Zeekr isn’t satisfied with taking over the world of luxury EVs and plug-in hybrids, because Geely’s premium brand now says it wants a piece of the off-road SUV market too, and possibly the pickup truck segment on top of that. Neither is confirmed, but both are on the table.

So far, Zeekr has kept to the premium and luxury end of the market with vehicles like the X, 7X, 8X, and 9X, plus the 009 electric MPV. Speaking recently with Australian media, Zeekr vice president Mars Chen said off-roaders are being explored but stopped short of confirming anything for production.

Read: China’s Answer To The Rolls-Royce Cullinan Looked Classy, Mansory Fixed That

“Off-road hardcore SUV is definitely one direction,” Chen said, according to Australia’s Drive. “We are doing the research, but will we create a G-Wagen-style, box-style? This is not clear. But the current 9X and 8X SUVs, they are not bad off-road. They may not be that extreme, but they definitely have some capability.”

Were Zeekr to build a new off-roader, it could square up nicely against models built by Fangchengbao, one of the many brands owned by BYD. It currently sells two Land Rover Defender rivals, namely the Bao 5 and Bao 8, also badged as Denza models in certain markets, including Australia. Both are feature-packed and easily undercut European competitors.

Review: 2026 Zeekr 7X Performance Is Proof That Tesla Isn’t The Benchmark Anymore

Off-roaders aren’t the only thing tempting Zeekr. During the same interview with Drive, Chen suggested the automaker is also weighing a move into the pickup segment, potentially spawning a rival to the BYD Shark 6.

“Just now, we are having the internal discussion, it’s just a discussion,” he said when asked about a pickup. “We want to redefine every segment. We will check on how disruptive we can be if we enter.”

Zeekr’s Current Flagship

For now, those looking to get behind the wheel of the most premium and luxurious Zeekr can buy the 9X. Unveiled last year, it looks like a cross between a Rolls-Royce Cullinan and a Range Rover and is sold exclusively as a plug-in hybrid. The base version rocks a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine working alongside two electric motors, delivering a combined 885 hp. An even more powerful version with three electric motors is available, producing 1,381 hp.

The BMW iX3 and Zeekr 7GT are the first two vehicles to earn five-star safety ratings under Euro NCAP’s overhauled testing procedures, the biggest revamp of its scoring in more than a decade. If you expected the German machine to come out ahead, brace yourself, because the Chinese EV was the one that edged out the BMW.

Read: Zeekr’s 007 GT Is One Sexy Looking Wagon Heading To Europe

Euro NCAP now runs new vehicles through four stages, covering Safe Driving, Crash Avoidance, Crash Protection, and Post Crash Safety. In that first stage, the iX3 earned a 73 percent rating, winning praise for its abundance of physical controls, its driver-monitoring system, and its speed-limit recognition.

Across 2,000 km (1,242 miles) of real-world testing in Italy, France, Germany, and Austria, the speed limit assist function correctly identified signage changes in 86 percent of instances, equating to 97 percent of the driven distance. Euro NCAP found the iX3’s driver monitoring system less sensitive to brief visual distraction, and pointed out that while the system can classify occupants, it can’t detect an out-of-position front passenger or spot improper seatbelt use.

The Zeekr 7GT performed even better, scoring 79 percent in the category thanks to its sophisticated driver monitoring system and sensors that flag incorrect lap-only seatbelt use. Zeekr also fitted a manual front passenger airbag cut-off switch for rear-facing child seats along with a child presence detection system that can warn bystanders when a child is left behind. Its speed sign recognition proved weaker, reading limits correctly in only 79 percent of cases, and its vehicle controls cost it points because so many of them live inside the infotainment display.

Two Very Safe EVs

Photos EuroNCAP

In crash avoidance, the new iX3 earned 83 percent while the 7GT stretched ahead at 89 percent. Both cars ran strong active safety systems. Euro NCAP said the Zeekr’s autonomous emergency braking showed near-flawless execution across a range of tests, which helped it pull clear, and its dooring prevention system warned occupants before they could open a door into the path of an oncoming cyclist.

Both the BMW and Zeekr held up well in Crash Protection. The iX3 landed 86 percent and took maximum points in side-impact evaluations, though it managed only good or adequate protection in frontal offset testing. It also fell short of full marks in the full-width test thanks to a marginal driver chest score, even after both rear child dummies earned top marks.

The 7GT once again came out ahead with 93 percent and maximum points across the side mobile barrier, side pole, and far-side occupant impacts. As with the BMW, it drew only a good or adequate rating in frontal offset protection for adults, and it too scored full points for both rear child dummies.

Photos EuroNCAP

Last but not least is Post Crash Safety, with both scoring 95 percent. While both the iX3 and 7GT have electronically operated door handles, testing showed they could still be opened from both inside and outside the vehicle after all crash tests. Euro NCAP noted that the BMW’s high-voltage battery isolated correctly after impacts, while the Zeekr dropped points because its TPS eCall functionality fell short of a maximum score.

