Zeekr Targets Luxury EV Market in China with New SUV
Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker Zeekr Intelligent Technology is preparing to unveil a luxury SUV model next month, aiming to attract affluent customers away from established premium brands like Mercedes-Benz and BMW.
Zeekr, the Hangzhou-based subsidiary of Geely Auto, China’s second-largest carmaker by sales, announced that the Zeekr 9X Grand SUV will be priced around 1 million yuan (US$137,840). Further details about the plug-in hybrid model, which is Zeekr’s first such vehicle since the company was founded four years ago, will be revealed at its launch. The 9X Grand is the ultra-luxury version of the 9X series, with other variants also scheduled to debut next month.
“It will have an engine, but the driving performance is much better than plug-in hybrid EVs,” Zeekr stated, adding that deliveries are expected to begin in the third quarter of this year.
Zeekr will be competing with other luxury EV manufacturers in the mainland market, including BYD, Nio, and Xiaomi. This move highlights a changing landscape in China as gasoline-powered vehicles from brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz are losing their appeal in the world’s largest automotive market.
Currently, most EVs in China are priced below 300,000 yuan and have largely replaced internal-combustion engine cars thanks to their high-performance batteries, preliminary self-driving technologies, and advanced digital cockpits.
