Verdict
The Zeekr 7GT’s cool looks are matched by impressive levels of luxury. It delivers plenty of performance, charges as rapidly as it drives and ticks the everyday practicality boxes for those who don’t want yet another SUV. It’s let down slightly by compromised dynamics and a lack of driver engagement, but that’s almost easy to overlook in a car that excels in ride comfort and style, and does so at a price that looks set to drastically undercut legacy premium rivals.
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Geely has Volvo, Polestar and Lotus in its portfolio, as well as the model that bears its own name, the EX5. Later this year, it will give us Zeekr, which has had a presence in mainland Europe for the past three years. It’s a premium brand that has its sights firmly set on luring you away from Audi, BMW, Mercedes and even Porsche.
With brand loyalty on the decline in the premium segment, Lothar Schupet, CEO of Zeekr Europe, cheekily says that the company’s focus on “sheer driving pleasure”, “progress through technology” and offering “the best or nothing” are all factors that should excite customers, although rivals might not be quite so impressed.
Zeekr hasn’t confirmed which models will arrive first; we’ve driven the Tesla Model Y-rivalling 7X, the 1,381bhp 8X and have had a passenger ride in the luxurious and slightly ostentatious 9X. But it’s the 7GT we are most eagerly anticipating; it’s the brand’s attempt to re-imagine a modern lifestyle estate, with a shooting brake design that shows it has the Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo – and the upcoming Denza Z9GT – in its crosshairs.
