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The EV revolution has been dominated by SUVs so far. Even though the Nissan Leaf was one of the pioneering cars as a smaller hatchback, in the last few years the market has focused on larger vehicles. The Tesla Model Y is now the bestselling EV, and it’s hardly tiny. But fortunately, some manufacturers are returning to smaller urban cars, and for its second European vehicle, challenger brand ZEEKR is introducing the X, aimed at sophisticated city dwellers looking for something a bit futuristic. I got to try it out at the Stockholm launch.
ZEEKR?
You might not have heard of ZEEKR, but don’t group it along with the increasing swarm of Chinese brands entering the European market – not quite, anyway. ZEEKR is another brand from Geely, the Chinese behemoth that owns Volvo, Polestar, Lotus, taxi brand LEVC, Lynk & Co and even Malaysian automaker Proton. The ZEEKR brand is available in China, but most of the design work is performed in Sweden and its cars are very much optimized for European customers.
In July, ZEEKR brought its Porsche Panamera-like 001 to Europe, which is a flagship car with performance, range and luxury to match. Since then, a “Future Roads” (FR) version of the 001 has been launched as the “fastest production car”, underling ZEEKR’s aims with this model. The X is still meant to be quite premium because that’s the goal of the ZEEKR brand, but it comes it a considerably lower price and isn’t aimed at Autobahn-storming.
The first thing I noticed about the X is how much the rear looks like BMW i3. I was even lucky enough to park the X I was test driving next to an i3 at a coffee stop, which underlined the similarity. The ZEEKR is a bigger, beefier car and the front looks nothing like the BMW. But in a way this car is the heir to the i3, as it’s a modern take on the fast electric urban runabout that the i3 was so success at providing for so many years.
At launch, there are two versions of the ZEEKR X. The Long Range RWD uses a 272hp rear-wheel drive engine, while the Privilege AWD combines two motors for an all-wheel drive 428hp. Both cars have the same 69kWh gross (64kWh net) battery. However, while the RWD has 445km (278 miles) of WLTP range, the more powerful AWD drops this a little to 425km (266 miles).
You get 19in wheels with the RWD and 20in ones with the AWD. However, there are only four paint color choices and two interiors, which are available across both trims. There’s a panoramic sunroof as standard, two-zone climate control, heated seats front and back, a 14.6in central infotainment system, 13-speaker Yamaha sound system, and a full suite of 19 Advanced Driver-Assistance System functions. So even if you go for the base model, you get a premium experience. This is meant to be a luxury small car no matter which version you select.
ZEEKR X: Comfortable Interior
ZEEKR has made a big deal of the X having a long wheelbase in its class, giving lots of interior space. The front certainly feels roomy, but the rear is merely okay. It will be great for a family with two kids, and four adults on occasion, but not for four adults on a regular basis for long journeys. The knee room is a little tight, although there is lots of headroom and the sense of space is assisted by the panoramic sunroof.
The seats are very comfortable and well upholstered, too, although I found I had to adjust the lumbar a bit to get it just right in the driver’s seat. The seat material options are identical with RWD and AWD cars, except that the Privilege AWD has massage front seats.
Whichever car you choose, the rear luggage space is 362 liters with the rear seats up, which is par for the course for a hatchback. This expands to 1,182 liters with the rear seats down, which again is around what you’d expect for a car in this class. It’s a little behind the VW ID.3, for example, but not by so much as you’d notice.
ZEEKR X: Driving and Range
I got to drive both versions of the X. The AWD car is a monster in a straight line, taking just 3.8 seconds to reach 62mph. But the RWD model is no slouch either, hitting the same speed in 5.6 seconds. In the days of internal combustion, that was still properly quick, bettering many classic hot hatchbacks. I know these weren’t such a thing in the USA, but if you want a quick urban hatchback, either version of the ZEEKR X fits the bill.
The handling, however, is clearly aimed more at comfort than creating a small car that wants to spend some time on the track. The ride quality is decent, but there is noticeable body roll in fast corners and the AWD has some understeer. While I’d personally always choose the fastest option possible, the RWD is fast enough for most city drivers. The fact that the front wheels aren’t driven makes the steering a little lighter, too. While both cars are enjoyable and can be thrown around windy roads, the RWD version will be the sweet spot for many and will probably sell in greater numbers than the AWD alternative.
That said, you don’t lose a lot of range between the two models. The maximum range of 278 miles (or 266 for the AWD) is good, and certainly enough to contemplate inter-city runs. But an increasing number of EVs are now offering over 300 miles, with Peugeot having launched a mid-market vehicle with 435 miles. The X offers 150kW DC charging and all cars have a 22kW AC charger built in too, so you can go from 10-80% on DC in 29 minutes or 4 hours on AC, if you have access to a 22kW device. Otherwise, it will be more like 12 hours on a 7kW home wall box. The ZEEKR X will be perfectly capable of long journeys and its range will be fine if it’s primarily used about town. But even MG is now offering a small car (the MG4 Extended Range) with over 300 miles of WLTP range. On the other hand, the ZEEKR battery warranty is a generous 200,000km (125,000 miles) for eight years.
ZEEKR X: Technology
The drivetrain specs of the ZEEKR X sound suspiciously similar to the Smart #1, which is no surprise when you realize they share Geely’s Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA). Smart may be a Mercedes-Benz brand but is also a joint venture with Geely. The forthcoming Volvo EX30 will use SEA too, as will the Polestar 4. The ZEEKR 001 already does, showing that this platform is designed to span from B-SUV to larger D and E segment vehicles.
While all cars have some level of connected tech, you get additional features with a Premium option. The base package includes telemetrics, voice control, and navigation. But add the Premium service and you get live traffic, online points of interest and EV routing, plus regular map updates. You can also search navigation online, receive over-the-air updates, and download new apps.
The infotainment is based around a rapid Qualcomm 8155 chip. The 14.6in media screen sits alongside an 8.8in instrumentation screen and projected Head-Up Display. The infotainment menu is quite reminiscent of Tesla’s, which is no bad thing as that is one of the best laid out software interfaces in the automotive industry. There’s also a unique display on the B-pillar of the car that provides context-sensitive information such as charge level when charging.
ZEEKR X: Price and Verdict
ZEEKR prices all its cars reasonably – it is a new brand entering the market, after all. But the X is particularly affordable, costing 44,900 Euros ($47,000) for the Long Range RWD and 49,490 Euros ($52,000) for the Privilege AWD. The car is initially arriving in Sweden, Netherlands, and Germany. This will be followed by further European countries, but the company hasn’t announced plans to enter the US market yet. Sadly, ZEEKR is also still noncommittal about introducing any of its cars to right-hand-drive markets like the UK.
The ZEEKR X is a quality vehicle like its 001 stablemate. It feels solidly built, and while not quite a driver’s car is very quick and confident on the road. The basic RWD version still offers comprehensive features, and the AWD offers even more alongside blistering acceleration. Its price puts it directly against the Tesla Model Y, which is considerably larger, with slightly more range, but slower. If you don’t want an SUV, the ZEEKR X shows promise, although it’s not as unique and special as the 001.
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