First Chinese premium car brand in Singapore: Zeekr debuts X with attractive price tags

Zeekr staked its claim as the first Chinese premium car brand to arrive in Singapore, with the brand debuting here at a glitzy launch event held at the ArtScience Museum on Aug 1.

What car did Zeekr launch on its debut?

Zeekr, which is owned by one of the largest automotive conglomerates in China, Geely, marked the occasion by unveiling the X, its compact electric SUV that will be its first product offering here.

The Zeekr X debuts with two variants, both with attractive price tags. The entry-level X Standard RWD model starts with a retail price of $199,999 with COE, while the more powerful X Flagship AWD is going for $214,999 with COE.

The pricing of the X undercuts that of similarly sized premium electric SUVs on the market, such as the BMW iX1 ($264,888 with COE) and the Mercedes-Benz EQA ($287,888 with COE).

More significantly, the Zeekr X is also more affordable than the Smart #1 Pro+ ($238,888 with COE) and the Volvo EX30 ($235,000 with COE), both of which share the same Sustainable Experience Architecture 2 (SEA2) platform with the X as all three were developed under the auspices of Geely.

What makes Zeekr premium?

Zeekr touts itself as a forward-thinking brand that appeals to those who value smart technology, while also wanting something which is offbeat and non-mainstream.

The design of the X reflects those values, with its distinctive looks marked out by its chiselled lines, sharp front-end design, sloping roofline, and thin taillight strip. The door handles are hidden inside the doors, and are revealed only when the car is unlocked.

Inside, Zeekr has given the X a fairly minimalist two-tone interior, crafted from upmarket materials such as the metallic rose gold trim lining, and the suede-like roof liner.

A large 14.6-inch infotainment screen sits in the middle of the dashboard, and the operating system behind it runs on a powerful Qualcomm 8155 chip, giving it super-fast responses, and allowing it to deliver 5G connectivity and over-the-air software updates.

The X also gets some fairly sophisticated Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) not commonly found in cars in this class, such as automatic lane change assist. The Flagship AWD model also gets high-end premium features such as a 13-speaker Yamaha sound system, and an augmented reality (AR) head-up display.

What about performance?

As mentioned earlier, the Zeekr X comes in two variants, the X Standard RWD and the X Flagship AWD. Both use a 66kWh battery, but the difference between the two is the number of electric motors in each car.

The X Standard RWD uses a single electric motor powering the rear wheels, and in this form, the car produces 200kW/268hp and 343Nm of torque. This allows the car to go from 0-100km/h in a brisk 5.6 seconds.

The X Flagship AWD meanwhile has two electric motors, one at each axle. Combined they produce a total of 315kW/422hp and 543Nm of torque, sent to all four wheels. As a result, the car can accelerate from 0-100km/h in just 3.8 seconds.

With both cars using the same 66kWh battery, driving ranges are almost similar for both cars. The X Standard RWD can travel up to 440km on a full charge, while the X Flagship AWD has a slightly shorter range of 420km.

What's next for Zeekr?

Zeekr will not be resting on its laurels after being the first Chinese premium car brand to arrive in Singapore. It announced at the launch event that its second model for Singapore will be the Zeekr 009, a large luxury MPV that will rival the likes of the Toyota Alphard and will likely reach our shores around September.

The brand will be facing some tough competition in the months ahead, as other fellow Chinese car brands attempt to muscle into an already-crowded market. Following right behind Zeekr is the arrival of Xpeng. Both brands will be officially distributed by Premium Automobiles in Singapore.

BYD will also be introducing their luxury brand, Denza, with their expected first model, the D9, set to go head-to-head with the Zeekr 009.

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benjamin.chia@asiaone.com

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