Confirmed: Zeekr’s 7GT and 9X arriving by early 2027, 8X to follow

Zeekr’s three incoming models are locked in for New Zealand, with the 7GT and 9X expected to arrive between late this year and early 2027, NordEast Zeekr brand manager Michael Jones has confirmed to EVs and Beyond.

“All three have been confirmed. Configuration regarding battery spec and timing is still being determined, but we’re hoping 9X and GT will be late this year, early next year,” says Jones, speaking on Saturday morning ahead of this month’s Zeekr On Ice event.

The 8X “is a little bit later, but there are still a lot of moving parts and it’s still very fluid,” he says.

The confirmation follows the quiet appearance of a page on parent company Giltrap Group’s website naming the trio as part of the line-up planned for New Zealand, complete with registration of interest forms. NordEast had named the three last month when announcing Zeekr On Ice, with group general manager Dane Fisher describing them as future Zeekr models guests could drive “long before they reach market”.

Jones also clears up one open question about the event cars: they are left-hand drive. “They haven’t started production of right-hand drive yet,” he says.

Petrol assistance, electric focus

While the 7GT is a fully electric grand tourer, the 8X and 9X use what Zeekr calls Super Hybrid technology, pairing a substantial battery and electric motors with a turbocharged petrol engine for longer journeys. For a brand that arrived in New Zealand less than a year ago selling only battery electric vehicles, the pair might look like a shift in strategy. Jones rejects that reading.

“Electrified is a broad statement removing vehicles such as mild hybrids and ICE. The 8X and 9X still sit within that category because they have the ability to run up to 300km in electric-only mode. For most owners, they would actually be fully electric,” he says.

Battery electric versions of the pair could follow further out. “It’s not imminent, but they do have the ability to develop both vehicles as BEVs in the future,” says Jones.

7GT: the wagon play

The 7GT is a low slung five seat shooting brake, continuing the body style Zeekr established with the 001. In Europe, where it went on sale earlier this year, it runs an 800-volt platform with a choice of 75kWh LFP or 100kWh NMC batteries. Rear-drive versions produce 310kW while the flagship all-wheel drive Privilege delivers 475kW, and WLTP range tops out at around 665km. A 10 to 80% charge takes as little as 13 minutes, adding roughly 340km in 10 minutes on a suitable charger.

“Everyone is very excited. It’s a space that is hard to gauge because there aren’t many competing in it. It gives us an option for people who don’t want an SUV but want a practical vehicle with unique styling and a distinct driving aspect,” says Jones. “We think people who want more practicality will come from sedans, but also from buyers who don’t want SUVs.”

He sees room for electrification to rebuild a wagon segment that has all but disappeared locally. “Some of the other wagons coming in are more volume based, like the BYD, and you’ve got the Porsche and Audi sitting a lot higher. We feel there is white space in that mid-area, offering a premium product at a well-priced RRP that could bring people into wagons, and also bring Model 3 buyers up into a more practical, usable car.”

Pricing is not settled, but Jones points to the brand’s existing midsize SUV as the marker. “We see it sitting around 7X pricing. It’s the same platform and motor configuration as 7X, so it gives buyers the option of the space of an SUV or a more driver-focused wagon, but very similar from a spec and performance point of view.” The 7X currently starts at $69,990.

8X: the middle child, a little later

The 8X is a large luxury SUV positioned below the 9X, sold overseas with five or six seats. Chinese pre-sales began in March. The 5.1-metre SUV shares the 9X’s platform and 205kW 2.0-litre turbocharged engine, paired with dual or triple electric motors for combined outputs of up to 1030kW in its most powerful form. Battery options of 55.1kWh and 70kWh deliver an electric-only range of up to 328km on the WLTP cycle, with total range beyond 1000km.

9X: Rolls-Royce in its sights

The 9X tops the range. It is a three row six seater aimed at the large luxury SUV establishment, pairing the 205kW 2.0-litre turbo engine with up to three electric motors on a 900-volt architecture. The triple-motor flagship produces a combined 1030kW and reaches 100km/h in 3.1 seconds. Its CATL battery comes in 55.1kWh and 70kWh sizes, the larger pack claimed as the biggest fitted to any production hybrid, and supports a 20 to 80% charge in around nine minutes.

European versions launch with a 660kW dual-motor setup, up to 380km of electric-only running on the Chinese test cycle and a claimed total range of more than 700km.

“It’s redefining electrification in the large and upper large segments, where the market is still primarily petrol and diesel. It really offers a solution well aligned to Kiwis, giving the best of both worlds as well as towing ability,” says Jones.

Exactly what that towing ability amounts to is not yet locked in. “We are still working through towing figures, so I can’t confirm any numbers. We have requested them, but nothing has been locked in yet. We’re aligned with the ADR testing rules, the tow bar is in development at the moment, and once that’s developed we will know more.”

He is unambiguous about where the flagship is aimed. “It’s definitely moving into more premium luxury territory and really has Rolls-Royce, Bentley and Range Rover firmly in its sights. When you see and feel and sit in the car, you really understand where the product positioning is going.”

“I don’t want to go too much into pricing at the moment, but we do see the 9X being competitive in the segment it’s competing in.”

On ice this month

All three models will appear at Zeekr On Ice at the Southern Hemisphere Proving Grounds near Queenstown, the first event of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

The $5,500 per driver programme includes a full day driving the future line-up alongside the current 7X and X on snow and ice circuits, coaching from professional instructors, two nights at Millbrook Resort and a helicopter flight off the mountain.

Seats are still available, with the first public session, flying in on 19 August for a full driving day on Thursday 20 August, showing 10 places left at the time of writing.

Final New Zealand specifications, battery configurations and pricing remain to be confirmed, with interested buyers able to register for updates through Giltrap Zeekr’s Grey Lynn and Wairau Valley dealerships.

EVs and Beyond will be at Zeekr On Ice, so expect a video and full story from the driver’s seat soon.

Zeekr launched in New Zealand in September 2025 under NordEast Distributors, the Giltrap Group division that also handles Geely, Farizon, Volvo, Polestar and Lotus. The brand currently sells the X compact SUV, 7X midsize SUV and 009 people mover locally.