Life takes you to interesting places. If you had told me at the outset of my career covering the auto industry that one day, the most fascinating vehicle I'd test drive would be a purple, high-performance all-electric station wagon from China, I would have asked you if you were on something, and if I could try some of it too.
But this isn't some bad trip; it's a real vehicle, and one that's headed to Europe soon. This is the Zeekr 007 GT, and it seemingly ticks every single box on the car-enthusiast checklist.
So can it do battle with the best from Audi, BMW and the rest? After a brief test of one in China, I think if people are willing to give this EV a chance, they'll be more than pleasantly surprised.
(Full Disclosure: We tested the Zeekr 007 GT amid our trip to the Shanghai Auto Show with the Geely Group. The company covered airfare and lodging.)
2025 Zeekr 007 GT
What Is The Zeekr 007 GT?
Before we dive into the 007, a Zeekr refresher may be in order for our largely American audience.
Zeekr is a member of the sprawling Geely Group family of brands, making it a cousin to Volvo, Polestar, Lotus, Geely itself and others. Of those brands, it's arguably aligned closest to Polestar as a kind of upscale, performance-focused electric brand (albeit one that now includes a plug-in hybrid too.) It's quite different from Polestar as well: less minimalism, more flash, more buttons and featuring a wholly different software setup. Drive both back to back and you'd never realize the two brands are related.
Zeekr is being positioned as a kind of BMW and Audi rival, and it's part of an integrated unit that also includes the Lynk & Co brand, which kind of slots in right below it—albeit with more hybrids as well as EVs.
Confusing? Sure. But it's further proof that the Geely Group has big designs on the rest of the world, even if its portfolio of car brands could likely use some streamlining someday.
Yet while we were in China for the Shanghai Auto Show, it was readily apparent that the company has big plans for both Zeekr and Lynk & Co. Europe is where that push begins in force. It's hardly flying blind there; all of Zeekr's models are designed and engineered in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Of all of them, I would argue that the 007 GT is the most direct shot across the bow. This thing feels like something BMW or Audi or maybe 2010s Jaguar would've cooked up, just with a high-tech Chinese EV vibe. It's a kind of 3 Series or Tesla Model 3-sized vehicle that comes as a four-door sedan, the GT wagon you see here; it's also closely related to the Zeekr 7X crossover that European correspondent Andrei Nedelea gave high marks to recently. (In European markets, this wagon will be branded as the Zeekr 7 GT.)
But as any gearhead will tell you, what works well as a crossover works even better as a wagon. And the 007 GT/7 GT comes to the table with an even more high-tech setup than the European rivals it's targeting.
Zeekr 007 GT: Specs
The Zeekr 007 GT rides on one of the many variants of Geely's Sustainable Electric Architecture (SEA) platform, which as a whole, encompasses everything from compact crossovers to minivans. In this guise, it's got an 800-volt electric architecture, Geely's new Golden Battery, and a peak DC fast charging speed of 500 kilowatts. That means it can add a claimed 311 miles (500 km) of range in just 15 minutes.
Granted, the newest Audi EVs and BMW's upcoming Neue Klasse are 800-volt cars too. But that's cutting-edge stuff for those brands; Zeekr has been doing this for a minute and it has several models packing that kind of power. And one way or another, the 007 GT should be one of the quickest-charging EVs you can find outside of China.
In terms of size, at 15.9 feet (4,864mm) long, 6.2 feet (1,900mm) wide and 4.8 feet (1,460mm) tall, it's in the same class as the aforementioned 3 Series and Model 3—just a smidge bigger.
You can have either a 75 kilowatt-hour battery good for 400 miles (650 km) of range, or a beefy 100 kWh battery that offers 513 miles (825 km) of range. All figures are on China's more optimistic CLTC driving cycle, so in Europe, you won't see range figures quite that good. But this Zeekr should still offer pretty impressive range.
To sweeten the deal, the 007 GT is decidedly quick. The zero to 60 mph (100 km/h) dash happens in just 2.95 seconds, according to Zeekr, and in a short real-world test I had no reason to doubt that figure.
