- Zeekr 7GT: our first European test drive
- Electric shooting brake is quick, fast to charge, and daring in its design
- Rival to the Audi A6 e-Tron Avant, BMW i5 Touring, and Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo
- Arrives in UK late 2026, priced from around £41,000
We've driven the incoming Zeekr 7GT on European roads ahead of its official UK launch - and the electric estate is one of the best cars to come out of China so far.
The impressive shooting brake is hoping to inject some much-needed dynamism into the dwindling estate car market.
Priced from around £41,000 in the UK, it undercuts a slew of rivals - including the Audi A6 Avant e-tron, BMW i5 Touring and Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo while also offering a genuine alternative to more affordable estates like the VW ID.7 Tourer and Peugeot E-308 SW.
The Zeekr 7GT launches properly in the UK later in 2026 - and here's our early verdict.
What is the Zeekr 7GT - and who is Zeekr?
Even if you’re not particularly into cars, you’ll surely have noticed the plethora of new manufacturer names on the roads of the UK over the past year or two.
And they’re proving popular, too – one of them, BYD, has recently overtaken Tesla as the world’s largest electric car manufacturer.
But the company we’re looking at today, Zeekr, is even newer.
The firm has been around for only about five years, though Geely, an older powerhouse in the Chinese automotive market, owns it.
Geely's origins trace back to the mid-1980s, when, curiously enough, it primarily supplied refrigerator components.
Over the years, it's proven it can build cars, too. Geely sold just over three million vehicles in 2025 and owns over three-quarters of Volvo – and it's hoping to bolster its success with the launch of its Zeekr premium marque.
The car we’re looking at today is stunning, too. It is based on another Zeekr model – a four-door saloon called the '7' (known as the 007 in its native land, where the reference to James Bond is apparently more than coincidental).
Our car is called the 7GT, which is the name of the five-door shooting-brake version we're driving. So, where does it fit in, and is it really a match for the premium brands?
What are the Pros & Cons of the Zeekr 7GT?
Pros:
- Keenly priced against premium opponents
- Striking looks, inside and out
- Huge, industry-leading charging speeds
Cons:
- SUVs offer more practicality
- Driving experience isn’t on a par with German rivals
- Over-complicated infotainment system
What are the first impressions of the Zeekr 7GT?
Our first thought was ‘it’s striking’ – the Zeekr 7GT really looks the part.
At a time when many Chinese car designs look safe, like another generic Eurobox, the 7GT is fantastically daring and muscular.
In terms of describing it, think of a slightly elongated Kia EV6, and you’re not far off.
Granted, the 7GT isn’t as tall, so it looks flatter than the EV6, but it’s still just as nice to look at – arguably even more so.
There is a ‘visor’ at the front - a wraparound black panel taking inspiration from Vauxhall’s ‘Vizor’ design language. It is more rounded than Vauxhall’s, though, reaching right around to the wheel arches - and even behind them.
There are modest black air intakes, too, along with a black panel which mimics a lower grille at the bottom.
At the sides, sporty skirts are detailed in a low black stripe which rises slightly towards the rear, while creases in the lower part of the door add even more definition.
Being a shooting brake, the rear overhang is prominent, while the back is a slightly odd collection of zigzags when viewed side-on.
A thin light bar runs from side to side just beneath the spoiler lip on the tailgate, which looks very cool and adds character.
Plenty of low-hanging bodywork gives it an athletic appearance.
What are the Zeekr 7GT’s key features?
The Zeekr 7GT is offered in three trim levels.
Entry-level Core gets 19-inch alloy wheels, a 15.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, satellite navigation, DAB radio, voice control, a 13-inch digital instrument cluster, and keyless entry.
It also boasts a heat pump, laminated windows, rear privacy glass, a powered tailgate and front and rear doors, two wireless phone chargers, and a panoramic glass sunroof.
Dual-zone climate control, ambient lighting, eight-way electrically adjustable heated front seats with memory function, two-way electrically adjustable heated rear seats, a heated steering wheel, and textile upholstery are also included.
The middle model, Long Range, gets an enormous 35.5-inch augmented reality head-up display, electrically adjustable steering wheel, perforated leather upholstery, an interior fragrance system, and a premium sound system.
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Top-of-the-range Privilege gets 20-inch GT alloy wheels, larger brakes, orange brake callipers, active air suspension and dampers, a black roof, ventilated massage front seats, and four-way electrically adjustable lumbar support.
Poke depends on the trim you pick, with entry-level Core and Long Range models producing 421PS from a single electric motor powering the rear wheels.
Top-of-the-range Privilege gets dual motors producing 646PS and all-wheel drive.
What is the EV driving range of the Zeekr 7GT, and what are the battery options?
Entry-level Core gets a 75kWh battery pack with a range of 322 miles.
