First ride on Zeekr 001: Porsche, Tesla and Co. Should be careful

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Chinese auto giant Geely is about to conquer the European market with its Edel subsidiary Zeekr. The compact electric SUV Zeekr X will launch at the end of the year. Shortly after, another competitor in the sports car league took the field. Name: Zeekr 001.

His muscular, sleek appearance is similar to that of other powerful electric athletes like the Porsche Taycan. This is exactly what the Chinese Stromer had to teach them to fear. Just a few years ago, you would have smiled at these words – those days are gone.

China Stromer for Europe

When it comes to cars from the Middle Kingdom, not everything that sparkles electrically is gold – but Nio, BYD and Co. The development steps taken by Chinese manufacturers such as Creating a consistent package is crucial for Geely Group to enter the European market. “We tailored the car to Europe’s needs. The Chinese version works differently,” explains chief engineer Ralph Stenger.

For example, the seats in the European version are equipped with a harder foam than in the Chinese. And unlike the Nio ET7, the head-up display on the 001 has a bezel overlay on the projection cover. The rest of the interior is lined with leather and other premium materials. In addition to 8.8-inch digital gauges, a powerful 14.7-inch infotainment touchscreen is crowned in the middle.

Ranged space miracle

With a battery capacity of 100 kilowatt-hours (kWh), the all-wheel drive Privilege version with 400 kW (544 hp) and 686 Nm of torque has a range of up to 580 kilometers. In the rear-wheel drive and 200 kW (272 hp) long-range version, the range increases to 620 kilometers.

Zeekr shows a consumption of 18.5 kWh per 100 kilometers for the Privilege version. After our test drive on the highway, which we only used for a short time, the on-board computer reported 21.5 kWh/100 km. The empty batteries in the wall box are fully charged after five and a half hours using the built-in 22 kW on-board charger. With a maximum of 200 kW on the DC fast charger, it takes about 30 minutes to charge the battery from 10 percent to 80 percent.

The wheelbase of the 4.95-meter-long Chinese luxury electric car is three meters. All rear passengers benefit from ample space. We just frown on the trunk: it’s pretty good with a volume of 539 liters, but the sloping rear minimizes practicality. Also, the loading threshold is quite high.

How does the luxury Stromer ride?

Driving modes differ significantly. Brutal in “sports”: 100 km/h is reached in just 3.8 seconds. In Eco and Comfort, the Zeekr 001 is braked, which makes driving in the city more comfortable. You can choose from three levels as you recover – light, powerful and single-pedal drive – it cannot be turned off completely. However, recovery is already difficult to dose and there is no exact pressure point. “We’re not done with the car yet,” Ralph Stenger assures.

However, the air suspension with adaptive shock absorbers acts quite harmoniously. Even in comfort mode the body does not bounce uncomfortably. We most like the Sport setting, where the body of the car is firmer but still comfortable. Stromer easily swallows speed bumps. Steering could be a little more direct, but that fits very well with the car’s overall concept of comfort. Thanks to all-wheel drive, despite the impressive weight of 2350 kilograms, there is plenty of fun on the winding country roads.

Affordable rival of Porsche, Tesla and Co.

Zeekr is still in the stars, as is the price, when it will be available in Switzerland with the new top dog 001. In Sweden and the Netherlands, where the electric athlete is already available, the long-range version starts at around 57,600 francs. It’s a really fair deal, as it offers amenities like a panoramic glass roof, 21-inch tires, 21 driving assistants, and a Yamaha audio system.

The Privilege variant we use is even more extensively equipped: from air suspension to massage seats at the front and a three-zone climate system. But the price of the all-wheel drive version also rises to at least CHF 65,400. But considering that its Chinese rival Nio ET7 starts at 66,800 francs and the Porsche Taycan 4 Cross Turismo is not available for less than 110,000 francs, there should be no barriers to Zeekr’s successful entry into the European car market.

Source: Blick