Zeekr bets on 7GT wagon rather than big sedans

Zeekr chose the incoming 7GT electric wagon for Australia ahead of its larger 001 model, because the brand believes the future of low-slung EVs is for smaller, sharper, and more attainable models rather than large, expensive land-yachts.

Speaking with carsales, Zeekr International CEO Mars Chen said the 7GT also made more sense for Australia because it shares the 7X’s well-received ‘Stargate’ design language.

The brand said it had reflected on drooping sales for large passenger cars while noting that demand for smaller sedans and wagons had remained healthy enough.

“What Tesla did, stopping the Model S and Model X…that gave us very strong information, because the 001 is bigger; it’s D-class, five metres long, and the price would be much higher than 7GT,” said Chen.

Zeekr says there are still enough buyers who prefer sedans and wagons over SUVs and has attributed falling sales for passenger cars to withdrawal of some key nameplates.

“There are very few nice sedan and wagon options. It doesn’t mean the demand is dead or has disappeared. It is just because you need better options to surprise the customer.”

The Chinese brand has noted that there has remained sufficient demand for cars like the BMW 3 Series and i4, which sold a combined 2763 units in Australia last year – triple the result of the larger 5 Series and i5.

Clear preferences for more dynamic mid-size passenger cars is a key reason Zeekr chose the 7GT wagon for export to Australia over the older, larger and more expensive 001 shooting brake.

The 7GT is effectively a low-slung wagon counterpart to the 7X SUV – a model which is underpinning a boom in Zeekr sales in Australia.

Chen said he expected the common ‘Stargate’ design language worn by both 7-series models to be an advantage for the 7GT – as well as the price.

In Europe, the 7GT costs about six per cent less than the 7X. If reflected in Australia, that could mean that a RWD version of the 7GT could land from an appealing $55,000 before on-road costs.

Still, the more plush but older 001 is not off the table, with Chen confirming it could be added to the Zeekr Australia line-up later, but probably not until the model was updated.

The Zeekr 7 sedan is not currently planned for Australia, leaving the 7GT as the brand’s sole low-slung model for the foreseeable future.

Chinese buyers are showing renewed interest in wagon models. Several estate-bodied cars and concepts appeared at the 2026 Beijing motor show as local brands explore more emotional body styles beyond ubiquitous SUVs.

Meanwhile, Northern European buyers continue to demand station wagon models – a fact that has prompted BMW to confirm it will build an electric i3 Touring from next year.

If the i3 wagon comes to Australia, it is set to duel with the 7GT.

Zeekr is not expecting the 7GT to approach the sales heights of the 7X but neither does it think the wagon will be totally niche.

“We believe the 7GT is more affordable. The size is not too small and not too big. With a lot of tech and the Performance option, it is going to do a very similar story to the 7X,” said Chen.

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