Long Range and Privilege models get a larger 100kWh battery, achieving claimed ranges of 406 and 346 miles, respectively.
Of course, real-world range depends on several factors, including ambient temperature and driving style, so expect less than this in practice. Anything around two-thirds or above of the claimed figures is to be expected.
What is the performance and driving experience like with the Zeekr 7GT?
Our test car comes with a gorgeous black-and-white interior.
It does 0-62mph in just 3.3 seconds - supercar territory - and the acceleration feels as fierce as it sounds, pinning you back in your seat and putting a big smile on your face.
If we’re being honest, it’s excessive – other versions manage a 5.3-second 0-62mph time, which is plenty powerful enough, and all-wheel drive in the Privilege model feels unnecessary.
You won’t be short-changed on performance even if you opt for the entry-level model.
Handling-wise, it’s okay, but clearly behind more established rivals – and its kerb weight of over 2.4 tonnes shows.
There isn’t much feedback through the steering wheel, and it can understeer when pushed.
The Privilege’s active air suspension does make a difference - there's very little body lean through faster corners, and the tyres grip the road well. But the Zeekr’s sweet spot is when it’s untroubled at a fair pace, rather than being pushed hard.
As a result, there's little benefit to having all that clout, as you'll want to rein it in and take things more steadily.
The ride isn’t a particular strong point, either. It is comfortable enough, and the lack of handling prowess is likely due to the car being set up softer than most driver-focused premium foes.
Although the air suspension, as its name suggests, is active, it does a half-decent job of smoothing out bumps, but firmer premium competitors can still do a better job.
On pristine roads, it’s a bit wallowy and never truly feels well-planted.
Putting it in Sport mode firms things up nicely, but the steering then feels artificial, the sharper acceleration risks wheelspin, and the suspension feels stiffer, limiting ride comfort.
One-pedal driving is possible, but we’ve seen more refined regenerative braking systems, since the braking force feels a bit inconsistent as you press the pedal, and changes to regen strength have to be made via the touchscreen.
The safety systems are a little too intrusive, with lane-keep assistance pulling us back into line when it really didn't need to – a common complaint among Chinese cars coming to market here.
Thankfully, the driving aids are easy to turn off by swiping down on the infotainment screen.
Overall, it’s not bad, with most of the driving enjoyment coming from straight-line acceleration.
How fast can the Zeekr 7GT charge?
Extremely fast – in fact, the 7GT is now the industry leader, with an astonishing 450kW DC in entry-level Core, and 420kW in other models.
That means even the larger 100kWh battery enjoys a 10-80% top-up in just 16 minutes, while you'll achieve it in only 13 minutes with the smaller 75kWh battery.
Finding a charging point in the UK capable of such speeds, though, will be very difficult.
As for AC charging, the 7GT can charge at 22kW (most electric cars are only capable of 11kW, and even then, many homes can only support about 7kW).
If you can charge at 22kW, a 10-100% top-up takes around four-and-a-half hours in the Core model, and five-and-a-half hours in the other two.
Vehicle-to-load (V2L) is standard, so you can use the 7GT's battery to power devices in your home.
What are the running costs and emissions for the Zeekr 7GT?
It will be cheap to run, especially if you forgo the insanely fast DC charging and top up at home instead, which is far more cost-effective.
Road tax costs just £10 for the first year, but now you’ll pay the same as everyone else from year two onwards (currently £200-a-year).
UK pricing hasn’t been confirmed yet (it's expected to begin at around £41,000, in line with prices in Europe) but as a company car, it'll be ideal, as zero-emission vehicles sit in the bottom band for Benefit-in-Kind tax.
As for reliability, Zeekr is a new marque, so it’s too early to tell.
What’s the interior and technology like with the Zeekr 7GT?
First impressions of the cabin are that it’s simply lovely.
There are only a few buttons thanks to a minimalist design, but the three-spoke leather steering wheel has thick thumb indentations and a flat bottom and top, giving off a sporty vibe.
It is coated in silver garnish, too, including the double spoke at the bottom.
You get a tall centre console that rises towards the dashboard - and bolted to the dash is the show-stealer: a sleek, thinly bordered 15.0-inch infotainment tablet. Its interface looks every bit as attractive as the interior it sits in.
The infotainment screen is very responsive, but it’s overcomplicated, with lots of menus and submenus, and some of the icons are too small.
There are shortcut buttons at the foot of the screen, so at least finding important functions is easy enough, but we’ve used more intuitive systems.
You will also find some physical buttons beneath the screen, which can be customised to take you to your menus of choice. But perhaps inevitably, the air conditioning controls are buried in the touchscreen.
You even have to use the screen to adjust things like the steering wheel and door mirrors.
The digital instrument screen is visually appealing and provides plenty of useful information. Still, the enormous 35.5-inch head-up display, while sounding exciting, overcomplicates things and takes some getting used to.
