Fledgling electric vehicle (EV) brand Zeekr has rolled out a wide range of vehicles in a short space of time, but only one has been an SUV when the global market is clamouring for this type of vehicle.
It’s now about to try and tap that demand, confirming it’s working on two larger SUVs to slot in above its small X.
“We will launch a C-class SUV probably in three months, firstly in China, later on global [markets],” Zeekr’s emerging markets vice president, Mars Chen, told Australian media.
He referred to the vehicle as a Tesla Model Y rival.
Spy photos out of China of this vehicle indicate it will share design elements with the brand’s 007 sedan.
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Zeekr is also planning to launch a new large SUV next year to rival the Kia EV9.
“[It will be] definitely large, over 5m long. Big but not stupidly big. Not like the GMC [Hummer EV],” he said.
The Zeekr executive didn’t provide any other details of these new models.
The company currently offers five vehicles, and said it plans to launch at least two new models every year.
Zeekr is part of the Geely Group, which also includes Volvo, Lotus and Polestar, and was founded in 2021 as an electric-only brand.
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Its first model was the large 001 liftback, and it has subsequently revealed a mid-sized sedan (the 007) and two people movers (Mix and 009), as well as the aforementioned X SUV.
People movers and mid-sized sedans remain popular in China, which perhaps explains why these segments were prioritised by Zeekr over SUVs.
But the mid-sized SUV segment is a huge one globally, and the Tesla Model Y was not only the best-selling vehicle in China in 2023, it was also the world’s.
Many brands have therefore prioritised the mid-sized SUV segment with their electric models, and it’s the most competitive part of the EV market.
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Zeekr is launching in Australia in the second half of 2024, with the X and 009 thus far the only vehicles confirmed for our market.
The company has said not every market it sells vehicles in will receive every vehicle it makes.
“There are markets where we are only bringing two products, there are markets where we are planning to bring five products,” said Javier Garcia-Gallardo, head of Zeekr design in Shanghai.
“We start a product in China until we are confident about the reliability, do all the process of homologation and legislation for exporting this product, and then we see the needs of every market and we adapt the product to export globally,” he added.
MORE: How the latest Chinese brand to hit Australia sets itself apart from Volvo, Polestar siblings
