The latest Chinese brand to hit our market is hoping it will overcome its lack of brand recognition with high-tech, feature-packed vehicles.
Zeekr Australia managing director Connal Yan told CarExpert the recent entry of other Chinese brands has shown Australians are open to considering cars from unfamiliar brands due to their features and pricing, rather than remaining loyal to more established brands.
“I believe it’s been shown already in many of these EV brands that brand recognition may play a lesser significance to traditional ICE [internal-combustion engine] cars,” Mr Yan said.
“Of course, you can’t ignore that [need for brand recognition].
“This is something that is hard work for us that we need to do and build up the brand but I believe there will be people that are interested, especially with EVs, that even with the brands not long term or 100 years old, [customers] will still be interested.”
Unlike other Chinese carmakers offering EVs, such as BYD and MG, Zeekr is aiming to position itself as a premium brand to compete with the likes of BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi.
So, is the lack of brand recognition still not a problem if you’re an aspiring luxury brand?
“I believe so. I actually believe so, because at the end of the day, the product, as mentioned, it’s very differentiated, top quality, good performance at the same time,” said Mr Yan.
“When it comes to a purchase decision, you always touch upon a price point. And price point-wise, I believe we’re competitive. And then when you have all these ingredients together, why not?”
The Zeekr X small SUV will be the brand’s first model in Australia, and is expected to go on sale in October.
It will then be followed by the 009 people mover before the end of the year, with the 7X SUV due during 2025.
Zeekr will sell its vehicles through franchised dealerships, ruling out a direct sales model, and will have nine dealerships at launch.
The brand is owned by Geely, which also owns Volvo, Polestar and Lotus.
If you were in the market for a premium vehicle, how much would the brand mean to you? Would you pick a newcomer based on features and price position alone? Let us know in the comments!
