Chinese luxury brand wants to conquer Europe

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Chinese auto group Geely is on the verge of becoming a full-range supplier in Europe. Brand subsidiary Zeekr (pronounced Siikr), founded in 2021, should have the best luck. It should turn into direct competition with established competitors like Audi, BMW, Tesla or the newcomer Nio. Zeekr 001 and Zeekr 009, which are used as luxury sedans and family vans in the upper classes, have already made their debut as the first models of the Chinese automaker. A small SUV was added with the Zeekr X at Auto China in Shanghai.

Zeekr boss Andy An Conghui (52) relies entirely on the market power of parent company Geely and its bloated tech kit. The basis of Zeekr X is an electric platform belonging to the group called Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA). You can see how variable it is in the range of possible models: in addition to the Zeekr X, this includes its sister models 001 and 009, as well as the small Smart #1, Polestar 4, Lotus Eletre and the Volvo EX30 of the future. To be announced in early June.

Compact portfolio

The performance data of the first Zeekr 001 in 2021 is as impressive as its styling: 544 hp (440 kW), 768 Newton meters of torque, all-wheel drive and zero to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds. 86 or 100 kilowatt hours (kWh) can be charged up to 80 percent in 30 minutes. If you use Zeekr’s own 360 kW charger, you can pump a range of 120 kilometers into the elegant Stromer in just five minutes.

The family van Zeekr 009, which arrives a year later, is definitely not a boring family car. Even its dimensions are impressive: 5.20 meters long and two meters wide, the box rides on wheels producing 536 hp (394 kW). With a weight of 2.8 tons, it accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds. There is also a choice between two batteries, 116 kWh or even 140 kWh, for ranges between 702 and 822 kilometers. Loading is as fast as 001.

The model that will lift Europe up

According to industry portal carnewschina.com, Zeekr sold more than 72,000 cars last year after the first models were introduced to the Chinese market. “We want to build on this success and introduce our brand to the European market as an important step in our growth strategy,” Conghui said. That’s why the design of the new Zeekr X was developed under Stefan Sielaff (61) at Geely’s European design center in Gothenburg (Sweden). Having worked for brands such as Audi and Mercedes for years, Sielaff has given the luxury electric car an extravagant and impressive look. With a length of 4.45 meters, the Zeekr X segment of compact SUVs is a direct competitor to electric vehicles such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5, VW ID.4, Audi Q4 e-tron and BMW iX1.

There is a choice of rear or all-wheel drive, but with a battery size of only 66 kWh. With rear-wheel drive and 271 HP (200 kW), it accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 5.8 seconds and can travel 560 kilometers on a single battery charge. All-wheel drive has 428 hp (315 kW), accelerates to 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds and has a range of 512 km.

Sales prices for the European market are not yet known – in China the Zeekr 001 is sold for 28,700 francs and the 009 for just under 64,400 francs. It is not yet clear whether either of them will come to Europe. But the new X will be released in Europe at the end of the year. But starting at 24,500 francs in China, a few francs have to be added to the European markets.

Source: Blick