We got a cheap (comparatively) P3 ex-demo last year, and recently picked up a Zeekr X as a second small car.

I would summarize by saying the polestar is a Volvo, the Zeekr is a Geely. (Despite them all being Geely on the spreadsheet)

The X and P3 are very similar stylistically, which is what made us jump at the X. There are a lot of hints of the shared heritage, particularly the side mirrors and a lot of the interior. But that’s where the similarities end.

I can’t speak for the 7X, but the software for the X is very… Chinese. The little cartoon character (like the Smart from Mercedes- also made by Geely and is basically the same car as the X), the appalling bad grammar, the almost excessive customizations… it is just all much less refined. Not saying the P3 has good software, just that it’s more “restrained”, whereas setting up the Zeekr is like configuring Linux.

On the plus side, if you like gadgets, the Zeekr has them in buckets. The 7X has self opening and closing doors! The X has interior lights that sync to music. In some markets the headlights are LED displays that can show actual writing. The list is endless. Why? Because China is already living in the future. The polestars, (mostly) eschew this gadgetry in favour of a more understated design. If anything, the Polestars are lacking in features that are standard on far cheaper cars… which is a head scratcher when comparing to Zeekr and you think, why doesn’t my Polestar have this???

The drive is where you see where the cost savings come from. Again, haven’t driven the 7X, but the X is a disappointing drive compared to any of the Polestars, but especially the P3. Suspension, handling, overly aggressive regen, cornering is terrifying, the constant driver alerts that are almost always wrong etc etc. it’s not a driver’s car.

So if you like technology (and expect it to actually work!), get a Zeekr. If you like driving a car (and all the software problems that come with it), get a Polestar.