New Zeekr 7GT 2026 review: fast, stylish and cheaper than its rivals

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.

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.

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It definitely ticks the cool design box, with styling that has evolved from the early cars, which were essentially rebadged Lynk & Co models. Lukas Medeisis, chief exterior designer for Zeekr, says it’s all about “hidden energy” – designer-speak for a car that looks athletic even at standstill. Part of that comes from the large clamshell bonnet with its sports car-like high wheelarch protrusions and narrow LED headlights. 

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That dynamic look continues through the side profile with wide rear haunches. The sloping roofline further adds to it, impressively doing so without compromising headroom for those in the back seats. The rear is sporty, too, with a split roof spoiler, diffuser and signature lighting, including the now essential illuminated badging.

Inside, the 7GT takes all that perceived luxury we are used to with Chinese brands and elevates it into what might be considered actual luxury. When a £50k family GT has electrically operated doors that open and close at the push of a button, sumptuous Nappa leather with what looks like hand stitching, plus a real chrome-like feel to the switches, thick carpets and back seats that recline up to 20 degrees and provide almost a metre of legroom, should you have second thoughts about shelling out for a Mercedes S-Class?

Or, for that matter, a Taycan? Because beneath all that luxury and design is a platform that features Geely’s 800V Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA), enabling charging speeds of up to 420kW, meaning a 10 to 80 per cent top-up is possible in as little as 16 minutes. Entry-level versions use a 75kWh LFP (lithium iron phosphate) battery, with the flagship Privilege model we tested featuring a new 100kWh NMC (nickel manganese cobalt) pack. It also has an electric motor on each axle to provide all-wheel drive and 50:50 weight distribution, with the other models being driven only by the rear wheels.

With 637bhp and 710Nm of torque, it’s no match for the Denza’s 1,140bhp and 1,210Nm Z9GT, and nor can it crab walk. But it’ll give the Taycan Sport Turismo GTS a good run for its money, with a 0-62mph time of 3.3 seconds and a top speed of 130mph.

Those numbers all stack up remarkably well, especially when you consider the expected price tag, even on the flagship, of under £60k. Let’s be honest, some Taycan owners have lost that in depreciation, and if you like your cars on PCP then you’ll probably appreciate the numbers even more. 

But here’s the thing: it’s not always all about the numbers, and not everyone chooses a car off a spreadsheet. Porsche engineers made the Taycan incredible to drive; Zeekr engineers still have some work to do.

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The 7GT displays massive improvements in ride comfort over the 7X SUV, though. Active Air Suspension with Continuous Damping Control ensures it wafts like a magic carpet most of the time, enhanced even further by an incredibly quiet interior. If a proper GT needs to be able to cross continents easily and comfortably, then Zeekr has nailed the brief.

Except a GT needs to be a driver’s car, too. The 7GT gets many things right, but Porsche engineers are in a league of their own and the Zeekr is not quite at the level of the Taycan. The steering lacks any kind of communication, and instead, feedback comes though the chassis and you feel it in the seat. That’s not to say the electric power-steering isn’t precise, but you just don’t feel anything. Most of the time it turns in really well too, but can suffer from understeer when pushed hard into corners as the motors and electronics try to keep a leash on its 2,405kg kerbweight. 

Then there’s Sport mode, which you can engage through the menus in the 15-inch OLED touchscreen. For our drive, a favourites button on the steering wheel had been programmed to switch between settings, which was helpful because the quick menu with its useful icons often refused to appear. We can’t help but wonder why a car pitched as a GT for those who love to drive doesn’t have a proper mode button that you can easily hit when the moment grabs you. Sport does add weight to the steering, but it also increases the brake regeneration, which requires you to go back into the menus to adjust. 

We found it best to leave the car in Comfort mode and press on, conscious that there is a little more body roll without the air suspension dropping 20mm, as it does in Sport. A bit more time to play with the settings would have helped and, of course, an owner can set the car up the way they want it. Indeed they’ll need to, because the steering wheel and mirrors must be adjusted through a series of menus, too.

So dynamically it’s not a match for the Taycan, but once again, it’s proven that Chinese brands can strike fear into legacy rivals for luxury, performance and overall ride comfort. The interior is superb, the technology isn’t overwhelming and the driving range is decent. While it won’t quite meet the demands of the truly enthusiastic driver, the Zeekr 7GT has a grand-tourer character that makes it both relaxing and fun to drive in equal measure.

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