Zeekr 007 GT: Inside And Out
When InsideEVs' Kevin Williams and I stopped by a Zeekr dealership before the Shanghai Auto Show, it was the 007 GT that really captured my attention. Smaller wagons (or "shooting brakes," as they're sometimes called) are so hard to come by in the U.S., and even in Europe they're increasingly being displaced by crossovers.
But the lack of crossover bloat makes this a really handsome and striking option. It kind of reminds me of what Jaguar used to be doing with its cars, albeit with a more streamlined, almost spaceship-like vibe. It's not as minimalist as a Tesla or a Polestar, either, as not every EV buyer wants that.
That extends into the interior as well. You get some buttons and physical switches here, which was a welcome addition after experiencing so many screen-heavy EVs in China. (Even air vents are tough to come by there.)
Like most members of China's new class of premium EVs, the 007 GT has soft-touch materials throughout the cabin and a dashboard that seamlessly wraps into the material on the doors. The driver-facing display is high-quality, the software system is quick and responsive, and like many Zeekr cars, it comes standard with lidar as standard for advanced, Nvidia-powered automated driving assistance. (Yes, standard. They aren't messing around.)
Our tester's infotainment menus were in Chinese, so I was extremely limited in testing the software setup. But it seemed on par with many cars I tried over there: fast, responsive, and full of 3D graphics that include a rendering of the car itself where a single touch can open a door or the trunk. The backup cameras were extremely high-res and the voice controls seemed on point as well.
How Does The Zeekr 007 GT Drive?
In dual-motor form like we drove in China, the 007 GT puts down 637 horsepower. A dash past an open green light into a left turn left me a little surprised at how I could almost get the rear end out. Most EVs are quick, but this thing is a serious hustler—BMW and Audi had better be paying attention.
Like many Chinese EVs, the ride quality errs more on the side of cushy comfort than back-road heroics. This is not to say that the 007 GT isn't a good handler; the steering was responsive and dialed in. But our tester was tuned for a market where people spend large swaths of their day in traffic, and this Zeekr reflects those needs.
Another thing I noticed: even in its highest setting, the regenerative braking and one-pedal driving on this car were nowhere near as grabby as Western options. Whether that could get turned up for Western audiences more used to that experience remains to be seen. But the takeaway is this: it's a comfortable, quick, convincingly premium EV with technology that often exceeds the best in the West.
Zeekr 007 GT: Early Verdict
Kevin and I walked away from the 007 GT thinking this was a car we'd want to buy for ourselves. We both like that 3 Series/Model 3 sizing for performance-minded cars—I know, what a shocker for two automotive writers! So the Zeekr felt like a stellar option for a buyer who wants something upscale, fast and comfortable, with a solid degree of wagon practicality. And with the excellent range and fast charging, it's a great do-anything EV option.
In China, the 007 GT costs between the equivalent of $27,610 USD and $35,780 USD, and it actually undercuts the Model 3 in that market. Even Zeekr officials admit it'd cost more if it were sold elsewhere. European pricing hasn't been released yet.
The older Zeekr 001 costs €59,900, or $62,400, in Germany. The new 7X crossover is a little less at €52,990 ($55,650) for the base model or €55,990 ($58,800) for the long-range battery version. Based on all of this, we expect the rechristened 7 GT to land in that BMW-ish price range.
Can this thing really win over buyers in Europe, where brand loyalty can run pretty strong? I think that if Zeekr emphasizes this car's strengths as an EV—the range, the fast charging speeds and so on—then it may be able to put this brand on the map. Another premium competitor, Nio, has had a rough go of things there as customers flock to more affordable Chinese options instead. And both Zeekr and Lynk & Co are pivoting more to plug-in hybrids as EV sales prove uneven in Europe.
But I think if people are willing to give the 007 GT, and Zeekr itself, a shot, they're going to like what they see. And nothing changes the fact that the technology and performance of this car are truly first-rate. One way or another, that situation is going to come back to haunt Europe's automakers if they don't hustle to catch up.
Gallery: Zeekr 007 GT
Contact the author: patrick.george@insideevs.com
