Ceer Exobot revealed as Saudi brand confirms hybrid future

Saudi Arabia’s Ceer has revealed its first production cars, the Exobot electric sedan and SUV, ahead of local sales beginning in early 2027.

Saudi Arabia’s first home-grown vehicle brand has unveiled its first production models, with the Ceer Exobot electric sedan and SUV spearheading a seven-model rollout through to 2030.

The spectacular flagships were revealed in Saudi Arabia this week and will initially be offered as limited First Edition models before the Exobot Plus follows.

Ceer says the Exobot architecture can deliver as much as 1111hp – approximately 828kW – and 1500Nm in its highest specification, with claimed 0-100km/h times of 2.1 seconds for the sedan and 2.4sec for the SUV. Ceer quotes top speeds of 250km/h and 210km/h respectively for those maximum-performance versions.

The detailed production specification released for the Exobot First Edition and Plus is less extreme but still substantial. Both sedan and SUV use a tri-motor all-wheel-drive system producing 625kW and 1000Nm, fed by a 112kWh NCM battery.

The sedan is claimed to reach 100km/h in 2.6sec, with a 230km/h top speed and an estimated 670km NEDC range. The SUV takes 2.9sec, is limited to 210km/h and has a claimed 560km NEDC range.

Both use an 800-volt electrical architecture. The technical specification lists maximum DC charging at 250kW and AC charging at 11kW, while Ceer claims a 10–80 per cent recharge can be completed in less than 30 minutes.

There is also a significant change in direction behind the launch. Ceer was established as a pure-electric manufacturer, but CEO Jim DeLuca has told Reuters that the company’s full range will also include plug-in hybrids and combustion-engined vehicles as it responds to changing market demand.

Five more mainstream models are due between 2028 and 2030, including mid-size and compact vehicles. Ceer’s own launch material describes the future portfolio as using ‘various propulsion options’.

The Exobot sedan measures 5260mm long, 2102mm wide and 1428mm high on a 3200mm wheelbase. The SUV is 5016mm long, 2101mm wide and 1693mm high, also with a 3200mm wheelbase.

The SUV has variable ground clearance of 240–300mm, while the sedan ranges from 120–165mm. Both feature dual-chamber air suspension, double-wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension, steer-by-wire and rear-wheel steering.

The sedan rides on staggered 23-inch front and 24-inch rear wheels. The SUV offers up to 22-inch front and 24-inch rear wheels, and adds a Sand drive mode alongside Track and Drag modes.

Styling is dominated by a wedge profile, a huge 2.4-metre windscreen inclined at 15 degrees and almost three-metre-long upward-opening ‘Shahin Wing’ doors. There is no conventional B-pillar between the front and rear doors.

Inside is a 48-inch curved 8K display spanning the dashboard, a 10.4-inch central control screen and an 8.0-inch rear control screen. The equipment list also includes four-zone climate control, ventilated front and rear seats, seven airbags, and front and rear dashcams.

Some features are tailored specifically to the Saudi market, including prayer-time notifications, a Qibla compass and what Ceer describes as ‘trapped abaya detection’.

Several advanced driver-assistance functions – including Auto Lane Change Assist, Highway and Traffic Jam Pilot, Navigate on Pilot and Auto Memory Parking – are listed as planned for delivery via over-the-air update by 2028.

Ceer says the Exobot was designed and engineered in Saudi Arabia for the region’s extreme heat. Its Halo Cooling system is claimed to reduce cabin temperature from 65C to 32C within 10 minutes.

Production will take place at Ceer’s manufacturing complex at King Abdullah Economic City. Ceer says the facility is the largest automotive plant in the Middle East.

Ceer was established in 2022 as a joint venture between Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and Taiwanese electronics manufacturing giant Foxconn. Foxconn has supplied the electrical architecture, while Ceer also has a technology licensing agreement with BMW.

Saudi Arabian sales are due to start in early 2027. Ceer plans to expand into neighbouring markets from 2028 and then more broadly through the Middle East and North Africa.

No Australian launch has been announced. However, DeLuca says the coming mainstream models are being engineered to meet global regulatory requirements, potentially leaving the door open to wider exports.

Ceer’s first customer deliveries are scheduled for Saudi Arabia in early 2027, with the First Edition followed by the Exobot Plus.

Five more mainstream models are planned from 2028 to 2030 as the brand expands beyond EVs into PHEVs and combustion-engined vehicles. Australia is not currently part of the announced rollout.

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