2027 Zeekr 7GT review: Quick drive

Wagons appear to be making a bit of a comeback.

Cupra has launched its Leon Sportstourer, with both performance and plug-in hybrid variants, BYD is releasing a Touring version of its Seal 6 sedan, also with a plug-in hybrid powertrain, and BYD premium brand Denza is bringing the sleek Z9 GT electric shooting brake.

Now there’s a new player coming to the long-roof party: the 2027 Zeekr 7GT, and this one’s electric like its Chinese compatriot from Denza.

If you didn’t know, Zeekr is part of the Geely group, which, among many, many other brands, also owns Volvo, Polestar, and Lotus.

Zeekr is one of its more premium brands, with the company positioning its models as combining luxury, technology and performance. Think something between Tesla and BMW, but from China, and throwing a few big swings at everyone from Porsche to Rolls-Royce.

Badged in China as the 007 GT, little is known about the 7GT bound for Australia at this stage, with details such as pricing and final specifications yet to be locked in.

There are some hints, though. In Europe, the 7GT is available in three variants, and there's a good chance we'll see something similar here.

The base Core comes with a 75kWh battery pack, feeding an electric motor at the rear axle, and producing 310kW of power and 440Nm of torque – and good for a claimed 519km of driving range (WLTP). Note that those numbers are based on the European model, and could change by the time it lands here.

At the other end of the lineup is the 7GT Privilege, which gets a 100kWh battery, all-wheel drive from dual electric motors – with Australia to get a combined 500kW.

In the middle is the 7GT Long Range, which gets the 100kWh battery from the Privilege, but sticks with a single electric motor, rear-wheel drive, and 655km of claimed range in the European market.

While details are thin on the ground, Zeekr Australia has suggested there will be some spec changes for local buyers. As we've said, these are yet to be published, but it looks like Australian-market cars will retain the 800-volt electrical architecture, rather than going with the 900V system of the updated 7GT in China – which you can see Paul driving in the video above.

The 7GT is a good-looking thing in real life, but is sensitive to paint colours. If you like the black eye-band look, then go for a lighter hue; if you don't, go black; and if you want to cosplay as a Ferrari 12Cilindri wagon, go red.

The best-looking 7GT at a preview event in New Zealand had the FR Line package, which arrived in a beautiful darker metallic green with muted copper alloy wheels. Fingers crossed this option pack comes to Australia, though I suspect that would be a pretty safe bet considering it was flown over for us to drive.

CarExpert was invited to experience the Zeekr 7GT at a two-day event in Queenstown, New Zealand. Though there was no road driving, we were able to test the sporty electric wagon at the Highlands Motorsports Park and at a cold-weather proving ground, which we were specifically asked not to name. This was despite the fact there’s only one cold-weather proving ground in our part of the world, and the automaker is advertising a customer experience called Zeekr On Ice that identifies the facility.

Regardless, we put the 7GT through its paces with a quick lane-change test, a gymkhana, and a handful of laps of the Highlands circuit. At the snow and ice proving ground, we tested its chassis dynamics with a slalom course, low-speed drifting, a 180-degree flick test, and another gymkhana – all with the car’s electronic stability control turned off.

How much does the Zeekr 7GT cost?

Zeekr has not yet announced Australian pricing for the 7GT.

However, we do know that in Europe, the 7GT is priced below the popular Zeekr 7X mid-size SUV. Locally, the 7X is available from $57,900 before on-road costs, though there is often a disparity between Australian and European pricing – particularly when it comes to vehicles manufactured in Asia.

To see how the Zeekr 7GT lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What is the Zeekr 7GT like on the inside?

Judging the interior of any car depends on where it’s priced, so everything we say here is based on not knowing how much the Zeekr 7GT will cost when it arrives in Australia.

Having said that, it’s impressive inside. As with its 7X sibling, the 7GT offers a high level of build quality, with a good selection of cabin materials that are bolted together well. It’s not quite at the same level as a Porsche Taycan, for example, but we’re not talking lightyears of difference either.

There are no obvious sharp edges out of sight, or plastic witness marks from manufacturing, or any of the other things that make the difference between a high-quality cabin and one that just photographs well.

It’s also an attractive interior, with some thoughtful design going into the cabin – sticking with the typical Chinese electric-car template of a big central infotainment screen, yet adding its own flair.