Zeekr, the upmarket arm of the Geely Group, genuinely believes its cars stand shoulder to shoulder with the best from Germany’s premium brands. The man running Zeekr in Europe staked that claim in a recent interview, even though the company’s European operations have been up and running for barely six month,

That executive is Lothar Schupet, who logged 23 years at BMW before crossing over. Under him, Zeekr has rolled out a handful of models on European roads: the entry-level Zeekr X, the larger 7X SUV, the 001 estate, and the new 7GT. The brand is courting fleet buyers ahead of private ones for the moment, mostly because it currently has no dealership network anywhere in the region yet.

“I am firmly convinced that our products impress with quality and performance,” Schupet told Car-Editors. “In my opinion, we are on par with all premium manufacturers. That’s the basic premise.”

Read: Zeekr’s New SUV Looks Like A Rolls, Hits Like A Hypercar, And Still Burns Gas

Based on our experience with the Zeekr 7X earlier this year, we can understand Schupet’s confidence. Jacked-packed with technology, the 7X feels every bit as premium as something from BMW or Audi, and yet costs significantly less.

Dealerships Are Coming

During the same interview, Schupet added that Zeekr’s initial goal in Europe was to reach as many business customers as possible, particularly those who had used vehicles from other premium brands in their fleets. As this has happened, interest from private customers has steadily grown. Although Zeekr doesn’t have a dealership network, it has established several test-drive centers and has begun accepting “a few hundred” orders from private buyers.

Zeekr hopes to have sales locations across five metropolitan areas in Germany by the end of this year, including Hamburg, Düsseldorf/Cologne, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Munich, and perhaps also Berlin. These will join the 10 existing test-drive centers across the country.

Asked which existing dealers Zeekr hopes to bring into its network, Schupet said they’re aiming directly at the premium segment.

“Of course, we are specifically targeting dealers in the premium segment. These include the traditional German brands BMW, Audi, and Mercedes. But also Jaguar and Maserati dealerships that may currently have spare capacity and are open to something new. As a Geely Group brand, we are naturally also looking at Volvo and Polestar dealerships too,” he said.

No European Production, For Now

Asked if Zeekr is interested in building its electric cars in Europe, Schupet acknowledged it’s an option, but said there’s no need to do so at this stage.

“Strategically, there is the option of producing locally,” he said. “This has certain advantages, but also carries risks. The speed, flexibility, and agility with which things are done in China are not easy to implement in Europe. Bureaucracy also hinders many decision-making processes. While the punitive tariffs make it challenging to implement a sustainable business model with manufacturing in China… we have now found a business case that works.”

Chinese car brands can’t even sell their vehicles in the United States, yet they’re creating loyal fans across the country, largely thanks to targeted campaigns with the help of popular automotive content creators. If these brands ever do get the go-ahead to sell cars locally, established players will need to watch their backs.

If you follow any of these influencers, you’ve probably seen plenty of Chinese cars being tested on American roads, despite not being available here. Forrest Jones, who helped to pioneer short-form car reviews on TikTok, has reviewed a bunch of these over the past couple of years, generating tens of millions of views.

Read: China Is Blocked From Selling Cars In America, Yet Three Democratic Senators Still Sent This Letter

Speaking with Bloomberg, Jones says some of his highest engagement comes from his Chinese car content. Last year, tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee tested the popular Xiaomi SU7 in the US, and that video alone, with 10 million views, reportedly generated $1.2 million in unpaid brand exposure for the company.

The Chinese Are Taking Over

Data from Sprout reveals that, thanks to Brownlee’s video and others, Xiaomi’s TikTok following jumped 20 percent in 2025. Remarkably, roughly half of these 7.8 million followers are from the United States. Videos like Brownlee’s also lead to spikes in inquiries from Americans.

According to China EV Marketplace, a popular e-commerce platform that exports Chinese EVs overseas, it received more than 1,000 price-quote requests from the US after Brownlee released his video, with most seemingly unaware that EVs like the SU7 can’t be legally insured and titled in the US.

A Chinese automotive content platform called Beijing Dongchedi Technology Co., or DCar, is helping give Chinese cars exposure in the US. Spun out of ByteDance, the company behind TikTok, in 2023, DCar has been “courting American influencers to create content for its mobile app and showcase Chinese tech,” Bloomberg writes, with 10 million daily active users in China.

Bloomberg reports that in early 2025, DCar funded a trip to Alaska for YouTubers including Richard Benoit, better known as Rich Rebuilds, presenting him with a catalog of electric models such as the BYD Fangchengbao and Wuling Bingo before shipping the cars stateside. DCar covered Benoit’s travel and paid him a fee equal to “the price of a cheap Chinese EV” for his coverage, he told Bloomberg.

The company told the outlet it purchased or rented all the models itself, with no participation from the carmakers, to maintain “objectivity and veracity.” In return, DCar gets a barrage of slickly produced influencer posts introducing it to a wider audience.

For what it’s worth, Chinese brands like BYD and Xiaomi insist they have no immediate plans to start selling passenger cars in the United States. However, with loopholes potentially opening, you can be assured they’ll be lobbying hard to loosen regulations so they can gain access to the American market.