The Long Range RWD also gets electric steering column adjustment, head-up display and a 21-speaker sound system with 7.1.4 channel immersive set-up.

Both single motor rear-drive variants are claimed to take 6.0 seconds to hit 100km/h.

The AWD Performance – with dual electric motors – drops the range to 543km but steps up the performance. The 0-100km/h dash is claimed to take 3.8 seconds.

The AWD also gets electrically opening front and rear doors – press a button and the rest is done for you – as well as 21-inch wheels, rear side blinds and adjustable height air suspension.

Real leather replaces the fake leather on RWD models.

One omission on Australian cars is the StarGate grille that the company describes as a “dynamic light display” integrated into the grille. It can flash up different patterns and even messages. Australian Design Rules mean it’s not allowed locally.

Of course the big challenge for the Zeekr 7X is getting on the shopping list of new car buyers.

With more competition piling into the Australian market – most from Chinese brands – there’s no shortage of choice for those shopping for an all-electric mid-sized SUV.