Saudi Arabia is entering car manufacturing with ambitions well beyond a single model. CEER, the country’s first home-grown automotive brand, was established in 2022 as a joint venture between the Public Investment Fund and Foxconn. Its name means “to move forward” in Arabic, and its first production cars now give that ambition physical form.
Called EXOBOT, the initial range consists of a flagship saloon and SUV, both designed and engineered in Saudi Arabia and set to be built at CEER’s manufacturing complex in King Abdullah Economic City. They also mark the beginning of a broader seven-model programme planned through 2030.
Both cars share a low, wedge-shaped design, with sharply machined front and rear sections contrasted by smoother surfaces around the cabin. CEER says the form takes inspiration from the ancient architecture of Hegra, while 32 individual light elements reference 1932, the year Saudi Arabia was unified.
Performance comes from a tri-motor all-wheel-drive system producing up to 850 hp and 1,000 Nm. The EXOBOT saloon reaches 100 km/h in 2.6 seconds, with the SUV taking 2.9 seconds. Both use a 112 kWh battery and 800V electrical architecture, allowing a 10-to-80 per cent charge in under 30 minutes. Claimed NEDC range is up to 670 km for the saloon and 560 km for the SUV.
The technology is equally ambitious. A curved 48-inch 8K Digital Horizon display stretches from pillar to pillar, accompanied by a 10.4-inch central control screen, 3D navigation and an Arabic- and English-speaking voice assistant. Steer-by-wire allows CEER to use a yoke-style steering control, while rear-wheel steering and camera-based mirrors add further modern hardware.
Pricing has yet to be announced, although the limited EXOBOT First Edition is due first, followed by the more configurable EXOBOT Plus range in 2027.
