Geely Automobile’s premium electric-vehicle brand Zeekr is preparing to enter South Korea in the third quarter, led by the midsize electric SUV 7X. The model has already drawn attention among Korean consumers, who have dubbed it the “Porsche of the continent.” Zeekr is betting on a “premium masstige” approach — offering high-end specifications at roughly half the price of comparable vehicles — to shake up Korea’s upscale EV market.
Industry officials said on the 19th that Zeekr Korea is preparing to launch the 7X with customer deliveries targeted for the third quarter. The company had initially planned a May-to-June launch, but said the schedule slipped due to government certification, building a dealer network suitable for a premium brand, strengthening after-sales service and tightening marketing policies. A Zeekr official said the goal is to minimize gaps between the launch, deliveries and the start of services, adding, “We will be that much more fully prepared.”
Zeekr says the 7X will arrive as a 2026 facelifted model, a point that has boosted expectations compared with some import brands criticized for selling older models in Korea. The 7X is similar in size to Kia’s Sorento, with a length of 4,825 millimeters and a wheelbase of 2,925 millimeters, but Zeekr says second-row space is significantly larger, allowing an adult man 180 centimeters tall to stretch out his legs.
The company highlights a long list of features typically found in luxury vehicles, including a large display, surround-view camera, automated parking, power reclining seats, a power sunshade, a second-row power table and a refrigerator. With a 75 kWh battery, maximum output is about 370 kW and 0-100 kph acceleration is 5.4 seconds; with a 103 kWh battery, output is 585 kW and 0-100 kph is 2.9 seconds. Zeekr says its 900-volt high-voltage architecture can charge from 10% to 80% in 10 minutes, and it expects a certified driving range of 550 to 600 kilometers per charge.
Zeekr believes it can compete in Korea by building a stronger service network than Tesla while pursuing a more premium strategy than BYD. While BYD has lowered the entry barrier with EVs priced in the 20 million won range, Zeekr aims to sell a fully optioned premium EV that would typically cost about 100 million won at roughly half that price, using the “Porsche of the continent” concept.
Aggressive pricing is also expected. The domestic launch price for the facelifted 7X is projected to be in the 60 million won range. In Europe, including Germany and the Netherlands, it has been priced at 53,000 euros (90.63 million won), while in China it sells for 229,800 yuan (about 49.5 million won). Zeekr plans to align Korea pricing as closely as possible with China because it views Korea as a strategic market.
Zeekr’s Korea strategy is being led by CEO Lim Hyun-gi, who previously served as head of Audi Korea. The company expects him to leverage his experience in building dealer networks to strengthen Zeekr Korea’s retail and after-sales operations. Zeekr Korea plans to target consumers in their 30s to 50s with a “3E” strategy centered on premium positioning, eco-friendliness and family appeal.
The push is also being closely watched by Hyundai Motor Group and Tesla, the two leading players in Korea’s EV market. According to the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association, Tesla sold 7,868 vehicles last month, including 7,015 Model Y units, making it the top-selling single EV model in the country. Over the same period, Kia sold 14,488 EVs and Hyundai sold 9,956.
Chinese EV brands including Xiaomi, Xpeng and Nio are also watching Zeekr’s performance. An industry official said that if more than 150 Chinese EV brands continue to seek entry into Korea, consumers will have more choices, and competition will accelerate not only in low-priced models but also in the premium segment, reshaping the market around quality.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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