We have a flock of new photos of the Zeekr X, one of the most talked about new Chinese cars of the year. We start with an X standing on a golf course with the hatchback open. The hatch extends into the roof. So you might call it a lift back.
The new Zeekr X, formerly known as the Zeekr 003, is the third Zeekr vehicle after the Zeekr 001 sedan and Zeekr 009 MPV. The Zeekr X is based on Geely’s SEA platform, this platform also underpins the Smart #1 and the upcoming Volvo XC30.
Let’s have a look at the door handle situation. In this high-red pic, we can clearly see it has no conventional door handles. Chinese media speculate that the door ‘handles’ are the tiny buttons in the B and C pillars.
A detail of the green car in the Shanghai photo shoot. No door handles, and again we can see the buttons on the pillars.
But… This is the car in the MIIT photos. And guess what..? It has pop-out door handles. Perhaps the pop-out handles are standard and the button handles optional.
The lights are basically fully integrated into the hood. Like with sister brand Lynk & Co, but even more extreme. Zeekr says each light consists of 41 light-emitting units. The brake system looks impressive, with ventilated brake discs and large Zeekr-branded brake calipers.
Zeekr will sell two versions of the X:
- Twin-motor four-wheel drive: 156 hp front and 272 hp rear.
- Rear-wheel drive: 272 hp.
Top speed is limited to 190 kilometers per hour on the twin-motor version and to 185 kilometers per hour on the rear-wheel drive version. Size: 4450/1836/1572, with a 2750 wheelbase. Curb weight is 1945 kilos for the 4WD and 1885 kilos for the RWD.
The ternary lithium-ion battery pack is produced by CATL Geely Sichuan, a joint venture between battery maker CATL and the Geely Group, also the owner of the Zeekr brand. Zeekr has not disclosed any details yet on the size of the battery and range. But count on at least 86 kWh and 550 kilometers CLTC.
The 20 inch tires make for a sporty stance. It has a light bar with the Zeekr name in the middle and another set of lights on each side of the bumper.
The hood is sculpted to the max. The mirror stalks are notable too, they seem complicated on purpose, but it works.
The main panoramic roof extends to the C-pillar. The smaller panoramic roof is part of the hatch (see first photo).
No door handles again, and we can have a look at a part of the dashboard. The main screen doesn’t seem that large. It seemed larger in the spy shot.
The Zeekr X will have its public debut at the 2022 Shanghai Auto Show next month. It will hit the Chinese car market in early Q2. Then, it goes to Europe. The Zeekr X will spearhead Zeekr’s upcoming invasion of Europe, where it will start selling cars within this year. North European markets go first, including Norway, the Netherlands, and Sweden.
