Zeekr’s new pure electric SUV, codenamed the Zeekr C1XE, has been officially unveiled. This is Zeekr’s second SUV after the Zeekr X and their first family-oriented SUV. The car is expected to debut later this year under the rumored name the Zeekr Ark.
Via official channels, Zeekr previewed camouflaged images of the mid-size SUV, marking the first time the brand has officially shown off the new model.
Zeekr CX1E design
The new SUV retains the traditional SUV shape, breaking away from the coupe SUV trend of cars like the Tesla Model Y. The car heavily shares its design language with the Zeekr 007, featuring the same unique headlight design and an active closing grille to improve range.
The side profile is smooth and has a rising waistline extending towards the rear. The rear end has a distinct layered design and is equipped with a continuous light strip that was also seen in previous spy shots.
Previously seen interior shots reveal a large floating center screen and a curved LCD instrument cluster. Interestingly, the steering wheel is the same multi-function steering wheel found on the new Zeekr 001. The rest of the interior specifications are expected to be similar to the Zeekr 007, with an 15-inch OLED infotainment unit that supports left-right rotation, and a 13-inch heads-up display.
More details on Zeekr CX1E
Like the Zeekr 007, the car is equipped with a single LiDAR unit on the roof suggesting the car will feature the same intelligent driving features found in the 007. Other details are still to be release, but it’s expected the car will use the SEA derived PMA2+ modular architecture as the 007. The SEA platform and its offshoots underpins every Zeekr car and other Geely EVs like the Polestar 4, Jiyue 01, Radar RD6, and more.
Battery choices are also likely to be similar to the Zeekr 007 featuring Geely’s own “Golden Brick” battery with an 800V architecture. The “Golden Brick” is a LFP battery with a volume utilization of over 80%, about 15% higher than average. It also allows peak charging power of 500kW claiming to be able to add 500km of range in 15 minutes.
Export Ambitions
The Zeekr C1XE has been recently spotted in Europe during road tests. We can expect the new model to enter the European market after sales begin in China, alongside the already available Zeekr 001 and Zeekr X. The brand has delivered a record total of 67,000 cars in the first five months of 2024, with over 22,000 units being the 007 sedan.
This Zeekr’s first model in the mid-size family SUV market and is expected compete against models like the Tesla Model Y, Denza N7, and Li Auto L7. We can expect the model to be priced around the 240,000 to 350,000 yuan range (33,050 – 48,200 USD). The car is a departure from the somewhat nice vehicles Zeekr has recently released, like the Zeekr 009 MPV and the Zeekr X compact SUV
The Zeekr C1XE is just one of seven new vehicles expected to be launched by Zeekr by 2026. Nonetheless, the C1XE/Ark represents brand’s future in the popular mid-size family SUV line and will be a key addition to the Zeekr model line.