Due to time constraints, jumping behind the wheel required us to put it straight into Drive – annoyingly via the right stalk that looks identical to an indicator – and immediately do some performance-oriented tests, so we didn’t have much of an opportunity to explore the infotainment system.

However, our few explorations of the system showed it to be a user interface that is relatively straightforward, without being especially groundbreaking in any significant way.

On initial impressions, the seating position is higher than we would have liked, with it feeling as if you’re sitting on top of a Yellow Pages. After a day of driving the 7GT, this feeling quickly faded away.

The height and reach adjustment of the steering wheel is quite good, and helps improve ergonomics – though it can only be adjusted through the screen. Not really a problem when you own a car, but it got tiresome when we were jumping in and out of vehicles all day.

While it looks decent in photos, the switchgear also fell short of expectations, particularly on the centre console under the screen. The buttons and knobs do look cool with that knurled aluminium finish, but the action comes off as cheap and flimsy, and certainly didn’t rise to the level of the rest of the car’s build quality.

There also just aren't enough buttons and knobs, and while that's not uncommon nowadays, it does force you to do most tasks through the screen.

Slide into the second row, and there’s a surprising amount of room back there. The rear seat has a comfortable amount of rake, and it feels like it would be a welcome place to spend time. For those with teenagers who eat you out of house and home, the Zeekr is a genuinely viable option.

The boot has 456 litres of storage available with the rear seatbacks up, but expands to 1390L with them folded. The rear-wheel drive 7GT also gets 65L of frunk space under its bonnet, reducing to 32L for the AWD.

Our complaints about the cabin were few and far between, and overall the 7GT shows that Zeekr is nipping at the heels of some of the established European players. Think of it as a cut-price Taycan Sport Turismo, and you wouldn’t be completely off the mark.

To see how the Zeekr 7GT lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What's under the bonnet?

Exact specifications of the Zeekr 7GT haven't been announced yet for Australia, though we can get an idea based on the variants offered overseas. The following specifications are for the European market and are provided as a guide only.

*European specifications quoted

While we're expecting the Australian model to use the 800-volt architecture – rather than the 900V system used in China – we do know that power will be bumped to 500kW for the range-topping variant here.

To see how the Zeekr 7GT lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How does the Zeekr 7GT drive?

Stick the Zeekr 7GT in Drive, and this is where it gets fun.

Actually, the fun starts before you drive off, because the 7GT has the ability to project sounds from an external speaker.

I’ll admit being very confused and concerned at hearing a loud ‘meow’ from the pit lane, before, hilariously, the vehicle switched to a clackety diesel tractor starting up. Or you can really confuse your mates when you pull up in your grumbly V8-sounding wagon.

But that’s surface-level fun, and the 7GT goes deeper than that.

Despite the big performance figures advertised, Zeekr has clearly played with the throttle mapping to ensure power is fed to the electric motor/s in a linear fashion. The rear-drive version, in particular, doesn’t bolt out of the gates like it’s been tased, but does build speed very quickly once you’re moving.

There is a launch mode available in the top grade – as tested by Paul in China – which will give you the full steak and beans from the get-go.

The higher-output version is quicker and more eager, as you would hope and expect, but is still entirely driveable thanks to that progressive power dispersion. At almost any speed, you can plant your foot for an overtake, and the 7GT will embarrass a lot of sports cars that cost twice as much.

Corners are also nothing to be afraid of – for the most part. Initial turn-in is great, giving the wagon an eager character, but without going too far and feeling twitchy and overcaffeinated. The steering ratio is just about spot-on, though feedback was difficult to gauge due to the marble-smooth surface of the racetrack.

It’s surprisingly alert when asking for quick direction changes – even with its circa-2300kg mass showing a bit of ankle – and the chassis comes across as being nicely balanced on the whole.

There’s a lot of enjoyment to be had from the Zeekr 7GT when driving with some purpose, because of its reasonably high level of responsiveness and dynamism.

However, start pushing harder at 8/10ths or more, and you’ll encounter understeer.

Wrench the steering wheel into a low-speed corner with the finesse of a rhino, and the front tyres will complain loudly, with gobs of understeer and the vehicle pulling some power from you as punishment. This is a slow-in, fast-out kind of car that favours smooth driver inputs.

