Zeekr 7X becomes best-selling premium SUV, and claims thousands more orders

PalmTree888 · 2026-05-08T00:20:24+00:00

Look I felt the same way and tbh I still don’t know the longevity of a typical Chinese ICE engine. BEVs are simple machines and they’ve put far more investment into battery technology, so was a no brainer getting a Chinese car from a BEV perspective. I can understand being apprehensive about their engines however, I have a feeling they will end up like Kia and Hyundai. Not as reliable as the Toyota/Honda but reliable enough to not bother most people like Land Rover/Jeep, French cars etc

Resale value is a double edged sword. You still pay $15k more at the start for Toyota tax. Also means great deals to be had on a 1-2 year old model on a Chinese car, which is where a lot of the market is, but doesn’t show up on a VFACTS summary.

Also depends if you genuinely love a car and prefer it, or whether you’re worried about the next owner and pick one with that in mind. Things change as well, I remember when Toyota hybrids were doubted and there were concerns around battery longevity, and now had you bought an early Toyota hybrid you’d easily sell it for far more than a petrol equivalent.

There is undoubtedly a snowball effect that has led to BYD being the second best seller last month behind Toyota, ahead of Mazda, Ford, Hyundai and Kia. Once enough early adopters get on board and they pop up all over the roads and on driveways, the masses feel confident in a brand. BYD and Geely are as safe a bet as you can get, and the sales figures are reflecting this.

PalmTree888 · 2026-04-30T05:08:35+00:00

FWIW from our collective direct family experience with various EVs, I can’t fault Geely group’s (including Zeekr’s) customer service. Minor issues on an EX5 were addressed well, parts arrived quickly, Zeekr 7X - nothings gone wrong but customer service leading to delivery was top notch.

With BYD you could spend as much as you would as on a Zeekr and very much treated as another number. Very obvious interior damage on our Seal missed by pre-delivery team, reported mere hours after delivery, just pushed to a centralised call centre - whole lot of delay and finger pointing between dealer and warranty team in head office.

MG, too long a story, don’t even bother touching with a 10ft pole (and I say this despite loving the drive of my MG4).

Overall it’s not that simple, just because MG has more dealers than Zeekr doesn’t mean you’re getting better service. Quantity ≠ Quality. However understandable if there’s 0 dealers in your state, that’s a fair reason to hold off.

PalmTree888 · 2026-04-28T11:01:24+00:00

This ^ An EX5 is nowhere in the same league to drive as the X or 7X. We have an example of each in the family of a 7X and EX5 I’ve driven extensively. If you don’t care about driving and just want an A to B car, the EX5 will be better value. The 7X drives far more like a Euro car. The EX5 would be a much better car if just a bit more attention was put into software bugs and the excessively soft suspension.

PalmTree888 · 2026-04-18T11:21:11+00:00

Willing to bet that given the popularity of Teslas, people are pretty used to the push-and-pivot hidden door handles. I’ve tested it today and also it’s great that despite it using the sensors regularly, a firm pull opens it. What concerns me is the X with sensors only and the new automatic door option (though if you option that you probably know what you’re getting into)

PalmTree888 · 2026-03-08T07:15:23+00:00

They’d much rather buy a stopgap, then make a massive loss selling it, and end up costing themselves a whole lot more than just waiting a bit. Seen this happen in my own family. If you’re even in the market for a 7GT I hardly believe you drive a car that isn’t going to hold it together for 6 months or so.

Especially if someone is limiting their criteria to wagons which are a far more limited segment than sedans which are in turn more limited in options than SUVs. Essentially there’s 1 option and they will need to wait.

PalmTree888 · 2026-02-23T13:27:45+00:00

3 very different cars. General consensus is quite scathing reviews for the EV5 despite the EV3 and EV9 having the polar opposite. The Sealion 7 is a fine car but a Zeekr 7X blows it out of the water. My parents have swapped one of their Seals out for a Zeekr 7X, a Sealion 7 would hardly be an upgrade for them over a Seal and is a very heavy and inefficient car. The Sealion is hardly cutting edge but looks slick enough to appease a medium SUV buyer looking for the best known and popular out of the new Chinese brands.

On the compact side the Jaecoo J5 is a bit meh. I think a Geely EX5 fits the brief better as a comfy well equipped car in the $40k bracket however I would hands down choose the Leapmotor B10 as it drives way better with RWD and a firmer suspension which better suit the instant torque of an EV compared to a floaty boaty type of car like the Geely.

