Australians are already forming a queue for the Tesla Model Y-sized electric SUV that its maker, upstart Chinese brand Zeekr, hopes will supercharge its sales.
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Zeekr's Tesla Model Y-sized electric SUV – the 2025 Zeekr 7X – is tipped to become the growing Chinese brand's top-selling model in Australia when customer deliveries commence in three months' time.
"Thousands" of potential customers have already expressed interest in the vehicle, Zeekr Australia marketing boss Andrew Haurissa told Drive, and "hundreds" have placed unofficial pre-orders with dealers.
It is despite order books being yet to formally open, which is due to occur once prices are announced in early August, pending any delays.
Dealers have advised an indicative RRP for the entry-level rear-wheel-drive, standard-range model of $65,000 to $70,000 plus on-road costs, on par with a Tesla Model Y Long Range ($68,900).
Top-of-the-range, all-wheel-drive models capable of 0-100km/h in 3.8 seconds could sit in the $80,000 to $85,000 plus on-road costs range – or more than $90,000 drive-away – based on information indicated to dealers.
It is the mid-grade Rear-Wheel Drive Long Range variant rated to drive the furthest on one charge, at 615km in European WLTP testing, for an indicated RRP before on-road costs of $75,000.
Haurissa said the prices advised by dealers are "indicative" only, in order to "capture early pre-order stages" ahead of the price announcement at a "pre-order media reveal."
"Sometime in August, hopefully very early in August – that's when we'll start our pre-orders," he told Drive at the local reveal of the four-seat Zeekr 009 Grand people mover.
"That's when we are anticipating the first right-hand-drive vehicles to arrive in Australia. [For] customer deliveries, expect another six to eight weeks post pre-orders, so end of September or early October."
The Zeekr 7X is similar in size to a Tesla Model Y, and is pitched as a more luxurious – and lavishly-equipped – alternative to a growing fleet of rivals from BYD, Kia, XPeng and more.
Information provided to dealers suggests the base model will offer conveniences such as a 16-inch touchscreen, heated front and rear seats, a panoramic sunroof, tri-zone climate control, dual wireless phone chargers, and more.
The Zeekr Australia executive said the brand – which launched at the end of 2024 with the X small SUV and 009 people mover – has been "inundated with a lot of interest".
"We showcased the left-hand-drive [7X] earlier in the year at the Melbourne motor show and also Everything Electric [in Sydney]," Haurissa told Drive.
"The [customers expressing] interest are within the thousands. And pre-order wise, without officially announcing pre-orders yet, it has been within the hundreds as well. It's very strong interest."
He said Zeekr Australia is "optimistic" the 7X will become the brand's top seller locally "given the category of where we're playing in, with a mid-size SUV".
The new-to-market Chinese brand reported 339 deliveries in Australia over the first five months of 2025, across 292 X SUVs and 47 examples of the 009 people mover.
Zeekr has set a target of 2000 to 3000 sales annually in the coming years as its model range grows, driven by the new 7X.
"A variety of brands. Europeans, mainly, and then obviously the other premium Chinese offerings as well," Haurissa said, when asked what potential 7X customers are cross-shopping.
"Given that we are probably the first premium offering from China – previously more volume [oriented] brands have entered the market – I think more Europeans in that regard.
"But we did an initial survey whereby 63 per cent of the interested parties are actually still driving ICE [petrol and diesel] vehicles. So that's a big nod to the changes that we'll see."
Despite being similar in size and price, the Zeekr executive says the Tesla Model Y – Australia's top-selling electric car – is not its main target.
"It's very different. If you look at our current lineup, there's only one mid-size SUV, which is the 7X,"
"So we try to capture the imagination of mid-size SUVs as a complete package, as opposed to 'is it more like this particular vehicle or that particular vehicle' ... We try to put the best of the best of the mid-size SUV segment within 7X."
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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