At higher speeds – in the AWD 7GT – the Michelin tyres have grip until they don’t, with the front-end pushing in a fairly dramatic way when you combine excessive speed with steering input. This was exacerbated over rises in the road that took load out of the front wheels. We didn’t have the opportunity to try and replicate this in the RWD 7GT, so we can’t tell you yet if there’s a benefit to deleting the front electric motor and, as a result, reducing weight from the pointy end.

Outright corner grip isn’t on the same level as sporty models from the German brands, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, because you can't use that kind of thing most of the time anyway. Dial it back, and the Zeekr will reward you with a responsive and enjoyable chassis, and will tap you on the shoulder if you start to push the boundaries. If that sounds like a criticism, it's not really, because Zeekr has placed the performance where it's useful, not to maximise Nurburgring lap times.

We also had the chance to play with the 7GT in the snow, testing it with the electronic stability control turned off in a series of slaloms and gymkhanas. While not entirely relevant for most Aussies, low-speed manoeuvres in low-traction environments are a good way to expose vehicle balance and reactivity, as well as giving some insights into the powertrain.

All of which confirmed what we’d experienced earlier: Zeekr’s engineers have done an excellent job with both the chassis and powertrains. The 7GT was easy to control, intuitive, and entertaining.

On track, the brakes were fantastic, delivering confidence through a progressive and well-weighted pedal. But while they never gave any reason for me to doubt them, my colleague Dave Kavermann from CarExpert NZ said he found the brakes began to give up the ghost after a few hard laps. Unfortunately, due to circumstances outside my control, I wasn’t able to push them hard and consistently in the same way.

Whereas the external speaker is a bit of silly fun, the 7GT can also pipe artificial throttle noises into the cabin, and this was really the only thing I hated about the whole car. It sounded like lo-fi trash from the video game Stunts released in 1990, and was at a volume that was genuinely uncomfortable when sitting in the back seat. Thankfully, it can be switched off.

Like the steering feedback, we couldn’t get an accurate read on the 7GT’s ride comfort, though there seemed to be a bit of an improvement in the AWD's air suspension over the standard suspension of the RWD variants.

The ride was pleasant enough, but there were a couple of times when it felt like the suspension tune in the AWD 7GT may have erred on the soft side, despite the lack of body roll through corners. Though again, this is something we’ll be looking to test more once we’re out on real roads.

So, while our time behind the wheel was limited and contained to a racetrack and snow field, there’s clearly a lot of promise here, and the Zeekr 7GT could prove to be a very compelling performance-oriented wagon for the road – and arguably the start of a new era for the Chinese automotive industry.

To see how the Zeekr 7GT lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What do you get?

As with pricing and powertrain specifications, the list of standard and optional features remains unknown for Australia at the time of publication. The list below is based on European models on sale, and should provide an insight into what Aussie buyers can expect.

2027 Zeekr 7GT Core RWD* equipment highlights:

• 19-inch Aero alloy wheels
• Matrix LED headlights with active high-beam
• Rear privacy glass
• Panoramic glass roof
• Power tailgate with adjustable opening height
• 15-inch OLED central touchscreen
• 13-inch HD LCD instrument cluster
• Face recognition
• Satellite navigation
• Over-the-air software updates
• In-vehicle app store – selected apps
• Digital key
• Offline voice assistant
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• 360-degree parking cameras
• Front and rear parking sensors
• USB-C ports front and rear – 60W/27W
• Two 50W wireless phone chargers
• Dual-zone climate control
• Ambient interior lighting
• 8-way power front seats with memory
• Heated front and rear seats
• Heated steering wheel
• Leather steering wheel with 4-way manual adjustment
• 60:40-split/folding second-row backrest
• Second-row ski pass-through
• 2-way power adjustment for second-row seats
• Textile/PU black seat trim
• 10-speaker Zeekr sound system with subwoofer
• Intelligent adaptive cruise control with trailer assist

Zeekr 7GT Long Range RWD* adds:

• 35.5-inch augmented-reality head-up display
• Auto-dimming driver’s side exterior mirror
• Leather steering wheel with 4-way power adjustment and memory

Zeekr 7GT Privilege AWD* adds:

• 20-inch GT alloy wheels
• Adaptive air suspension with continuous damping control
• Two-tone roof
• Black contrast roof and rear spoiler
• Front fixed 4-piston brake calipers
• Orange-painted brake calipers
• Nappa/PU perforated Charcoal Black seat trim

*European specifications quoted

In other markets, Zeekr also offers 19-inch alloy wheels, Nappa leather upholstery, an upgraded stereo, ventilated and massaging seats, remote parking, and a tech package that includes an electrochromatic glass roof and power-operated front and rear doors – all as optional equipment.

