Zeekr Wants to Outsell BMW and Mercedes — and WA Is Buying In

Zeekr has been on Australian roads for barely a year, but the brand's ambitions are anything but modest. Vice President Mars Chen has made clear that Zeekr isn't chasing volume for volume's sake — it wants to sit alongside BMW and Mercedes-Benz as a brand people consider when they want something premium, full stop.

"I think it's to be the top premium choice, with or without a battery," Chen said. "If people don't mention whether it's an EV or a hybrid — you need a nice, expensive, fancy car? Zeekr is a brand you absolutely must check."

For a five-year-old brand, that's a bold call. But the sales numbers are starting to back it up.

The 7X Is Already Dominating the EV Charts

The Zeekr 7X mid-size SUV has gone from unknown to fourth-best-selling electric vehicle in Australia in a matter of months. By the end of April, it had clocked up 973 units nationally — sitting behind only the Tesla Model Y, BYD Sealion 7, and Geely EX5.

For WA buyers, that trajectory makes sense. Perth's long suburban sprawl and the ever-present sting of fuel prices at the bowser make a capable, well-specced EV SUV a genuinely practical proposition. The 7X hits a sweet spot: it's not entry-level Chinese budget territory, but it's not asking you to remortgage the house either.

Chen's strategy is deliberately global rather than market-specific. "If we want to be in that segment, we have to be a global brand," he said — a pointed contrast to rivals who build one-off models tailored to a single country's tastes.

What's Coming Next — and What It'll Cost

The 7X is just the opening act. Two larger SUVs — the 8X and the flagship 9X — are expected to arrive in Australia within the next 12 months, and both will venture into plug-in hybrid territory. If you're regularly making long runs out of Perth — down to Margaret River, across to Esperance, or further into regional WA — a PHEV option addresses the range anxiety that still gives some buyers pause around pure EVs.

The catch? Pricing is shaping up to land firmly in premium territory. These aren't going to be bargain buys, and Zeekr isn't positioning them that way.

On the topic of a ute or pick-up truck — a segment that would resonate hard in WA given how many buyers run dual-cabs for work and weekends — Chen acknowledged it's under discussion but nothing concrete yet. "We want to re-define every single segment," he said. "If we cannot create enough differentiation, of course we won't just follow or replicate rivals." Given how crowded the hybrid off-roader space is getting, Zeekr is right to think carefully before jumping in.

For WA buyers keeping an eye on the EV market, Zeekr is no longer a brand you can afford to overlook. The 7X has proven it can compete on substance, not just price. And if the 8X and 9X deliver on their early promise, the question won't be whether Zeekr belongs in the premium conversation — it'll be whether the established European brands can keep up.