Ford Mustang vs Zeekr X

What's the difference?

Having driven the latest example of the Mustang GT, I hope Bill Ford is true to his word and keeps the V8-powered Mustang for as long as possible. It isn’t the most razor-sharp sports car or the most powerful muscle car, but it offers the kind of driving thrills and enjoyment that have made the car an icon.

The price increase is steep but the new technology inside drags the Mustang into the modern era and will add more youth appeal to a car that is largely unchanged in concept for the past 60 years.

But now that I’ve driven it in the USA and France, I can’t wait for it to finally reach Australia.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

It's a good thing in a small package, this Zeekr X, and there are a lot of things I like about it. In fact, the only sticking point for me is the price. But that's all about perspective. If you see this as a newcomer Chinese brand, then yes, there are a lot of more affordable options out there. But if you see it as a premium player, it's really a more affordable version of a Volvo.

Note: The author, Andrew Chesterton, is a co-owner of Smart As Media, a content agency and media distribution service with a number of automotive brands among its clients. When producing content for CarsGuide, he does so in accordance with the CarsGuide Editorial Guidelines and Code of Ethics, and the views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.

While this is considered a ‘new generation’ Mustang, the reality is this is more of a major overhaul than a complete, blank sheet redesign. As such, there’s a lot of carry over to the design, but that’s not to say there aren’t some significant changes.

For example, it’s still clearly a Mustang in its silhouette, sharing that with the sixth-generation model it replaces, as well as the now-iconic 1960s Fastback models, but the details are noticeably different.

To try and create more differentiation between the GT and EcoBoost models, Ford has designed unique front ends for each. Both are characterised by a strong horizontal line across the front of the more angular grille that meets the new ‘tri-bar’ daytime running lights.

The EcoBoost has an upper grille similar in size to the out-going model, the GT is a much larger upper section which incorporates a pair of ‘nostrils’ as well as a bonnet vent - both of which are functional for cooling and aerodynamics.

Down the sides Ford has lowered the beltline and created a more defined rear fender ‘shoulder’ that helps create the impression of a wider car. 

At the rear the famous ‘tri-bar’ lights remain and there are unique diffusers for each model, with the EcoBoost running two exhaust tips and the GT getting quad pipes.

But it’s inside where the biggest design changes have happened. The retro-inspired cabin of the sixth-generation - which features shiny silver plastic toggle-like switches and round air-con vents - has been overhauled.

The iconic ‘double brow’ design to the dashboard, which dates back to the original 1964 Mustang, has been dropped and replaced with a pair of digital screens. There’s a 12.3-inch display for the digital instrument cluster and a 13.2-inch multimedia touchscreen.

This change is designed to appeal to a younger audience but also allows for greater customisation and variety of displays, with Ford developing six different instrument panel options depending on the setting the driver chooses.

The primary three are the 'Normal', 'Sport' and 'Track' modes, which have been inspired by the GT supercar and the Mustang Mach-E electric SUV, while there’s also a 'Calm' setting, providing only the necessary data, such as speed, in a simplified format.

The final two have been created to tailor to fans of the brand’s 1980s ‘Fox Body’ Mustang, with digital versions of its round analogue dials in both a ‘Day’ and ‘Night’ mode, with the former using white graphics and the latter getting retro green dials.

The visual changes aren’t massive. This AWD version welcomes a couple of new exterior colours, including the 'Matt Khaki Green' of our test car. It also gets the two-tone black roof and there are new 20-inch alloy designs.

Elsewhere, it's the futuristic-style of design we’re used to which differentiates the X from its Volvo EX30 twin under the skin.

Inside, this is a seriously well-equipped and polished-feeling small SUV, and — unlike some of the newcomer brands to Australia — it all feels very high quality and well put together. And that includes the material choices.

I don’t even hate the fact that most of the functions are controlled via this screen, thanks to the little shortcuts glued to the home screen. I do, however, hate the fact that there’s no easy way to change the wing mirrors or shortcuts for toning down some of the safety stuff.

That aside, though, it’s a nice and high-quality feeling space.

The sixth-generation Mustang copped a lot of criticism for its interior look and feel, and while it certainly wasn’t at European levels of quality it was more affordable than any European V8-powered coupe.

The introduction of the new digital displays certainly adds a more premium impression to the cabin when you get inside, but you can still see a lot of the previous generation in this model, in particular the doors and centre console.

It’s pretty practical, for a sports car, with a pair of cupholders and a lidded centre console box for small item storage. 

One noticeable issue with the screens is the control virtually everything to do with the multimedia, including the air-conditioning, so trying to make small temperature adjustments is more complicated than just pressing a physical button. 

