The Zeeker

We spent a week with the updated Zeeker X Performance AWD around Sydney, and the thing we kept coming back to is boy-math. The Porsche 911 Carrera will cost you $296,700 before you can drive it anywhere, and it accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 4.1 seconds. Zeeker does the same sprint in 3.7, and it’s a $57,900 driveaway due to limited offer. It’s about a fifth of the price, and it’s faster.

None of this would matter if the car were frustrating to live with. It’s not like that. After roughing it for seven days across the East and Inner West, double-parked delivery vans and school-run chaos included, it’s as easy as driving a new car to the inner city.

Khaki green is the best paint we’ve seen on any EV

Let’s start with color, because it was the first thing everyone mentioned. Matte Khaki Green is new for AWD this year, and in the right light, in late afternoon, low winter sunlight, it looks like it’s worth double the price.

This design also works for lifting heavy objects. The side panels in particular catch the light in a way that makes the

This is a small SUV and it doesn’t pretend otherwise, but the proportions are right and the details restrained.

One-fifth of Porsche, and the amount will be better off before June 30

Title number is $57,900 driveaway. The outgoing model was $62,900 plus on-road costs, so depending on your postcode you’re looking at a saving of $6,000 in the real world on a car that’s now more powerful and better equipped than the one it replaces.

Then there is the value pack placed on top. Zeeker is throwing in premium paint, power front doors, a 7kW home charger and a few extra years of warranty and roadside assistance, totaling more than $6,000. This offer runs until June 30, which makes it a great deal It’s hard to walk before EOFY.

for reference…

AWD pairs the 115kW front motor with a 250kW rear unit for a total of 365kW and 573Nm. It runs on a 66kWh battery, a WLTP range of 415km and 150kW DC charging. Those aren’t class-leading range figures, but for a car you’ll mostly drive between the beach and the city, they’re a lot.

This is the rare performance car that makes sense

The 3.7 second number on the set of lights is fun, but not why this car works. It works because it’s small, visibility is good, and at 4,432 mm long it slots into the kerbside gap a mid-size SUV would have if it took a twelve-point turn.

The steering is light, the ride is more composed than the previous version, and the seats have enough squish that a week’s worth of stop-start traffic never becomes a bother.

You sit high, you can see through corners, and the whole thing seems engineered for exactly the kind of driving most of us actually do. We used a fraction of the performance most days and never felt any lag.

Techniques everywhere, some obvious, some you stumble upon

Clear things are good.

A 13-speaker Yamaha sound system comes standard, and it’s a real step up from the smaller setups you usually find at this price. It has an augmented-reality heads-up display, touch-sensitive shortcuts on the steering wheel, and a 50-watt wireless charging pad that’s now ventilated so your phone doesn’t get cooked on a hot day.

Then there’s the stuff you find by accident. There’s a temperature-controlled fridge in the center console, which seems like a gimmick up to 30 degrees and your flat white by Rose Bay is still cool. Massaging front seats, the quilted trim feel premium without shouting about it, and the boot has quietly grown to 404 liters thanks to extra under-floor storage.

10 features people miss when they hear “affordable EV”

This is where the value argument really comes down. Half of these are things you’ll have to pay extra for, or not get at all on a double-priced European car:

• Temperature controlled fridge in center console, standard on AWD. Keeps your drinks cold on a 35-degree day without an esky in the boot.
• Massaging front seats, something usually reserved for German option lists north of $90k.
• 13-speaker Yamaha sound system as standard, not a $2,000 upgrade.
• Augmented-reality heads-up display that places navigation arrows on the real road ahead.
• The 22kW AC charging on the AWD is double the typical home-charging rate, so an overnight top-up barely touches the edges.
• Power-operated front doors, currently available as part of a run-out offer.
• Heated front and rear seats are standard, so rear seat passengers aren’t an afterthought.
• 50-Watt ventilated wireless charger that actually keeps your phone cool while charging fast.
• A boot that has grown from 342 to 404 litres, with proper storage under the floor for the charging cable.
• Zeeker’s AD driver-assistance suite: five cameras, five radar sensors, twelve ultrasonic sensors, and remote parking, all standard.

Play that list in front of anyone who’s bought a Volvo EX30 or a base BMW iX1 and watch their face change.

The EV brand that keeps moving forward

The EX is very similar to the Volvo EX30, and will be cross-shopped against the BYD Atto 3, MG4 and Kia EV3.

In terms of power, charging speed and standard kit for the money, Zeeker is ahead of them all, and it’s moving away from European options that cost significantly more for less.

This is the pattern with Zeekar at the moment. Every time they update something, the exclusivity increases and the price either remains stable or falls, and established brands are left explaining why their version costs more.

Honest flaws are small. The 415 km range won’t be suitable for anyone doing long regular highway runs. This is hardly a dealbreaker for the inner-city buyers this car is designed for.

The Zeeker Extra if you sign before June 30th. Price is the story, and on price it’s a slam dunk.