Saudi Arabia wants a car industry, launches Ceer with two EVs

Ceer provided flights from Detroit to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and accommodation so Ars could visit the factory. Ars does not accept paid editorial content.

KING ABDULLAH ECONOMIC CITY, Saudi Arabia—It may come as a surprise to some, but Saudi Arabia has never had a domestic automaker. That changes with Ceer. A joint venture between the country’s Public Investment Fund and Foxconn, it’s the Kingdom’s first home-grown automaker and a significant part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan to diversify its economy away from oil production and bring technological innovation locally by the end of the decade.

Ceer in Arabic means to “drive forward,” and this forward-looking approach applies to the vehicle lineup. The flagship vehicles you see here—the Exobot sedan and SUV—are demonstrations of what the company is capable of and the vision it sees for future vehicles in the portfolio.

It plans to have seven new cars in its portfolio by 2030—some of which will be hybrids—and while that doesn’t currently include sales outside the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) region, Ceer says it’s building a competitive, world-class product and that if the demand is there, expansion is possible.

A flagship shouldn’t be boring, and Ceer met that brief. Both SUV and sedan would look at home in Westworld. The SUV had something familiar about it, and Ars auto editor Jonathan Gitlin said it reminded him of the Isuzu VehiCross. Maybe this is a modern-day interpretation of that vehicle? After seeing the SUV in person, I can tell you I can’t unsee that reference.

Chad Kirchner The Exobot sedan. The Exobot sedan. Chad Kirchner Chad Kirchner Yes, that’s a yoke. Yes, that’s a yoke. Chad Kirchner Chad Kirchner. The sedan is a four-seater. The sedan is a four-seater. Chad Kirchner. Yes, that’s a yoke. Chad Kirchner The sedan is a four-seater. Chad Kirchner.

Both vehicles have falcon doors, called a Shahin Wing here, to get in and out of the vehicle. The doors add to the drama befitting a flagship for a startup automaker and will certainly draw attention out on Saudi roads. The doors don’t open wider than a standard car door, so it shouldn’t be much of a challenge in a tight parking lot. As long as the roof isn’t too low, presumably.