The favourite
Li Shufu’s activities have become somewhat confusing. The 62-year-old Chinese, whose career began with the recycling of electronic waste (sic!) and the production of refrigerator parts, is now the second-largest individual shareholder in Daimler through his Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, somehow also has a stake in Aston Martin – and, above all, is the second-largest car manufacturer in the Middle Kingdom. His holding company includes brands such as Englon, Gleagle, Emgrand, Vision, Kandi, Zhidou, Geometry, Radar, Knewstar, but better known are certainly Lotus, Lynk & Co., Polestar, Smart and Volvo. It is not known exactly how well or intensively Li Shufu still takes care of his only child, but it is certain that he has a favourite son, Zeekr.
The Geely conglomerate can be imagined as a large warehouse. At the entrance hangs a large inventory list, then each brand can help itself as it pleases. Of course, this is not completely haphazard, the individual brands must be able to justify how they want to use the SEA platform, for example, how they intend to make money from it. Of course, the cheap buckets for the domestic market don’t get the good stuff, but Lotus, as a luxury brand, does (the question is: for how much longer?) Volvo, on the other hand, has to do its sums properly (and that’s probably why it’s been doing without the 800 V architecture for so long), as does Polestar, and Smart, of course. A brand can now do whatever it wants – and that brings us back to Zeekr.
With the 7X, the Chinese are now coming up with a car that is second to none, at least in Europe. SEA platform, of course, 800-V architecture, it just has to be today. The basic version comes with the in-house ‘Golden Battery’ with 75 kWh and (inexpensive) LFP chemistry, which can be refuelled with Chinese charging connectors and corresponding quick chargers at up to 480 kW. Okay, that doesn’t (yet) exist in Europe, but with the 360 kW peak charge also possible in Germany and Switzerland, the Zeekr still makes everyone wet, including the three times more expensive Porsche and Audi. In 13 minutes it goes from 10 to 80 percent charge (in China even in 10.5 minutes). The 103.8 kWh CATL battery in the top-of-the-range model can’t do it quite as quickly, but 16 minutes for 10/80 SoC is still a top value. The stated ranges are not quite as impressive: 543 kilometres for the all-wheel-drive model with 643 hp, 615 kilometres for the long-range rear-wheel-drive model with 421 hp. During our test drive in the pouring rain and often at borderline speeds, we achieved an average of 18.5 kWh/100 km, which is good.
Zeekr was also able to draw on the Geely bag of tricks in other ways. The top model comes with air suspension – and it does its job really well, the vehicle hardly rocks at all, it simply flattens out uneven surfaces, and strikes an amazingly good compromise between sportiness and comfort. We also have little to criticise about the steering; there is even something like feedback from the road, which we usually miss in e-cars. Of course, the thing goes like a rocket, wanting to do 0-100 km/h in just 3.8 seconds – it seems realistic. But you rarely want to thrash a 4.79-metre-long and 1.65-metre-high SUV like that; knowing that it has excellent overtaking performance is enough. Otherwise, you glide along with electricity, but not with the knife between your teeth. And that works perfectly in the 7X, also because you sit quite decently, high up, with a good overview. A huge panoramic glass roof lets in plenty of light, which also makes life pleasant. And 543 litres of boot space with a flat floor are generously proportioned for an interior with five seats.
If we have to find a fly in the Zeekr ointment, then it’s perhaps the design. The first two Zeekr models to come to Europe, the 001 and the X, are much more visually exciting than the 7X, which just looks like all the other SUVs in the D segment. That’s a bit of a shame, the outstanding technical achievements would have deserved a little more pizzazz in the design. Inside, too, with a huge touchscreen in the middle, another large display directly in front of the driver, and a head-up display on top of that – there is a bit too much information possible. The operating system is logical and clear, which comes from the same source for all Geely products, but a Zeekr can still meow or neigh; every brand is allowed to add a few special features. The quality of the workmanship and materials is of the highest standard in the boss’s favourite child, there is nothing to criticise. The buttons that automatically open the doors are nice. And there are actually still physical buttons for a few important functions.
So far, the Zeekr 7X is only available in Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands. The basic version is priced at €52,990 in the Netherlands, while the top-of-the-range model costs €62,990. These are truly fair prices, as comparable German premium products always cost six figures – and then they are not as well equipped as the 7X. And yet, Porsche Macan & Co. have no need to fear Zeekr for the time being, at least not in their domestic market: it will probably take a while before the Chinese venture into Germany. For Switzerland, it could be this summer. Yes, we also know who wants to import the Zeekr, but we won’t let the cat out of the bag yet. And if you’re thinking, ‘Hmm, yet another Chinese company that no one knows how long will last.’ Read the beginning of this story again.
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