Entering the Australian market in 2024, Chinese brand Zeekr launched its local presence with its X compact SUV. Geared towards younger buyers and sharing its underpinnings with fellow Geely brand Volvo’s EX30, its all-wheel drive offering comes with all the goodies.
The Swedish designed, Chinese built SUV is priced at $69,990 plus on-roads and has a distinctive appearance. It’s a car we’ve been itching to drive too, so with square key fob in hand, we hit the road.
The X comes with a similar headlight design to the 009 luxury people mover and the yet, unannounced for Australia, 001 fastback. Side on, it features lines, creases and angles that somehow come together coherently – looks being subjective of course.
The rear gives off old Renault Megane vibes with a wide, letterboxed window and the tiniest of rear wipers. While it may be aimed at a younger audience, the design likely appeals to anyone wanting to break away from the generic.
Some have said you can see a whale in the side profile, and whether that’s the case is again based on perception, but you will definitely find a little one imprinted in the windscreen. Exterior colours are subtle, including the Mist Grey of our example.
The inside gets some nice treatment too, and this is where you’ll be spending most of your time, after all. The look and feel says premium for this price point. Our car came in the more neutral black and grey no-cost option but there are some other interesting combos.
This includes a classy blue and white, or an opulent mulberry and rose, both of which can be had for a mere $500. The infotainment display dominates the dash with a 14.6-inch touchscreen.
Just shy of the class leader in size, it doesn’t offer any gimmicky rotation like some other brands have shown us. Most functions do run through the screen though, and it will take some time for owners to get comfortable with where all their favourite settings are located.
Unlike others, Zeekr hasn’t gone overboard with the features by throwing in the kitchen sink. For your own comfort you can take a nap or entertain guests with a light show for a party to all of two preloaded songs – the Canon Rock or a Wedding March.
We reckon that’s to show it’s not a complete bore among its peers. You can also make the car sound like a cat, a horse, or a race car. You can have it speak some phrases, like thanking someone for giving way, through the external speakers.
Avoiding Tesla’s over-minimalist designs, the driver gets a handy 8.8-inch screen sitting atop the steering column (and driver monitor) which includes essentials like speed, a display of the road and vehicles ahead, and power consumption.
AWD models get a 24.3-inch head-up display featuring AR navigation and speed limit. The cockpit is completed with a pair of stalks behind the steering wheel for common functions like the wipers, indicators and cruise control.
There’s a decent (lit up) 13-speaker Yamaha stereo that sounds great and takes your music via a wireless Android Auto or Apple CarPlay connection. The front seats are comfortable and provide all manner of adjustments to find the right seating position.
A centre console offers an arm rest, a deep storage area and a wireless charger (for which you’ll need to place your device correctly). Its floating console arrangement looks cool but brings up some ergonomic problems with the cup holder underneath.
The centre console is separate from the dashboard so there’s also an odd void between the two. The all-glass roof without a retractable sunshade can be an issue on very sunny days, but it does help the car feel more spacious.
The second row is tighter for occupants but still roomy and comfortable enough for adults on not too long a trip. What might let the little Zeekr down is the boot space, which is smaller than many of its competitors.
At 362-litres, or 1182-litres with the second row down, it beats its Volvo cousin (318-litres/904-litres) but still manages to be less than the likes of the Hyundai Kona Electric (466-litres/1300-litres) and BYD Atto 3 (440-litres/1340-litres).
While it includes a 15-litre frunk, it’s quite a small capacity and basically taken up by the rather nice Zeekr bag for the charging cables. From a 66kwh battery and a claimed 18.3kwh/100km consumption, the AWD range is officially 470km.
Real world is more like 390km or thereabouts, with the rear-wheel drive base model offering a claimed 540km. Again, the X beats out the EX30 and Kona Electric but has some competition from the Atto 3 (up to 490km) and EV3 (claimed up to 604km).
Benefitting from a 150kW DC charger, the X should get from 10 to 80 per cent charge in 30 minutes. AWD models (and those who choose the upgrade pack for their RWD variant) get a cool Zeekr widget in the driver’s side B-pillar that shows the vehicle’s charging status.
Speaking of charging, we found that the key battery depletes fairly quickly. Our test vehicle had just 4,400km on the clock but the key was knocking on death’s door – rendering the car a 1960kg paperweight until it was replaced.
We figure all the NFC stuff going on must take its toll and a look online shows this is a common issue among Zeekr owners. The small fob also can’t be attached to a keyring and doesn’t illuminate, which will make finding the right button interesting in dark situations.
Thankfully, we suppose, the car can be setup to lock and unlock based on the fob’s proximity to the vehicle, and there is a mobile app for additional functions and features. You can also keep your pet safe inside, with a special mode that keeps the interior cool.
On the road, the Zeekr X is one of the smoothest EVs we’ve driven, with effortless acceleration. This could be in part due to the motors on both axles but its composure on our roads is appreciated.
Fitting decent tyres has probably paid off here as well, with Continental rubber providing minimal road noise throughout the cabin. In fact, the only annoying sound inside when there are no tunes playing is the loud indicator clicks when it’s activated.
In Sport mode, there is plenty of punch to get up and go. Whether you need a compact SUV to lauch to 100km/h in 3.8 seconds could be a moot point, but this one can do it, and it’s a hoot that you’re never fully prepared for when you stomp on the loud pedal.
Combined outputs are a speedy 315kW and 543Nm. The suspension setup is well sorted, and perhaps due to its shorter wheelbase, the X handled cornering with a lot more ease and enjoyment than we’ve become accustomed to from new EVs.
With the X, Zeekr are making a visual statement against the generic, while offering plenty of refinement. The real test is whether they can back that up with their other offerings, serviceability, after-sales support, dealer network and of course, long-term build quality.
The Chinese car maker has recently aligned itself with former UFC middleweight champ and professional MMA fighter Robert Whittaker too, with the sporting icon becoming its first local ambassador.
You can find out more on the Zeekr Australia website, or by talking to your local dealership. To get a low rate finance quote, talk to Australia’s best reviewed car finance broker; Credit One. To see a great range of vehicles for sale, check out OnlyCars.com.au.
Our test vehicle was supplied by Zeekr Australia for independent review purposes. Exhaust Notes Australia has not been paid to review this vehicle.
