AUSTRALIA’S FASTEST-CHARGING LUXURY EV UNVEILED
Zeekr’s new all-electric 7X SUV sets a bold benchmark for premium EVs in Australia, with world-first battery tech and a 13-minute fast charge.
2 min
Luxury goes electric – at speed. Chinese-Swedish marque Zeekr has officially launched the 7X in Australia, positioning it as the country’s first mid-sized luxury electric SUV tailored for modern families. But this is no ordinary EV.
The Zeekr 7X arrives with the world-first Golden Battery – a breakthrough in ultra-fast charging technology that propels the vehicle from 10 to 80 per cent in just 13 minutes.
Unveiled today at the Australian Museum in Sydney, the Zeekr 7X represents a sophisticated fusion of Scandinavian design, next-gen digital integration and high-performance engineering.
With pricing starting at $57,900 (plus on-road costs), the model offers three variants: a single-motor Rear-Wheel Drive, Long-Range Rear-Wheel Drive, and the flagship dual-motor Performance All-Wheel Drive, which delivers a blistering 0–100km/h in 3.8 seconds.
Luxury, Reimagined
Designed in Zeekr’s Gothenburg studio, alongside stablemates Volvo, Polestar and Lotus, the 7X is based on Geely’s SEA platform and features a minimalist exterior marked by sleek surfaces, sculpted lines and full-width LED lighting.
Inside, it’s a sanctuary of luxe detailing, advanced technology and serious space. Despite its mid-size status, it offers the roominess of a full-size SUV and 539L of rear boot space, with up to 62L front storage in RWD models.
Cabin luxuries include power-operated doors, ventilated massage seats and premium materials across all touchpoints—particularly on the Performance AWD variant.
A Cockpit from the Future
As a software-defined vehicle, the 7X is built around digital smarts. It runs Qualcomm’s lightning-fast Snapdragon 8295 chip, making it the most powerful Zeekr yet. The 16-inch HD touchscreen infotainment system is matched by an optional 36.2-inch AR head-up display that overlays navigation and alerts into the driver’s field of view.
Safety technology is comprehensive, with 12 cameras and radar enabling features such as Adaptive Cruise Control, 3D surround-view monitoring, cross-traffic alerts and full automatic park assist.
Over-the-air software updates promise to keep the vehicle’s systems continuously evolving.
Performance Meets Practicality
With up to 615km of range (WLTP), the Long-Range RWD model is ideal for extended family road trips, while the AWD Performance trim offers serious muscle with 475kW of power and 710Nm of torque. The active air suspension system with 45mm lift capacity ensures off-road capability to match the on-road presence.
Unrivalled Charging Speed
Underpinning the Zeekr 7X’s headline charging time is an 800V electrical architecture, future-proofed to handle 450kW DC rates as infrastructure evolves. Even today, using a 360kW charger, drivers can add hundreds of kilometres of range in under a quarter of an hour.
Home charging is just as impressive. A standard 22kW onboard AC charger enables a full charge (10–100%) in 4.5 hours for the standard RWD model.
Pre-Order Incentives
To celebrate the launch, Zeekr is offering exclusive bonuses to the first 1,000 Australian customers, including:
- Complimentary 7kW home charger
- Portable charging cables (Type 2 and Mini)
- Free choice of exterior and interior colours
- Seven-year vehicle warranty and roadside assistance
The Zeekr Era Arrives
With more than 520,000 EVs sold globally since its debut in 2021, Zeekr is rapidly becoming a heavyweight in electric mobility. The 7X joins the local lineup ahead of the Zeekr X and Zeekr 009 later this year, signalling the brand’s serious ambitions for the Australian market.
“The Zeekr 7X delivers the kind of intelligent design, long-range confidence, and ultra-fast charging that Australian drivers are looking for,” said Frank Li, Vice President of Zeekr International and Managing Director of Zeekr Australia.
“It’s engineered for modern families but with the refinement and technology you’d expect from a premium EV.”
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All three vehicles will form part of a broader charitable initiative benefiting Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, the American Red Cross and Starlight Children’s Foundation
Apple’s first foldable, the $1,999 iPhone Duo, combines an iPhone and iPad Mini experience—but its size, weight and price come with compromises.
4 min
As I watched a Netflix show on Apple’s first foldable, the iPhone Duo, I had two surprising thoughts.
The first: Maybe I don’t need my iPad Mini anymore.
