- Ceer's first production cars are the Exobot sedan and SUV, both featuring futuristic styling and all-electric powertrains.
- The tri-motor AWD setup produces up to 1,111 horsepower, and the sedan can hit 62 mph (100 km/h) in as little as 2.1 seconds.
- Both wedge-shaped EVs feature 112-kWh batteries, 800-volt charging, and dramatic gullwing doors.
Saudi Arabia wants to become a serious player in the automotive industry, and it has just taken a major step toward that goal. Ceer, the country's first automotive brand, has unveiled its first production models: a pair of fully electric vehicles that look like they escaped from a sci-fi movie. Meet the wacky Exobot sedan and SUV.
Created in 2022 by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Foxconn, Ceer was established as part of the kingdom's push to develop a domestic automotive industry. Over the past few years, the company has built its engineering and manufacturing capabilities, working with partners including BMW and a long list of major suppliers. Now, it has finally shown what all that effort has produced.
The Exobot is available as either a sedan or an SUV, with both versions riding on the same modular electric architecture. The designs are unapologetically futuristic, with huge proportions, a wedge-shaped profile, ultra-slim lighting, and an enormous windshield measuring 2.4 meters (7.9 feet) in length. The sedan stretches 5.26 meters (17.3 feet) from bumper to bumper, while the SUV measures 5.02 meters (16.5 feet) long. Both are 2.1 meters (6.9 feet) wide.
The Wedge Is Back
The design also has some distinctly Saudi touches. Ceer says the sharp, sculpted bodywork draws inspiration from the ancient architecture of Hegra, while the 32-element lighting signature references 1932, the year the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was unified. The wheels, meanwhile, incorporate a triangular motif inspired by architectural details found throughout the country.
But the party trick is impossible to miss: the doors. Called Shahin Wing Doors, the nearly three-meter-long panels open upward in a 60-centimeter arc. Inspired by the flight of the Shahin falcon, they can be operated from the key fob or by touching controls mounted on the doors. Unlike conventional gullwing doors such as the Tesla Model X's Falcon Doors, Ceer says the system gives both front and rear passengers access.
Inside, the Exobot continues with the same anything-goes approach. It has a minimalist steering yoke, steer-by-wire technology, and a lower section of door glass that can switch between transparent and opaque at the touch of a button. Ceer describes the cabin as an oasis designed to combine technology with comfort, which sounds suitably ambitious for a pair of cars that look this outrageous.
Strong Technical Specs
The Exobot uses a tri-motor all-wheel-drive setup and can produce up to 850 horsepower in the launch specification. The sedan can hit 62 mph (100 km/h) in 2.6 seconds, while the SUV needs 2.9 seconds. The front motors come from Hyundai Transys (an affiliate of the Hyundai Motor Group), while the rear motor comes from Rimac.
Both use a 112-kWh NCM battery and an 800-volt electrical architecture that can charge from 10 to 80 percent in under 30 minutes. Range is rated at up to 670 kilometers (416 miles) on the NEDC cycle for the sedan and 560 km (348 miles) for the SUV. Those figures aren't directly comparable with WLTP or EPA ratings, so expect lower real-world numbers.
And there's an even crazier version lurking above the 850-hp launch cars. Ceer says the Exobot's highest specification will deliver 1,111 hp and 1,500 Nm (1,106 lb-ft) of torque. In that configuration, the sedan can sprint to 100 km/h in 2.1 seconds and reach 250 km/h (155 mph), while the SUV does the same run in 2.4 seconds before topping out at 210 km/h (130 mph).
The first cars will be sold as the limited First Edition, followed by the Plus. The First Edition gets 850 hp, 1,000 Nm (738 lb-ft), the 112-kWh battery, red-and-black Nappa leather, special exterior finishes, and a numbered plaque matching the vehicle's VIN.
Five More Models Planned
Ceer's launch includes more than two wildly styled EVs. The company says the Exobot is the first of seven models planned through 2030, with smaller and midsize vehicles and different propulsion systems coming later. Unlike the two launch cars, that broader range won't be limited to EVs, as Ceer plans to offer combustion engines, provided people want them.
All of them are planned to be built at the Ceer Manufacturing Complex in King Abdullah Economic City. The company describes the facility as the largest automotive production complex in the Middle East. Ceer says it is designing, engineering, and manufacturing its future lineup in Saudi Arabia, making the Exobot more than another startup EV with a flashy body.
Ceer Exobot EVs
Motor1's Take: Whether Ceer can turn this spectacular debut into a sustainable car company remains to be seen. For now, though, Saudi Arabia has officially entered the automotive scene with two cars that are impossible to ignore.
It's an unapologetically extravagant way to introduce a new automaker, and it'll be interesting to see how much of this ambition carries over to Ceer's less extreme models.
