Zeekr X. We have already tested the Chinese brand’s first electric SUV

There are fewer and fewer people who are still surprised by the range of features that new Chinese cars arrive with. In Zikr’s case, its 001 was the first model launched in China, two years ago, but it is now available in European markets such as Sweden and the Netherlands. Now, it’s time to discover the brand’s first compact SUV, the Zeekr

So what’s ahead of us? Zeekr developed the SAE platform with its application across various market segments in mind, meaning it is easily “scalable”, both for larger and smaller vehicles. In the case of the ‘X’, for example, we have the same rolling stock as the ‘001’, which is around five meters longer, but in a configuration closer to the Smart Car No. 1 and the Volvo EX30.

At 4.45 meters long (1.84 meters wide and 1.57 meters high), the Zyker also comes with the Kia e-Niro or Volkswagen ID.3 overall. Moreover, it is also prepared to take on “local” competitors, e.g BYD Law 3For example, which is well accepted in Europe.

Visually sophisticated

For the Zeekr From the slim, futuristic-looking headlights, to the beltline that rises abruptly before the rear pillar, to the frameless exterior mirrors and doors, and even the door handles on the face of the body, the X has a modern look that belies its proportions.

At the rear access gate to the trunk, you can also see the care with which the Zeekr There is an organic glass solution over 229 LEDs and the brand name is placed in a central position in bright letters.

Perceived quality

There are two indelible marks in the cabin. The lack of materials from animals (only vegetable and recycled coatings) as well as the quality of texture and finishes that embarrasses some of its competitors. Even plastic applications that imitate metal give an acceptable impression, although the touch is less cumbersome.

In terms of storage, there’s no glovebox, but the large pockets in the front doors and storage space between the front seats eventually reduce this gap. The panoramic roof covers the entire upper part of the cabin, but cannot be opened.

Better internal space than a bag

Space is generous in both rows and at height, six fingers can fit above the head of this 1.80 meter tall passenger when sitting in the second row, which is recommended for two adults. Also positive is the lack of any interference on the floor, which facilitates the movements of the occupants and accommodation of the legs and feet.

The legroom in the second row is spacious, and there are direct ventilation holes in the center columns. However, the luggage compartment is one of the smallest in this compact SUV segment, with a capacity of just 362 litres.

It will always be possible to fold the seat backs and create a horizontal loading plane, which increases the load capacity while reducing the available seats in the cabin. As compensation (not enough) there is a small front luggage compartment, ideal for placing battery charging cables.

Infotainment: Urgent review!

The dashboard includes two horizontal displays, an 8.8-inch one for the instruments and a 14.6-inch one for the multimedia system. In addition to these, there are also Raising the head Large display area (24.3 inches) and augmented reality images.

Zeekr’s voice assistant is also in “X”, and like “001”, has a good ability to understand different phrases. However, there are still important problems that need to be resolved quickly. On the one hand, the “excited” assistant does not always listen to what we say to him, after the trigger phrase “Hey male,” and after this moment he alternates between carrying out the instructions or doing nothing at all.

Moreover, it is also a good idea to hire a programmer who speaks native English or a language close to it, so as to weed out stale or meaningless words. Even in other languages, like Spanish, for example (Portuguese is not yet available), linguistic discrepancies have not shown significant signs of improvement.

Perhaps it is more important to invest in this area and less in the sounds that the Zeekr Not only is this not very helpful, it is also misleading, as it may give the impression of an animal trapped inside the car.

Even more interesting is the on-board life detector, which can display a warning on a small screen mounted on the central pillar. On the same screen, information about the battery charging process, if it is in progress, can also be provided.

So “casting errors” are not just software related, the power window controls also work differently than usual. In other words, when you press the down button, the window goes up and when you pull the up button, it goes down.

Behind the wheel of the Zeekr

I had to go to Stockholm to drive both versions of the Zeekr Unsurprisingly, acceleration is brisk thanks to the instant torque of electric cars.

The more powerful version, with two motors, can keep passengers glued to their seatbacks more easily, but it’s also the version that creates more challenges in maintaining mobility. Fortunately, there are no synthesized engine sounds to disturb the peace aboard the Zeekr

The steering has a balanced response between speed and communication skills and the differences between the three available settings can be clearly felt. The four-disc brakes (ventilated on the front wheels) respond instantly and linearly, which is worthy of applause.

Four-wheel independent suspension (MacPherson struts at the front and multi-link at the rear) suggests a good compromise between stability and comfort, when road irregularities are small. However, when there are speed bumps or more pronounced fluctuations, it is clear that the dynamic development work should not be considered complete yet. After all, the vertical body movements are excessive and greatly compromise the final dynamic impression left by the Zeekr X.

Always the same battery

The battery installed in the Zeekr can be charged with alternating current (AC) up to 22 kW, or direct current (DC) up to 150 kW.

Any of the Zeekr X cars can reach a top speed of 180 km/h. However, the most powerful “runs” to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds, compared to 5.6 for the rear-wheel drive version. On the other hand, it “avenges” itself with an average range of up to 445 kilometers (20 more than the twin-engine version).

In terms of consumption, the Chinese brand announces an average consumption of 16.5 kWh/100 km (WLTP) for the rear-wheel drive version and 17.5 kWh/100 km for the two-motor option. However, at the end of the 88-kilometre test route, the car’s on-board computer indicated an average of 21.4 kWh/100 km. Despite the difference, it is a completely normal value, taking into account the testing frequency adopted, in order to explore the dynamic capabilities of the Zeekr X.

In other words, I started the test with the battery fully charged, promised 400km, and ended with a 73 percent charge after 88km, meaning that in reality, I could have covered about 325km in total.

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The trump card for the price

In the two countries where it can be ordered now, the Zeekr Among similar and 100% electric models, the Kia e-Niro is the only one that has managed to stay under 45 thousand euros, in addition to BYD of course, which is also betting big on the price. However, to receive it in Portugal, we still have to wait until 2026.

Judgment

Technical Specifications