The materials inside seem of good quality, and everything appears solidly screwed in place.
Even if you pick the all-black interior colour scheme, it looks sophisticated, but the dual-colour black-and-white interior is simply delightful and adds even more elegance.
The seats and steering wheel are dual-coloured, and there’s even a hint of hazel along the interior door handles and the edge of the dashboard, just above the horizontal air vents.
We especially like the eye-catching blending of the speaker grilles, which are formed of circular perforations that gradually enlarge towards the centre of the pattern.
It looks very impressive, indeed, but it’s only offered on the Privilege model.
Is the Zeekr 7GT practical, and how big is the boot?
In the front, it certainly feels quite big.
There is plenty of headroom and legroom, and the centre console provides ample separation between the driver and the front-seat passenger.
In the rear, it's slightly less generous, but the car's length (it's 4817mm, longer than a Tesla Model Y) means there's still sufficient legroom, even if you've got two tall adults sat one behind the other.
Rear headroom is marginally reduced in the back thanks to the sloping roofline, but this won’t impact most folk.
Three adults in the back are doable, but even though it's a wide car, it may not be comfortable for long.
Finding a decent driving position is straightforward, as all models get eight-way electric adjustment for the front seats.
Forward visibility is pretty good, too, as the front windscreen pillars aren’t especially thick, though the droopy nose can make it difficult to see where the car's front is when pulling into a parking space.
The back pillars are considerably thicker, while the rounded lower corners of the rear windscreen and the modest roof spoiler's overhang limit over-the-shoulder visibility.
Thankfully, fore-and-aft parking sensors and a 360-degree surround-view camera are standard on all models.
A total of 456 litres of boot space is offered, though the BMW i5 Touring, Audi A6 e-Tron Avant and Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer offer more.
The 7GT has a 65-litre 'frunk' beneath the bonnet, but it's reduced to 32 litres in our Privilege test car due to its dual motors.
Available capacity expands to 1,390 litres with the rear seats folded in a 60:40 split.
How safe is the Zeekr 7GT?
The 7GT is yet to be tested by safety experts Euro NCAP, but all three Zeekrs assessed so far – none of which are available in the UK yet – have been awarded a maximum five-star rating.
All scored the same in the main three categories, too: 91% for adult occupants, 90% for children and 83% for safety assists - impressive stuff.
On the 7GT, you get automatic emergency braking, a surround reality display, traffic light awareness, intelligent adaptive cruise control with trailer assist and lane change control, and automated lane change assist.
The Zeekr also features front collision warning, fully automatic park assist with 'fingertip' parking, and matrix LED headlights with adaptive high beam.
Can I choose optional extras with the Zeekr 7GT?
You can, although there’s not much to pick from.
Entry-level Core can upgrade its alloys to the multi-spoke ones of the same size, which are standard on the Long Range version.
Our range-topping Privilege model can be fitted with the delightful multi-coloured ‘polar white, charcoal black and hazel’ interior – disappointingly unavailable on lower grades.
Zeekr Premium Connected is a data pack which gives you 5GB of onboard internet, an AI voice assistant called Zeekr GPT, and video and audio streaming services, available on all models.
In terms of body colours, crystal white is the standard shade; paying extra gets you Onyx Black or Tech Grey, and Long Range and Privilege models can also have 'Mystic Lilac’ and ‘Glacier Silver’.
What are the rival cars to the Zeekr 7GT?
Zeekr hopes to be perceived as a premium brand, which puts it in the same category as the Audi A6 e-Tron Avant, BMW i5 Touring, and Porsche Taycan Turismo.
Of course, if you’re considering a 7GT, you may not be bothered by badge snobbery, in which case the Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer, Peugeot’s E-308 Sportwagon and the Vauxhall Astra Electric Sports Tourer are also worth looking at leasing.
The Tesla Model 3, Hyundai Ioniq 6 and BYD Seal are also decent shouts, but they’re saloons and coupes.
What’s the final verdict on the Zeekr 7GT?
Overall, the Zeekr 7GT is one of the more impressive cars we’ve seen come out of China so far.
It is very roomy, offers great performance, a respectable range and exceptionally quick charging speeds.
As well as that, the 7GT is superbly stylish, inside and out - especially if you have the black, white and hazel cabin, though limiting it to the range-topping model is frustrating.
We would advise against it and stick with the entry-level Core, which has sufficient range and performance to get you where you need to go. If you make a lot of lengthy journeys, the Long Range model will be a better fit.
Handling-wise, it’s okay, but it lacks the refinement of the German big boys; this is the only area where it really feels inferior to the likes of BMW and Audi.
But - all things considered, this is something different that’s very attractive, and packed with more tech than even well-established competitors.
Yes, it has weaknesses, but the Zeekr 7GT offers something fresh and different - and, when you put it like that, it’s worth its weight in gold.
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