Out with the old and in with the new.
No sooner had Citroen decided to pull the plug, but yet another Chinese brand announced it was entering the Australian market this week.
Geely-owned Zeekr will launched the first of two models next month in Sydney — the Zeekr X SUV.
Geely also owns such brands as Volvo, Polestar, Lotus and Link & Co.
Founded in 2021, it specialises in premium electric vehicles.
Deliveries of Zeekr’s first model, the 001, started in October, 2021 and apparently was originally intended to be badged as a Lynk & Co model.
The company takes its name from the letter ‘Z’ for ‘Generation Z’ and the term geek.
To meet the growing demand for electric mobility in Australia, Zeekr has established a subsidiary in the country and will adopt a franchise dealership distribution model to provide comprehensive customer experience to Australian customers.
Zeekr products are built on the EV-focused Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) platform.
The stylish new Zeekr X will be available for pre-order in September, with expressions of interest invited from Australian customers via its official website.
It has a 66kWh battery and will be available with a single motor and rear wheel drive or with two motors and all-wheel drive.
The rear drive model develops 200kW of power and 343Nm of torque, does the dash in 5.6 seconds and has a projected range of up to 540km.
The AWD produces 315kW and 543Nm, does it in 3.8 seconds, with a range of 470km.
Zeekr X will be followed by the Zeekr 009, a pure-electric luxury MPV, by the end of 2024.
Zeekr Australia’s Connal Yan said Zeekr’s expansion into the Australian market brings its innovative and cutting-edge electric vehicles to a new audience, offering a unique driving experience that blends style, performance, and sustainability.
Interestingly, the company came under fire earlier this month for launching the 2025 version of the Zeekr 001 in China, just six months after the release of the first version.
Understandably, buyers who had purchased the superseded model were a little upset.
Reportedly, 2024 models were equipped with Mobileye chip, which cannot be upgraded to the new Haohan Intelligent Driving 2.0 system available in the 2025 model.
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