Chinese EV maker Zeekr has begun selling its first model for Australia, a compact SUV that will be followed by a giant people mover in 2024. Both cars will launch in New Zealand later this year as the Geely-owned premium brand seeks to make Oceania a key overseas market.
Designed to compete with the Tesla Model Y and upcoming BMW iX1, Zeekr’s small SUV will start below $60,000 before on-road costs for the single-motor rear-wheel drive standard model. Dual-motor all-wheel drive variants will be priced below $70,000.
The company is staking its future on a solid performance-driven SUV strategy, and the Australian launch is critical to its success. Zeekr aimed to build its brand through a network of dealerships and established an initial network of nine locations in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.
A 66-kWh battery that supports 150kW DC fast charging is expected to deliver up to 540km of range on a full charge. Zeekr will also offer a plug-in hybrid variant for customers who want added efficiency or more space.
The SUV’s digital cockpit will feature a 14.6-inch landscape infotainment screen, an 8.8-inch driver display, and a 23.4-inch augmented reality head-up display. It will also have vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability and support up to 3 kW of charging for home electricity systems. Zeekr representatives couldn’t confirm if the car would have vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capabilities or a plug-in hybrid version at launch, but they said those options would likely be added.
Zeekr will offer a warranty of up to five years or 100,000km on the car and eight years or 160,000km on its high-voltage battery pack, which can be easily swapped for a fresh one. At the end of its lifecycle, a full battery recycling program is also planned.
Zeekr will bring the X to showrooms in October, ahead of its larger 009 family-mover and mid-sized 7X SUV due for launch in 2025. The company aims to expand into Japan after that, a country where new vehicle emissions standards will be enacted this year. Geely’s premium brand has made a promising start to its local operations, says the managing director of Zeekr Australia, Connal Yan, adding that the X and the multi-purpose vehicle 009 have together garnered more than 2,500 expressions of registered interest.
He wouldn’t reveal sales targets for the brand but said that he was confident the Zeekr SUVs would sell well in Australia, particularly with its emphasis on driving pleasure and technology. “Australians are known to be very discerning in their car purchasing decisions, and we believe that they will appreciate the quality, features, and value proposition of the Zeekr brand,” Yan said. “We look forward to building on this success and establishing a long-term presence in the country.”
