Saudi Arabia has officially entered the passenger-car market with the debut of the Ceer Exobot, a futuristic electric sedan and SUV designed to become the flagship models of the country’s first homegrown automotive brand.
Revealed on September 21 by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Exobot marks a major step in Saudi Arabia’s push to develop a domestic automotive industry under the country’s Vision 2030 economic diversification strategy. Ceer was established in 2022 by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) in partnership with Foxconn.
The Exobot sedan and SUV combine dramatic styling with a tri-motor all-wheel-drive powertrain, a 112 kWh battery, 800-volt electrical architecture and up to 850 horsepower.
Series production is scheduled to begin in January 2027, with customer deliveries expected to start in March. Initial sales will focus on Saudi Arabia and the wider Gulf region.
Ceer Exobot Delivers Up to 670 km of Range
The Exobot lineup will initially consist of two body styles: a premium sedan and a large electric SUV.
Both use a 112 kWh battery and an 800V electrical architecture. The sedan has an estimated NEDC range of up to 670 km (416 miles), while the SUV is rated at up to 560 km (348 miles).
Ceer says DC fast charging can take the battery from 10% to 80% in around 30 minutes. The vehicles use a tri-motor all-wheel-drive setup producing up to 850 hp (625 kW) and 1,000 Nm of torque.
The Exobot sedan can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 2.6 seconds, while the SUV completes the same run in 2.9 seconds. That gives both models performance figures normally associated with high-end electric performance cars rather than traditional luxury sedans and SUVs.
Ceer has not yet announced pricing.
Radical Design With No B-Pillars
The Exobot sedan and SUV take a distinctly futuristic approach to exterior design. Both feature a wedge-shaped profile, large glass areas and gullwing doors, while eliminating the conventional B-pillars between the front and rear doors.
The unusual structure is made possible through high-strength materials designed to provide the required structural integrity without a traditional center pillar. The vehicles also feature a large glass roof and a silver-coated windshield designed to help reflect heat—an especially relevant feature for the hot Gulf climate.
Design work was led by Rob Melville, who previously spent 13 years at McLaren and worked on cars including the McLaren P1, 720S, Senna and Artura.
The exterior lighting incorporates another Saudi reference. Ceer says the light bars use 32 individual segments as a nod to 1932, the year Saudi Arabia was unified.
48-Inch Digital Horizon Display
Inside, the centerpiece of the Exobot is a massive 48-inch curved Digital Horizon display stretching from pillar to pillar at the base of the windshield.
The system incorporates navigation and other digital functions, while a separate 10.4-inch central control screen provides additional access to vehicle controls. Ceer also highlights 3D navigation, a voice assistant and a camera-based mirror system.
The technology-heavy interior is complemented by steer-by-wire, a steering yoke, rear-wheel steering and adaptive dual-chamber air suspension. The SUV also offers adjustable ground clearance and multiple driving modes.
The SUV measures 5,016 mm long, 2,101 mm wide and 1,693 mm tall, with a 3,200 mm wheelbase. The sedan is even longer at 5,260 mm, while sharing the same 3,200 mm wheelbase. It measures 2,102 mm wide and 1,428 mm tall.
BMW, Rimac, Hyundai Transys and Foxconn Technology
Although Ceer is a Saudi brand, the Exobot program relies on a network of international automotive technology partners.
BMW has a technology agreement with Ceer dating back to the brand’s launch. Ceer CEO Jim DeLuca has said the company is drawing on BMW’s extensive engineering and manufacturing experience.
Foxconn is responsible for the platform and electrical architecture, while Rimac Technology supplies the rear electric drive system. Hyundai Transys provides the front electric motors.
The result is a global technology package underneath vehicles that Ceer says are designed and engineered in Saudi Arabia.
Two Exobot Versions to Launch
The Exobot will initially be offered in a Limited Launch Edition and a more extensively customizable Plus version.
Ceer says the First Edition will be available in both sedan and SUV body styles and will feature exclusive exterior and interior specifications. Every First Edition vehicle will also receive a numbered plaque corresponding to its VIN.
The company has not disclosed pricing for either model.
Ceer Plans Five More Models
The Exobot is only the beginning of Ceer’s planned vehicle lineup.
The company intends to launch seven vehicles over five years, with additional models expected to cover different segments and propulsion technologies. Ceer has said its future lineup will eventually include mainstream vehicles and is not expected to remain exclusively electric.
Production will take place at the Ceer Manufacturing Complex in King Abdullah Economic City. The facility is intended to become a major part of Saudi Arabia’s emerging automotive manufacturing ecosystem.
By 2034, Ceer projects that its operations will contribute around $8 billion to Saudi Arabia’s GDP, while the company is targeting significant increases in local employment and vehicle content.
The project is closely tied to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy, which seeks to diversify the economy beyond oil and develop new industrial sectors.
With the Exobot, Saudi Arabia is moving from plans for a domestic automotive industry to its first production vehicles. The combination of 850 hp, a 112 kWh battery, advanced chassis technology and an unconventional luxury-car design gives Ceer’s first models a high-performance focus as the company prepares for production in 2027.
[source: Ceer]
