Bangkok 2024: Zeekr makes ASEAN debut – LHD Zeekr X, 009 and 007 EVs, coming to Malaysia soon?
Geely’s premium electric vehicle brand Zeekr has already confirmed it will be selling cars in Southeast Asia, and its appearance at the Bangkok International Motor Show (BIMS) is its statement of intent. The company will be represented in Thailand by Arun Plus, a joint venture between MGC Asia and petroleum giant PTT, which will also distribute the Xpeng brand.
A total of three cars – all built on the Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) – are being showcased in the Land of Smiles, these being the Zeekr X, 009 and 007. The first two are already open for booking and will arrive in the country in the third quarter of the year, with the 007 being a little further out. All three show cars are left-hand-drive units, with the conversion to right-hand drive still ongoing.
Zeekr X
Let’s start with what will almost certainly be the most attainable of the lot, the Zeekr X. Based on the same SEA3 platform as the smart #1 (as well as the #3 and the Volvo EX30), it’s a fashionable compact SUV in much the same vein as the new MINI Countryman, being around the same size – 4,450 mm long, 1,836 mm wide and 1,572 mm, with a 2,750 mm wheelbase.
Zeekr was carved out of Lynk & Co, and the X still bears remnants of that brand’s design language, replete with split headlights (with H-shaped upper daytime running lights, first seen on the The Next Day concept), upswept window line, contrasting black roof and full-width taillight bar. Diagonal character lines on the bumpers and body side give the car a dynamic, youthful look.
Inside, you’ll find a minimalist cabin with a slim horizontal dashboard, “squircle” two-spoke steering wheel and a sliding centre console box similar to the Hyundai Ioniq 5 (replete with a refrigerator!). Of course, there are screens galore, including an 8.8-inch digital instrument display, a 14.6-inch infotainment touchscreen (which can be slid to the passenger side) and a massive 24.3-inch augmented reality head-up display.
Other notable features include power-opening doors, a 13-speaker Yamaha sound system and even a display on the B-pillar that can show the state of charging, plus a camera that can use facial recognition to unlock the door. The car you see here is dressed in a two-tone blue and white interior colour scheme and comes with rose gold highlights, which together look pretty swish. Unusually for such a small car, the X can be had as either a four- or five-seater; the latter is shown here.
The Zeekr X is available in single-motor rear-wheel-drive or dual-motor all-wheel-drive versions, the former producing 272 PS (200 kW) and 343 Nm of torque and getting the car from zero to 100 km/h in 5.8 seconds. Meanwhile, the AWD version makes 428 PS (315 kW) and 543 Nm, hurling the X to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds. If those figures sound familiar, it’s because they’re exactly the same as the smart #1 Premium and Brabus.
Also shared with those cars is a 66 kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery that provides a range of 560 km for the RWD model and 512 km for the AWD car. Those figures are on the rather optimistic CLTC cycle in China; expect real-world range to be closer to 440 km and 400 km respectively quoted for the smart #1 (both on the WLTP cycle). No charging details have been released, but expect the X to accept up to 150 kW of DC fast charging just like the #1, taking 30 minutes to charge from 10 to 80%.
Zeekr 009
Next up is the Zeekr 009, a massive land yacht of an MPV that’s much bigger than the already humongous Toyota Alphard and Vellfire. It’s built on the larger SEA1 platform and is essentially a twin to the Volvo EM90. Measuring 5,209 mm long, 2,024 mm wide and 1,848 mm tall, the 009 is 199 mm longer, 174 mm wider and 102 mm lower than the Alphard, while its 3,205 mm wheelbase is a staggering 205 mm longer.
The faintly ridiculous dimensions should not only afford the 009 with plenty of space but also a heaping amount of road presence, further emphasised by the bluff surfacing and a giant Rolls-Royce-style chrome-plated and illuminated “smart grille.” Step inside and you’re greeted with six luxurious seats (including the prerequisite business class-style captain’s chairs on the second row), wrapped in Nappa leather that even coats the second-row folding tables.
Adding to the sense of luxury are features like a massage function for the front passenger and second-row seats, 20 Yamaha-branded speakers (including in the headrests for the driver and second row) and double glazing that reaches all the way back to the third row. You also get a 10.25-inch instrument display, a 15.4-inch centre touchscreen and a separate 15.6-inch ceiling-mounted monitor for the second row, which also get one-touch meeting and theatre modes for the rear screen, seats and sunshades.
In China, all models get dual-motor all-wheel drive that makes an astonishing 544 PS (400 kW) and 686 Nm, flinging this behemoth to 100 km/h in just 4.8 seconds. Buyers get a choice of 116 kWh and 140 kWh NMC batteries that deliver a CLTC-rated range of 702 and 822 km respectively. Again, there are no charging details, only that the 116 kWh battery can be DC fast charged from 10 to 80% in 28 minutes.
Zeekr 007
Last but not least is the Zeekr 007, a sedan that shares not just its numerals with Britain’s beloved fictional spy but also his sharp suit. This is the first model to feature a completely separate design language from Lynk & Co, dominated by the Stargate front mask that houses 1,711 LEDs and can be customised to show different images or messages.
The clean, organic design features very little in the way of ornamentation – there aren’t even any door handles as the doors open automatically, like the Zeekr X (the car you see here is clearly a low-spec model with door handles and, criminally, no Stargate panel). Inside, the 007 shares a similar design with the X, albeit with a full centre console with Tesla-style dual Qi wireless chargers.
The tech, however, has moved on quite a bit – you get a 13-inch instrument display, a 15-inch OLED touchscreen and a 35.5-inch (!) head-up display. Other features include reclining rear seats, a glass roof, an in-house-developed 21-speaker sound system, magnetorheological dampers, a Tesla Model 3-style one-piece rear windscreen/glass roof panel and a roof-mounted lidar sensor to augment the car’s advanced driver assistance systems.
Like the Zeekr X, the 007 can be had either in single-motor RWD form with 421 PS (310 kW) and 440 Nm or in dual-motor AWD trim with an impressive 646 PS (475 kW) and 710 Nm. The century sprint is completed in 5.6 and 3.8 seconds respectively, although bizarrely there’s a performance version that can fling itself to 100 km/h in just 2.84 seconds (excluding rollout) – despite having the same amount of power.
Range figures are 688 km with the RWD model and 616 km with AWD, both with a 75 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery. The performance model has a larger 100 kWh NMC battery and has a claimed range of 660 km. With an 800-volt architecture, a sufficiently high-powered DC fast charger will be able to provide 610 km of range with just 15 minutes of charging.
Aside from the Land of Smiles, Zeekr will also be sold in Singapore, the Philippines, Laos and Myanmar. No word on Malaysia yet, with the brand only saying it will be “studying different markets.” Could it arrive here one day under Proton subsidiary Pro-Net, alongside smart? Only time will tell.
GALLERY: Zeekr X at BIMS 2024
GALLERY: Zeekr 007 at BIMS 2024
GALLERY: Zeekr 009 at BIMS 2024
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