The powerful Chinese Geely group has big plans in Europe. The expectations of Zeekr, a high-volume brand that is intended to position itself in the direction of Audi or Tesla, are particularly high. The compact Zeekr X is intended to appeal to design-oriented SUV customers.
With a length of 4.45 meters, the electric SUV hits every segment in which many are interested in a compact entry-level crossover. The Zeekr X presents itself as a chic twin brother of the Smart #1, with which it not only shares a variable SEA platform (Sustainable Experimental Architecture), but also large parts of the technology. The city SUV will not celebrate its official world premiere until mid-April at the Auto China trade fair in Shanghai, where the final technical data will be communicated. Since the technology comes from the Smart #1, the Zeekr X should also be available with rear-wheel and all-wheel drive and offer a power range between 200 kW / 272 hp and over 300 kW / 408 hp. The 66 kWh battery pack of the Smart #1 enables ranges of up to 450 kilometers. In view of the segment and the strong international competition, it is unlikely to stay that way.
Zeekr wants to attract interested parties to the Geely offshoot, especially in Europe. Therefore, the look of the Zeekr X was also created at the Geely design center in Gothenburg, with the help of Stefan Sielaff. Sielaff has an eventful past in the automotive industry and has held various positions for brands such as Audi, Volkswagen, Mercedes and Bentley over the past few decades before moving to the Chinese car manufacturer Geely and now prefers to work from Gothenburg.
The Zeekr X is the third model after the Zeekr 001 and 009, which are used as luxury sedans and vans in higher classes. How variable the SEA platform is is shown by the fact that it is not only home to the compact Zeekr X, but also to the Zeekr 001’s 4.97 meter long shooting brake. Its performance data is just as impressive as the styling: 400 kW / 544 hp, 768 Nm torque, all-wheel drive and 0 to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds. The two batteries with sizes of 86 and 100 kWh in the underbody can be boosted to up to 80 percent within 30 minutes and if you fold down the rear seat of the electric model, you can use more than 2,100 liters of storage space. If you use Zeekr’s own 360 kW charger, you pump 120 fresh kilometers of range into the Chinese in five minutes.
“The Zeekr brand is poised to succeed in the premium EV segment. We have behind us the best resources of an automotive company, including an established supply chain and a broad industrial footprint ready to start producing vehicles,” says Andy An Conghui, CEO of Zeekr Technology. “We also benefit from a technology-driven background Mindset that drives us to provide consumers with a better EV experience.”
Source: Stern
I’m a recent graduate of the University of Missouri with a degree in journalism. I started working as a news reporter for 24 Hours World about two years ago, and I’ve been writing articles ever since. My main focus is automotive news, but I’ve also written about politics, lifestyle, and entertainment.
