AThe Geely-owned Zeekr brand of luxury electric vehicles recently unveiled its compact Zeekr X compact SUV in Sydney.
It will be the first of two models introduced to the Australian market this year.
Following the Zeekr X, the company plans to launch the Zeekr 009, a pure-electric luxury MPV, by the end of 2024.
Zeekr has established a subsidiary in the country and will adopt a franchise dealership distribution model to provide comprehensive customer service to Australian customers.
The Zeekr X will be available for pre-order in September, and the company has been actively collecting expressions of interest from Australian customers via its official website.
Zeekr’s models will officially launch at the SXSW festival in October, which it is sponsoring, and vehicle deliveries will follow shortly after that.
Built on the Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA), the Zeekr X uses the brand’s proprietary electric motor and battery technology to deliver range, efficiency, and performance. The 66kWh lithium-ion battery uses nickel cobalt manganese (NCM) cells supplied by CATL for optimum energy density and durability. Benefitting from an eight-year/160,000 km warranty, the battery will be recycled in line with global directives at end-of-life.
The Zeekr X models have a 66kWh lithium-ion battery, which can deliver up to 540km of range (ADR 81/02) in the single-motor, rear-wheel-drive standard model.
Complementing the 150kW DC charging, which can replenish the battery from 10-80 per cent in less than 30 minutes, the standard 7.2kW AC on-board charger can fully charge the battery from empty in about seven hours (RWD model 7.2kW, AWD model 11kW)
The Zeekr X’s 5G-enabled digital cockpit offers connected features and intuitive controls. At its core is a Qualcomm 8155 chip, which offers all the processing power needed to provide super-fast responses and exceptional functionality. Over-the-air software updates ensure that the system is always up-to-date and will improve over time as new features become available.
The infotainment system also benefits from the Zeekr Voice Assistant. This intelligent, AI-powered technology uses natural voice commands to control numerous vehicle features, such as navigation, climate, and media playback.
When the vehicle is parked, several predefined convenience modes are available: in Theatre Mode, for example, the seats automatically adjust into the ideal position for enjoying music, while in Pet Mode, the climate control system maintains the cabin at an optimal temperature and the touchscreen displays a message to inform and reassure passers-by the pets locked inside are comfortable and safe.
A security feature known as Sentry Mode is also offered: when the Zeekr X is parked and locked, a video of the area around the vehicle will be created if suspicious activity is detected. Only the driver can access the recordings stored in the car’s built-in storage or on a USB flash drive plugged into the USB interface.