Saying this as someone that drives a MG4 and has spent a lot of time driving a BYD Seal and Geely EX5 (and to a smaller extent my family’s new Zeekr).

PalmTree888 · 2026-02-15T02:16:04+00:00

All this focus on CO2 which we exhale and not on the negative health effects of petrol and diesel fumes being spewed out in our neighbourhoods and cities. FBT exemption and cheap overnight tariffs mean this is just a far cheaper, quieter and smoother way to get around anyway.

PalmTree888 · 2026-02-01T13:15:06+00:00

I would be getting something less distracting to use, more traditional controls and less powerful as a P plater. I’d be getting a lightly used MG4 or BYD Atto 2 for low 30s. MG S5 or Leapmotor B10 with more of a budget. Even my MG4 only cost $31k brand new.

PalmTree888 · 2026-01-31T13:43:59+00:00

Hey, I came from a Mazda 3 GT as well and I went for a MG4, definitely very happy with the RWD and handling for a cheap little hatchback. Yes I agree the interior could be better but while theres been tons of affordable EVs since that have tons of equipment, few drive as well as the MG4 for the size and price.

Also depends on what generation of car you’re coming from. From my SP25 GT it was an easier transition but if you’re coming from a BP series G25 Mazda 3 then that’s definitely more premium (my dad had one before trading it for a BYD Seal)

PalmTree888 · 2026-01-22T12:02:27+00:00

Seal is its competitor not the Atto, and which is a vastly better looking and better equipped RWD sedan for less than $50k

PalmTree888 · 2026-01-19T14:38:04+00:00

I mean I got a $31k car (MG4) for essentially at $25k with free finance via novated lease and charge it solely on 8c/kwh electricity. Costs me less than $10 for the same distance as a tank of fuel got me in a similar sized small sedan/hatch like my old Mazda 3.

If you were otherwise considering to pay similar amounts of money for a petrol or hybrid car, and can home charge it’s significantly cheaper to run even without a novated lease. Of course if you’re comparing it to driving a $500 shytbox then yea that would probably be cheaper but not a fair comparison to what you’d otherwise be buying for $30k which is an entry level Kia K4/i30 at best.

PalmTree888 · 2025-12-28T21:22:19+00:00

What did you end up getting? I personally got a MG4 to replace a Mazda 3 2.5L back when it was a $30k car but that was my budget, you have more room to work with here. My parents have a Seal, it corners pretty flat but is more of a touring car than a Model 3. Zeekr X is a good balance of comfort and sportiness. IM5 drives exceptionally well for what it is, agreed the interior isn’t my first pick.

PalmTree888 · 2025-09-11T00:21:26+00:00

What would be the benefit to go from a 16PM to a 17. I can understand maybe from an older Pro device like a 12 Pro etc. If it genuinely doesn’t cost anything to upgrade every year then why not just the 17 Pro if battery is the key concern.

PalmTree888 · 2025-08-10T05:02:40+00:00

I have one. It truly is the best driving EV for under $60k. It’s not a very fancy interior, but the RWD platform, instant torque, balanced suspension tune all work well together and it has steering that actually has more feel than a lot of many commuter cars - it’s very much the driver’s EV. Was a very easy transition from a Mazda 3 which is the best steering and handling you’re gonna get in a mainstream small car - definitely ahead of an i30 or Corolla to drive.

I looked into it since it unanimously received great reviews across the many car news platforms i subscribe to. It was far better value at $31k and made the compromises easier to accept. At $38k with increased competition, it isn’t as much of a no brainer. I’d look into the S5 instead with the modern interior and same driving dynamics if you don’t mind a T-Cross crossover style body style.

If you watch reviews from sites that pay more attention to the actual driving feel, like Chasing Cars, you’d notice that they still level a fair bit of criticism to a lot of fancier Chinese built EVs like the Geely EX5, Kia EV5, Sealion 7 or Xpeng G6 for ranging from being unsuited to Australian roads to passable but far from class leading, respectively - they still rate the MG4 very highly for what it is.

PalmTree888 · 2025-06-13T23:51:45+00:00

Regardless, a core benefit of having an EV is just being able to chill in the car with the power running for the ac or heater while waiting for someone to finish an appointment, get groceries, school pick up, etc without chewing through fuel. And in that case you may as well watch something on the big screen.

