Chinese brand Zeekr headed to Oz: report

CHINESE brand Zeekr is headed to Australia in the third quarter of this year, according to a report published this week by CarExpert.

The electric vehicle brand is part of the same parent company (Geely) as Lotus, Polestar and Volvo, and will join other Chinese vehicle importers, including BYD, Chery, Foton, GWM, LDV, and MG.

However, unlike those entrants, Zeekr will position itself as a premium offering with higher priced models to rival established luxury players. At this stage it is understood Zeekr will come to market with just one vehicle, the 009 people mover.

It is unclear whether other models will follow.

What is also unclear is how Zeekr plans to distribute its vehicles locally, the brand advertising for a range of Sydney-based positions via its LinkedIn page, including those for a product manager, head of marketing, head of aftersales and head of sales.

Riding on the same Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) as the Volvo EM90, the all-electric Zeekr 009 will rival the likes of the Lexus LM when it arrives in the Aussie market, measuring 5209mm in length, 2024mm in width and 1856mm in height.

It rides on a 3205mm wheelbase and is suspended by “high-performance” air suspension with double wishbones up front and a multi-link arrangement at the rear.

Powering the Zeekr 009 in its domestic market is a dual-motor arrangement producing 400kW and 686Nm driving all four wheels. A 0-100km/h time of 4.5 seconds is quoted.

Power is supplied by the choice of 116kWh or 140kWh batteries made by CATL offering a reported range of 702km and 822km respectively on the CLTC test cycle.

The cabin of the Zeekr 009 features a 2+2+2 seating configuration (a luxurious four-seat model is also in the works) and a high level of standard equipment. Power sliding doors, dual sunroofs, a 20-speaker Yamaha premium sound system and Nappa and Ultrasuede upholstery are among the features listed.

Technology items include a 10.25-inch instrument panel, 15.4-inch infotainment array and 15.6-inch drop-down ceiling display for rear-seat passengers. There are also 3.4-inch control screens on each of the sliding doors to control features such as climate control, door locks, sunshades and seating position.

At this point in time, there is no indication of price for the Zeekr 009 in Australia. In China, the model sells from 499,000 to 588,000 RMB – the equivalent of $A106,000 to $A125,000.

Chinese-sourced vehicles moved to become the third most-popular in Australia in 2023, their share growing a massive 57.3 per cent over the year prior to 193,433 units. Japan remains the number-one manufacturer of vehicles imported to Australia with 345,071 units in 2023 ahead of Thailand with 264,253 units.

With CarExpert.