Kia EV6 vs Zeekr 7X

Read the driveaway figure, not the list price, because the two brands quote differently. Kia advertises the EV6 on a driveaway basis, from $78,277 in NSW for the rear-drive Air as of August 2026, a figure that already folds in registration and stamp duty. Zeekr quotes the 7X before on-road costs, from $57,900, which its own configurator turns into about $64,000 driveaway in Sydney. Compared like for like on the road, the Zeekr undercuts the Kia by roughly $14,000 at entry, and the gap holds or widens up the range. Your state's charges will move both numbers, so run each brand's own driveaway quote for your postcode.

The base Zeekr 7X RWD makes 310kW and 440Nm and claims 6.0 seconds to 100km/h. The entry Kia EV6 Air musters 168kW and 350Nm for a still-brisk 7.7 seconds. Climb the ranges and the story shifts. The dual-motor EV6 GT-Line AWD steps to 239kW, and at the top the two nearly meet: the 478kW EV6 GT lines up against the 475kW 7X Performance. The difference is the price of that pace. The GT costs $109,861 driveaway, while the 7X Performance lists at $72,900, roughly $30,000 less on the road for near-matching power. The Zeekr is quicker at every rung, and the cheaper way to buy speed.

Both cars use 800-volt architecture, still rare at this price, so both charge quickly on an ultra-rapid DC charger. The Zeekr edges the headline number, claiming 10 to 80 per cent in about 13 minutes in the base RWD against the Kia's 18. On range the entry Kia leads: the EV6 Air travels a claimed 582km WLTP, ahead of the base Zeekr RWD's 480km on the same cycle, thanks to its bigger 84kWh pack. Step the Zeekr up, though, and its Long Range RWD claims 615km, topping the whole EV6 range. Real-world figures land under both claims, as they do for every EV. Call charging speed the Zeekr's, and let the grade you choose decide the range winner.

Both are five-seat family SUVs on the same 2,900mm wheelbase, so rear space is generous in either. The Zeekr is the larger car overall, 4,787mm long against the Kia's 4,695mm, with a 539-litre boot expanding to 1,978, and a panoramic roof that keeps the cabin airy. The EV6 counters with a 490-litre boot in the rear-drive Air, and its rear-drive grades add a handy front boot for charging cables, which the Zeekr lacks. The Kia's coupe-SUV roofline is the one practical compromise, trimming boot height and rear vision. Space goes the Zeekr's way; the Kia stays in the fight and adds the frunk.

Yes, both carry five stars, the Kia from 2022 testing that runs to December 2028 and the Zeekr from 2025. The scores split fairly evenly. The Zeekr leads on vulnerable road user protection, 78 per cent to the Kia's 64, and edges adult occupant protection, 91 to 90, with seven airbags standard. The Kia hits back on safety assist, 88 per cent to 78, reflecting a well-sorted active-safety suite. Both include autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise and a driver-attention monitor as standard. One caveat on the Kia: ANCAP lists the 478kW GT as unrated, so the star rating covers the Air and GT-Line grades but not the flagship.

The Kia's ownership case is its strongest card. Its warranty runs seven years and unlimited kilometres against the Zeekr's five, roadside cover eight years, and dealers reach across regional Australia. The Zeekr answers in two ways. Its battery warranty runs eight years or 160,000km, beating the Kia's seven years and 150,000km, and its service gaps are far longer, 24 months or 40,000km by Australian press reports against the Kia's twelve months or 15,000km, so it books in less than half as often. Zeekr does not publish Australian servicing prices, though press reports put capped servicing near $2,400 over five years. Warranty and dealer reach hand peace of mind to the Kia; cost per visit goes to the Zeekr.

This is where the Kia banks its premium. Australian reviewers near-universally rate the EV6 among the best-driving electric SUVs in its class, praising a chassis tuned for local roads, composed ride and handling, and a quiet, refined cabin that the mid-life update improved further. The Zeekr is no penalty box: reviewers place its interior well above its price point and rate the materials as near-premium. But the same testers flag a ride that never quite settles on rough country roads and a handful of software calibrations still being finessed. If driving polish and refinement top your list, the Kia is the safer bet; if cabin richness for the money matters more, the Zeekr makes a strong case.

For most buyers cross-shopping these two, the Zeekr 7X is the more car for the money. It undercuts the EV6 by around $14,000 on the road, out-equips its base grade, matches or beats it on power and charging, and gives you more space. The Kia EV6 is worth its premium for a narrower brief: buyers who prize how it drives, one of the best in the class on Australian-tuned suspension, and who value the seven-year warranty, eight years of roadside and an established dealer network over outright value. Choose the Zeekr for the hardware and the price, the Kia for the polish and the safety net.