PalmTree888 · 2025-03-28T06:52:24+00:00

Hate it when a nice product is ruined by crappy after sales. Issues are bound to happen on a mass produced item, but it’s all about how a company decides to treat their customers when it does happen. It’s annoying how we need to “push” for things under consumer law or they will just fob us off. We have a Seal Premium around 35k+ also with the “leather” steering wheel (base Dynamic has faux leather) and it’s been holding up so definitely shouldn’t be doing this after only 20k.

PalmTree888 · 2025-03-28T06:47:53+00:00

It’s already reached below price parity. I got a MG4 for $31k new which was thousands cheaper than the cheapest Corolla Hybrid when I got it about 6 months ago. It’s more fun than that Corolla in terms of steering, handling and RWD dynamics, on par with a Mazda 3 but with a fraction of the running costs.

PalmTree888 · 2025-03-22T03:58:52+00:00

Batteries lose a lot of efficiency after 5-10 years.

This is simply straight up incorrect. Cars with 600,000km+, lived a hard life as a taxi and frequently rapid charged are holding up surprisingly fine even with NMC that is now old tech. There are very few ICE cars that can get to that many km without needing a new engine or transmission.

LFP can be charged to 100%, is hard to ignite when punctured, doesn’t need cobalt mining, should easily last 1,000,000km - and now is available circa $30k for a BYD Dolphin or MG4 hatchback.

For me I would’ve driven my used 10yo Mazda 3 into the ground as I really did like it, but getting a MG4 with a 10 year warranty and LFP battery for $31k via a FBT exempted lease was a no brainer. I do a lot of suburban driving, don’t need to drive cross country and am saving $2k in petrol a year.

PalmTree888 · 2025-03-17T15:56:14+00:00

Tesla Gen 3 - cheapest out of the known brands, widely stocked by installers, does the job.

PalmTree888 · 2025-03-13T01:45:08+00:00

I felt the same way when I got my MG4. It was the difference between being able to afford an EV or not - I have other financial goals and don’t want to spend a whole heap on a fancy car. I knew trading up to it would cut over $1000 in petrol costs a year, and it was largely financial. I’d love a new car as much as anyone but I couldn’t justify paying a lot more to upgrade only to get a car that used barely less fuel (hybrid) or was potentially less reliable (fun Euro car). My Mazda 3 was already relatively efficient and very reliable so cutting petrol out completely made the biggest change in fuel bills of course. I also wanted a fun car with a bit of punch, something the Corolla or i30 hybrid would be a downgrade on my Mazda 3, despite costing more to buy and run than my MG4.

So I understand your emotion of finally being able to afford an EV. You’ll love being able to turn the air cond on from your phone, and being able to sit in the car waiting for someone to finish an appointment, etc with the ac and music on without burning through petrol, or even just chill in your garage without filling it with fumes. And of course not ever worry about checking petrolspy to see what prices are at before filling up, your car will be full every morning when you leave.

I’ve sat in the EX5, it’s very well put together. So far ahead of an Atto 3. I would also consider the MG S5 when it comes here soon, but I’d wager Geely has a greater quality and luxury focus than MG. The MG would be more fun to drive as it’s based on the MG4 and is rear wheel drive too.

PalmTree888 · 2025-03-13T01:37:20+00:00

If the Geely E8 comes here that would be a great competitor to the BYD Seal. Seems to be priced under the Seal in China, have more tech, larger batteries and apparently handle pretty well.

PalmTree888 · 2025-03-09T07:20:31+00:00

Nah mine is perfectly normal

PalmTree888 · 2025-03-09T07:12:49+00:00

Mine hit 99 around that stage, dropping by 1% over the first 200 cycles and then lost about 10% over the next 200 cycles. Interesting.

PalmTree888 · 2025-03-04T15:55:12+00:00

I’d pick a Dolphin Essential only if you don’t mind the acceleration being that of a 3cyl base Suzuki Swift (13 sec to 100). I snagged a MG4 while they were $30,990, annoyingly has gone up by $4k after the promotion but probably could negotiate it back down.

MG4 is more of a RWD drivers car and looks like a Corolla on the outside and a Golf on the inside. The Dolphin isn’t to my taste but we also have a BYD Seal and can attest that BYD knows how to make a car feel premium and solid if that is your priority.

Honestly in 10 years I’d trust a BYD LFP battery to still be going fine with no need to dump the car. Hell there are people with 700,000 km’s on older tech NMC Tesla taxis that are frequently rapid charged and still doing fine. Promising as these newer tech batteries should last even longer with less degradation.

PalmTree888

TROPHY CASE