The Zeekr 7GT is one of the first cars to ace Euro NCAP's tough new safety test
Another sign of how fast the Chinese car industry is maturing
Here is a strong sign of how quickly the Chinese car industry is maturing. The electric Zeekr 7GT has become one of the very first cars to earn a full five-star Euro NCAP rating under a demanding new 2026 test protocol, the toughest overhaul of Europe's crash-safety benchmark in years. Passing the old test was hard enough; acing this one is a real statement.
The scores
Under the new system, Euro NCAP now grades cars across four phases, and the 7GT did well in all of them. It scored 95 percent for post-crash safety, 93 percent for crash protection and 89 percent for crash avoidance, with a lower but still solid 79 percent for safe driving. That is a strong, well-rounded result, with the post-crash figure, covering what happens after an accident, standing out as particularly impressive.
Why the new test is so much harder
The 2026 protocol is the biggest revision Euro NCAP has made since 2009. It broadens the range of occupants tested to better reflect the elderly and children, adds tougher requirements specifically for electric cars, including keeping the high-voltage battery safely isolated after a crash, and leans harder on scenarios that mirror real-world driving. In short, it is designed to be much closer to what actually happens on the road, which makes a clean five-star result all the more meaningful. It arrives just as Europe tightens the screws elsewhere too, with a new batch of mandatory safety features from July.
Who makes it
The 7GT is a premium electric grand tourer from Zeekr, the upmarket electric brand of China's Geely Holding Group, which also owns names like Volvo, Polestar and Lynk & Co. Zeekr says it has delivered more than 800,000 cars globally since launching in October 2021, and this result fits its push to be taken seriously as a premium player in Europe. It is the same Geely momentum behind the Lynk & Co 07 GT coming to Europe. Zeekr has not detailed the 7GT's power, battery or pricing in this safety announcement.
AutoNext Take
It is easy to be sceptical about the wave of Chinese cars arriving in Europe, but results like this are exactly why you cannot dismiss them. Being among the first to earn five stars under the toughest Euro NCAP protocol in over a decade is a genuine achievement, and safety is one of the areas where European buyers have historically trusted established brands over newcomers. Zeekr just chipped away at that assumption. The 79 percent safe-driving score shows there is still a little room to grow, but make no mistake, this is a serious, well-engineered car. Combined with the aggressive pricing we are seeing from rivals like the Leapmotor B03X, and the market share BYD is already taking, established brands should be paying very close attention.