The second: Uh oh, am I about to spend $1,999 on a phone?
I didn’t think folding phones were for me. I’ve been testing Android versions from Samsung and Google since 2019, and those early editions came with too much screen and too many compromises.
Fast forward seven years, and the technology has come a long way. Apple—in its very Apple way—has also come up with some hardware and software trickery to make up for some shortcomings of the basic design. My desire for a folding phone before today was zero. After today, it’s a lot more than zero.
I’m not ready to recommend the Duo, which ships on Oct. 23, just yet. Not until I am able to test it more fully, so be on the lookout for that review in a few weeks. But from what I experienced at Apple Park on Wednesday, I could actually picture myself using this new half-phone, half-tablet hybrid.
Crease camouflage
For months, I’ve been using Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8, a similarly squat, passport-shaped foldable that opens up to a larger screen. It’s impressively thin and can easily fit into the infuriatingly tiny pockets in women’s pants and dresses. Samsung did a lot of work to minimize the crease—the dip between the two halves of the big interior display—but it’s still clearly there.
When I held the iPhone Duo open, the crease was barely visible. As I slid my finger across the display, I could feel it, but it’s more subtle than Samsung’s. Most of the time, the screen looked as flat and smooth as the one on an iPad.
Apple employed both software and hardware techniques to camouflage the crease. The matte surface of the interior 7.6-inch screen minimizes reflections to hide it. (Samsung’s Fold 8 screen is shiny.)
And as you begin to open or close the iPhone Duo, the interface shifts the controls and content away from the center crease. If, say, you’re watching a video on the outer screen, you can open the Duo to switch to the bigger display within. A black fade marks the transition. You don’t see the video full screen until the phone is completely flat.
Heavy handed
My second observation was that, when the Duo is closed, in phone mode, it was harder to use one-handed than I expected.
In the keynote trailer and press release, Apple touted how thin the Duo is. It’s marketed as the thinnest iPhone ever—when open.
But it’s actually thicker and heavier than most of its Android competitors. The Duo weighs 254 grams, and is 11.3 millimeters thick when closed. The Samsung Galaxy Fold 8 is just 201 grams, with a thickness of 9.7 millimeters. Google’s Pixel 11 Pro Fold is 239 grams and 10.1 millimeters.
Because the Duo is also wider than a standard iPhone, I found it quite a challenge to type.
I admit, I do have smaller-than-average hands. So I consulted my colleague Rolfe Winkler, who has a larger grip. He agreed the Duo feels big.
Apple rearranged the interface on the outer screen so it looks different than traditional iPhones. The dock and control center are off to the right to be more reachable. Committing to the Duo as your main device will require adjustments in your handling. You will have to learn a new way to use and type.
Work and play
My most surprising takeaway? I feel a pull toward this device.
I always thought that combining an iPhone and an iPad would mean bigger compromises. The battery life is about the same as the 18 Pro (up to 24 hours of “regular use” on a single charge), though I’ll need to verify that in my real-world testing. And it’s also as durable, with the same IP68 dust- and water-resistance rating as the rest of the iPhone lineup.
There are trade-offs, for sure. Trying out the camera, I immediately missed the 8X zoom in my Pro model. The Duo has just 2X zoom, which wouldn’t cut it for the dozens of pictures I take of my kid every day.
But the dual screens unlock new photo functionality. You can see what your shot looks like from the outside screen. As someone who has tried tirelessly to self-direct a family photo—or a spouse—I am very eager to try this out more.
Foldables, I initially thought, were for classic mobile-warrior jet-setter types, who never sit at a desk and are always on calls. For that crowd, the Duo can run two apps side-by-side.
Me, I’m more of a bed binge-watcher and ebook reader. That’s what my beloved iPad Mini is for.
Watching videos on the Duo is a nice experience—nice enough that you forget the screen is 0.7 inches smaller than the iPad Mini’s. The main screen is also a 4:3 aspect ratio. Very similar, by the way, to the IMAX edition of the Odyssey.
Because I wasn’t able to snag a ticket to one of the sold-out screenings, I will be watching Christopher Nolan’s version of Homer’s epic on the Duo, just as the director intended. (Just kidding! Sort of.)
The Duo costs $800 more than an iPhone 18 Pro, and I’m not sure I want to spend that premium on a first-generation Apple device. But I’m not ruling out the idea that a Duo might one day be in my future. Stay tuned for my full review.
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