Not surprisingly space feels very similar to the outgoing Mustang with supportive and comfortable seating up front that made long stretches behind the wheel feel easy, which is nice for a sports car.

As for the rear seats, they remain incredibly tight for space and are better for soft item storage rather than squeezing people into.

Despite the largely carried over body and interior, the boot is slightly smaller than the previous model, with the coupe measuring 376 litres compared to the 408 litres offered previously. 

You know you're in a small vehicle when you can't fit two large (not those crazy American-style jumbo cups, just normal coffee-shop takeaway) coffees in the cupholders, but so it is with the Zeekr X.

The small SUV's 4432mm length, 1836mm in width and 1566mm height doesn't leave much room to spread out up front. There's ample room for driver and passenger, of course, but we are talking about a small vehicle here.

Clever storage helps to mitigate that, though, especially the super-deep storage space in the centre console and the very clever fridge that separates the driver and passenger seats.

Weirdly, though, the space doesn’t feel overly tight in the back seat. We had a massive baby seat in there, and that fit without issue. And full size humans can genuinely get pretty comfortable. I'm 175cm, and I had enough knee and headroom.

In the boot, there’s 404 litres of volume with the rear seats upright and 1247 litres with them folded flat. And it’s worth pointing out this isn’t intended to be a family car, but there’s certainly enough space for the shopping... and a pram.

This is a small SUV with a LOT of stuff. There are two trims in the Zeekr X range – the entry-level rear-drive model is $48,900, drive-away, while the all-wheel drive version we've tested is $57,900 on the road.

The obvious comparison is to the Volvo EX30, which shares its platform with the Zeekr X through both brands' Chinese parent company Geely.

As of right now, the cheapest single-motor Volvo is $56,051, drive-away in NSW, or $49,990 plus on-roads, making the Zeekr version much, much cheaper.

Anyway, outside there are 19- or 20-inch alloys, though our test car is fitted with the optional 20-inch black alloys, paired with a black-with-red-highlights interior treatment, which adds $2000 to the price.

Ours is also fitted with the electric front doors which open or close at the push of a button, and back doors that unlatch, but don’t fully open, the same way, which adds another $2000.

Both trims also get heated and cooled front seats, and heating in the rear window seats, but this AWD version also adds a massage function for front seat riders. 

There’s also wireless charging, a 13-speaker Yamaha sound system and — very cool, literally — is the little drinks fridge between the front seats in the AWD variant.

Tech is handled by a 14.6-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and there’s a head-up display for the driver.

During the top secret development of this seventh-generation model there were plenty of rumours that Ford was considering a hybrid system for this Mustang. Fortunately for lovers of old-school V8 engines that proved not to be the case.

Instead it’s powered by a 5.0-litre V8 that's an evolution of the ‘Coyote’ unit from the previous ‘Stang but now featuring some technical changes, including dual throttle-bodies and separate airboxes to help improve performance. In the GT it’s tuned to make 345kW and 550Nm.

It can be paired with either a six-speed manual gearbox or 10-speed automatic transmission, both sending all the power to the road via the rear wheels.

The big news here is a more powerful rear motor – meaning you get more grunt whether you opt for the rear-wheel drive or this all-wheel drive.

In rear-drive form, that boosts your outputs from 200kW to 250kW, dropping the sprint to 100km/h to 5.6 seconds. In AWD guise, your new outputs are 365kW (up from 315kW) and 573Nm, and your sprint to 100km/h falls to 3.7 seconds.

While it hasn’t been confirmed by Ford, the Federal Government's Green Vehicle Guide has the Mustang GT rated at 12.8L/100km. And while that’s quite a thirst for unleaded petrol, it shouldn’t come as a surprise given it’s a 345kW 5.0-litre V8 engine.

If you value efficiency in your American muscle car, the four-cylinder turbocharged EcoBoost is rated at 9.4L/100km. But based on previous evidence, Mustang buyers are likely to opt for power over saving petrol.

The claimed consumption figure translates to a driving range between fills of around 650km.

This is where it starts to get weird. The rear-drive Zeekr X is fitted with a 61kWh LFP battery, which can accept up to 230kW DC fast charging, taking you from 10 to 80 per cent charged in just 18 minutes. Total claimed range is 405km.

The flagship AWD, though, charges at a slower rate. It gets a 66kWh NMN battery and can only be charged at 150kW, meaning the same charge takes 30 minutes. Zeekr is promising a 415km driving range between charges.