To see how the Zeekr 7GT lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Is the Zeekr 7GT safe?

The Zeekr 7GT has yet to be rated by the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP). However, European models have been granted five stars by ANCAP's sister program, Euro NCAP.

While ANCAP's rating calculations differ slightly from Euro NCAP's – and safety features have not yet been locked in for the Australian market – in Europe, the vehicle scored 79 per cent for the Safe Driving category, 89 per cent for Crash Avoidance, 93 per cent for Crash Protection, and 95 per cent for Post Crash Safety.

Standard safety equipment* includes:

• 7 airbags incl. centre airbag
• Adaptive seatbelts
• Occupant stature classification
• Child presence detection
• Driver monitoring system
• Autonomous emergency braking
• Rear cross-traffic alert and assist
• Advanced emergency lane keeping
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Adaptive cruise control
• Lane-change assist
• Cyclist dooring prevention
• ISOFIX / i-Size child-seat mounting points
• Multi-collision brake
• Automatic high-voltage deactivation
• Automatic door unlocking

*European specifications quoted

To see how the Zeekr 7GT lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How much does the Zeekr 7GT cost to run?

Zeekr offers a five-year, unlimited-kilometre new-vehicle warranty with five years of roadside assistance in Australia.

Other electric models in the Zeekr range are offered with an eight-year, 160,000km warranty for the high-voltage battery and related EV componentry – with the battery's state-of-health (SoH) warranted for 70 per cent of its original capacity.

Servicing for other electric Zeekr models locally is based on 12-month or 20,000km intervals, with capped-price service costs offered.

Exact details on the warranty and servicing for the Australian-market Zeekr 7GT are expected to be announced closer to its launch.

To see how the Zeekr 7GT lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

CarExpert's Take on the Zeekr 7GT

The writing’s been on the wall for a long time, but if you work in the upper echelons of an established auto brand – no matter whether it's a budget-friendly or premium marque – the Zeekr 7GT should make you nervous.

It’s not the first time a Chinese car has left a positive impression, but the 7GT is showing some real promise as an electric performance car that delivers beyond mere power figures.

Though this wasn’t a comprehensive road test, our early experience with the sporty electric wagon has left us quietly impressed and excited about what’s coming from the brand. Rather than reinventing the wheel, it seems Zeekr has done the smart thing and taken a handful of segment leaders and then cherry-picked some of their best bits for itself.

The result is that the 7GT feels a bit like the punk kid cousin of the Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo, that's copied its homework from the Hyundai Ioniq 6 N, with maybe 80 per cent of the driving dynamics of a BMW. But with all the tech and features we’ve come to expect from the Chinese.

And while that’s high praise, Zeekr hasn’t quite bridged that last bit of the gap. But it is closing, and fast. Consider that, too, the 7GT may cost a fraction of the price of anything you’d get like this from the Germans, though we don’t know exactly what the 7GT’s price will be just yet.

Should Zeekr attach a price tag to the 7GT even vaguely in the vicinity of the 7X, then the negative aspects that we’ve noted could be easily forgiven – with the exception of the horrible artificial ‘engine’ noises, which should be used as an example of how not to do it.

Where the Zeekr 7GT seems like it will truly shine is as a fast electric road car.

In other words, it doesn’t have the feel of an out-and-out race car with number plates, but has (more than) enough usable performance, coupled with fun dynamics for public roads and a high level of comfort – making it a perfect daily driver that can be fun out in the country or up a mountain at the weekend.

We’re very much looking forward to getting some proper seat time in the Zeekr 7GT on Australian roads when it lands here in late 2026 or early 2027. And getting into what else the brand has planned for us beyond it.

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MORE: Explore the Zeekr 7GT showroom