I’ve gotten used to making excuses for expensive cars. That plastic? Weight saving, probably. The missing equipment? Driver focus. The price? Well, that badge has a lot of heritage, and it needs feeding.

But then something like the Zeekr 7GT comes along and makes me reconsider what you should be getting when you buy a luxury car. It’s not just about screen size or how much organ-rearranging power it has. It’s more about a consistently good interior experience, a feeling of quality and solidity, a good ride, and toys.

The 7GT is a relatively compact electric wagon that behaves like a limousine muscle car. After a few days with the top-spec Privilege AWD, I started wondering why so many established luxury carmakers ask you to settle for less and demand more money.

But just as I was about to give the 7GT a 10/10 verdict, I started noticing some rough edges. I don’t mean the materials—those are fantastic—but the software and driver assistance feel about 80% done.

That aside, here is a Chinese-built, Swedish-designed electric wagon with powered and heated rear seats, a lavish cabin where you can’t tell where the Nappa leather ends and the fake stuff begins, with adaptive air suspension and 637 horsepower, all for far less money than any German competitor.

The 7GT measures 189.6 inches (4,817 millimeters), putting it around BMW 3 Series Touring territory. The forthcoming i3 Touring will be an obvious comparison, but we need the final specs list to compare them accurately.

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