As promised earlier, here’s how the Mustang GT felt powering through the French countryside…

But first, it’s worth acknowledging that, in truth, it wasn't hard work getting through the traffic even in the manual Mustang. While the clutch is on the heavier side, it’s got a smooth action and the engine's torque and flexibility make darting in and out of gaps in the traffic a breeze.

However,  once out on the open roads the Mustang really could run free. The V8 engine sounded fantastic bellowing out across the fields and through the quaint little villages we passed through.

As you'd expect, the V8 provides plenty of grunt, it's an incredibly flexible engine pulling hard right across the rev range and makes us appreciate even more that this now remains the last of its kind since the demise of the V8-powered Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger.

Driving the Mustang in conditions like this makes you understand why it has been such a popular sports car not only in Australia but around the world for decades.

While the manual transmission has fallen out of favour with Aussie buyers, the truth is it's the pick for this GT. The fact it has less ratios to choose from than the 10-speed automatic means it feels more urgent and (again) the flexibility of the engine allows it to shine.

Not that the auto is bad, it does a fine job, it just lacks the buzz and engagement the manual ‘box provides.

What arguably impresses even more than the engine is the handling. Having driven the Dark Horse last year and being so impressed by its handling, particularly with the 'Performance Package', there was some concern prior to driving the GT that it would feel less impressive and, dare I say, duller.

But that's far from the case. Instead, the GT feels responsive and well sorted across a variety of road conditions. While it may lack the precise handling characteristics of a European sports car, it’s clear Ford has made this latest Mustang better suited for the rest of the world, not just America.

Not that Ford has made the Mustang too serious, as the introduction of the Drift Brake demonstrates. This rally-style electronic handbrake allows you to, as the name suggests, snap the car into a slide - when the circumstances allow.

Ford finally gave us our first (official) use of the Drift Brake when it paid us up with stunt driving expert, Paul Swift, who taught us how to slide the Mustang into a parallel park.

Obviously this is not designed for road use but for those who want to take their Mustang to the track it will no doubt lead to a lot of fun and some shredded tyres.

Short answer? Pretty good, with some caveats.

I'm partial to a firmer ride. I find some Chinese car companies can feel like they get their suspension bits from Captain Snooze, such is the soft, pillowy ride served up. And to be honest, it makes me a little seasick at times.

The Zeekr is not like that. It has firmness dialled into the ride equation and can feel harsh at times, but also improves the drive experience, delivering connection and engagement at the cost of some sharpness on the wrong road. 

It's also faster than the model it replaces, but it's also one of those cars in which the real-life feeling doesn't quite match the on-paper promise.

This thing serves up supercar speed, but it doesn't feel like it from behind the wheel. Instead, the acceleration - especially from a rolling start - feels potent, but not biblical.

From a standing start it pauses for a moment, almost like an internal-combustion vehicle might, before delivering a quick (but not stratospheric) flow of power. None of that is a bad thing, by the way. Who wants their small SUV to accelerate like a supercar?

It's otherwise an entirely pleasant drive. The cabin is serene and quiet and it's a small car that doesn't feel like one. There's nothing light or tinny about the drive experience, instead there's a heft and quality.

The Zeekr X wears a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating, earned in 2024, which means the long list of required active safety stuff is present and accounted for, all wrapped up in what Zeekr calls its 'Intelligent Driving Assist System'.

There are five cameras, five radars and 12 sensors, which is a crazy number for a car this small.

And this is also not a car in which I was desperately trying to figure out how to deactivate any of the active safety systems – save the overzealous over-speed warning – which is a win these days, too. 

There are also seven airbags, including a centre front airbag.

The Zeekr X is fitted with ISOFIX anchors on the rear outboard seats and top tether anchorages for all rear seating positions.

There are no details confirmed at this stage but there’s no reason to believe the Mustang won’t be covered by Ford Australia’s usual five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty.

Similarly, service intervals are likely to be 12 months/15,000km.

For reference, capped price servicing on the out-going Mustang GT came in at $299 for each of the first four services, up to four years/60,000km. Not bad.

Zeekr's coverage is an underwhelming five-year, unlimited-kilometres, while the drive battery is covered for eight-years or 160,000km. There’s five years' of roadside assistance thrown in, too.

Service intervals are 20,000km or 12 months, with five years' of ownership setting you back a hefty $3072; an average of $614 per workshop visit.

There are currently 16 Zeekr dealers in Australia - two of which are 'pop-up' sites rather than full retail centres.

Multiple locations in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane with the ACT, Adelaide and Perth also covered. Others include Geelong and the Sunshine Coast but so far you're out of luck in Tassie or the NT.