Zeekr was established as an electric vehicle (EV) brand, but the Geely-owned Chinese carmaker is now venturing into the hybrid market with its new 9X large SUV.
The Zeekr 9X features a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine producing 205kW of power, mated with a 290kW front electric motor and a 370kW rear electric motor.
Zeekr hasn’t released full specifications for the big luxury SUV, but has confirmed it’ll have an electric range of more than 380km thanks to a ‘Xiaoyao’ battery from CATL.
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The 9X has a 900V electrical system and 6C charging, and Zeekr claims it can be charged from 20 to 80 per cent in just nine minutes.
It also has a claimed 0-100km/h acceleration time of “just three seconds”.
The large five-door, three-row wagon rides on adjustable air suspension, with a maximum ground clearance of 288mm. Zeekr also claims a 48V active stabiliser bar is a first for a Chinese brand.
Zeekr has thus far revealed only the exterior of the 9X, which features a boxy body, a raked tailgate and a front-end design which call to mind the Rolls-Royce Cullinan.
The glitzy chrome grille is reminiscent of Zeekr’s 009 people mover, while there’s a hint of the Volvo EX90 – another vehicle from the Geely Auto Group – in the shape of the 9X’s tail-lights.
However, the Volvo can’t match the Zeekr’s glittering lighting elements, which can be found within both the headlight and tail-light clusters. The tail-lights are said to feature “42,242 diamond-cut facets”, evoking a “starry sky”.
The 22-inch mirror-finish forged wheels give distinct Maybach vibes, and tie in neatly with the contrasting silver trim surrounding the side windows.
While Zeekr has yet to show off the 9X’s interior, it says the rear doors open at more than 80 degrees and, with a width of over 1200mm, are the largest in a ‘new energy’ (ie: plug-in hybrid or electric) SUV.
The 9X measures a substantial 5239mm long, 2029mm wide and 1819mm tall, and rides a 3169mm wheelbase.
That makes it 293mm longer, 18mm narrower and 1mm lower than the Range Rover Sport.
The 9X’s active safety technology is powered by five LiDAR units, and we expect a full suite of driver assistance features. An equipment list has yet to be published, however.
“At this stage we don’t have a confirmed timeline for their releases locally, however, we are actively exploring all relevant opportunities,” said a spokesperson for Zeekr Australia today.
Zeekr International chief marketing officer Frank Li told CarExpert earlier this year that the 9X and Zeekr’s other upcoming hybrid SUV could be sold in Australia.
“There will be something coming, not only among the current models but also potentially have the coming models we’re considering… introduced to right-hand drive as well, because our two coming models are also very brilliant SUV product which is more popular and is hybrid,” he said.
“Usually it takes us around one year to go from left-hand drive to right-hand drive, regarding to the SOP (start of production) time.”
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Zeekr X -
Zeekr 009 -
Zeekr 7X
Zeekr was only established by Geely in 2021, and arrived here in 2024.
Despite this, Zeekr wants to sell up to 10,000 vehicles locally in 2026, which would be more than fellow Geely brands Volvo and Polestar.
It currently offers only the X small SUV and the large 009 people mover, with the 7X mid-size SUV due on sale here later this year. All of these models feature electric power.
Zeekr has imported examples of its other models, including the Mix people mover and the 007 sedan, to show prospective customers and help it determine which other vehicles to sell here.
