Zeekr 9X in China – brand’s first REEV, 2.0T, 3-motor AWD, up to 1,400 PS, 380 km EV range, fr RM275k

Making its debut at Auto Shanghai in April, the Zeekr 9X has finally gone on sale in China – and if there is ever a Chinese car that screams excess, this flagship six-seater luxury SUV might just be it.

As previously reported, the 9X is the first Zeekr to feature a combustion engine – in this case, Geely’s 2.0 litre turbocharged four-cylinder pushing out 279 PS (205 kW). Unlike what has been reported, the 9X is not a plug-in hybrid but a range extended EV, and that is because the petrol mill is not connected to the wheels.

Rather, it functions solely as a generator for the electric motors that actually drive the car. The 9X is available in three powertrain variants, the “base” model featuring dual motors that send an already monstrous 897 PS (660 kW) and 935 Nm to all four wheels. This gets the car from zero to 100 km/h in just 3.9 seconds on its way to a top speed of 240 km/h.

Splurge for the Hyper variant and you’ll instead receive three motors, two of which power the rear wheels. Outputs swell to a whopping 1,400 PS (1,030 kW) and 1,410 Nm, flinging the car to the century mark in 3.1 seconds – making it, Zeekr claims, the quickest hybrid SUV in the world.

The battery options are pretty extraordinary as well. Even the standard car gets a 55 kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery that delivers an electric range of 300 km on China’s (admittedly lenient) CLTC cycle. Couple that with the 9X’s 50 litre fuel tank and you get a total range of 1,200 km.

Meanwhile, the three-motor version gets a 70 kWh battery, increasing the EV range to 355 km; we should point out, however, that the extra performance means the total range is actually shorter, at 1,165 km. Buyers can also opt for the larger pack for the two-motor variant to enable it to travel up to 380 km on a single charge (1,250 km total), but that would also mean blunting acceleration to 100 km/h to a leisurely 4.2 seconds.

Thanks to a full-stack 900-volt electrical architecture, both battery packs feature “6C” DC fast charging, meaning it can charge in kilowatts at six times the battery capacity – i.e. around 300 kW for the 55 kWh version and 400 kW with the 70 kWh battery. This tops up the packs from 20 to 80% (an unusual metric, it must be said) in just nine minutes. The car can even send up to 60 kW of DC power back out to charge other EVs, and there’s also a 6 kW vehicle-to-load (V2L) function.

The 9X is also very advanced under the skin, with available dual-chamber air suspension, adaptive dampers and 48-volt active roll stabilisation. Similar to Mercedes-Benz’s Pre-Safe Impulse Side technology, the chassis can pump the suspension up if it senses an impending side collision; the stability control will even be able to intervene if two tyres burst on one side, keeping the vehicle under control.

Widely touted as a Rolls-Royce Cullinan rival, the 9X bears a striking resemblance to Goodwood’s SUV, although Dreame has since claimed the title of most blatant copy. It’s big, too – measuring 5,239 mm long, 2,019 mm wide and 1,819 mm tall, the Zeekr is only about 100 mm shorter than the Cullinan, while its 3,169 wheelbase is 126 mm shorter.

Its visual similarities with the Roller are mostly centred around the front end and the imposing chrome front mask, lifted from the 009 MPV. The 9X’s dual horizontal daytime running light strips and split headlights also distance it from the tech-forward Stargate light curtain display found on more recent Zeekrs like the 7X.

Along the side, the wraparound windscreen design carries shades of Range Rover, while the window trim strips lead into the fully-chrome D-pillars, forming a C-shaped graphic. Conventional pull-type door handles (instead of flush pop-out items) are a surprise, but the massive wheels measuring 20 to 22 inches in diameter – enhancing the car’s upright stance – aren’t. Deployable side steps aid entry and egress, and at the back you’ll find ring-shaped full-width LED taillights.

For the first time, Zeekr has revealed the 9X’s plush cabin, slathered in Nappa leather and “Nordic” wood trim – the latter forming a continuous strip from door mirror to door mirror, a nice touch. This being a Chinese car, you get loads of screens, including a 13-inch digital instrument display, a 47-inch augmented reality head-up display and a widescreen display panel housing 16-inch OLED centre and passenger touchscreens. They all run on not one, but two of Qualcomm highest-end Snapdragon 8295 processors.

Occupants are ensconced in 12-layer seats featuring 14-way power adjustment and the world’s first four-way adaptive lumbar adjustment, along with a 22-point massage function. Between the front pews sit dual Qi wireless chargers and precious few physical buttons and switches, including a crystal volume knob. Silence is ensured through all-round double glazing and active noise cancellation specifically for the engine.

But it’s the second row that is the place to be, with captain’s chairs fitted with ottomans and the now de rigueur one-touch zero-gravity recline function on the passenger side. Not only that, but they can also rotate, Zeekr Mix style, to face the third row, which get their own four-way power adjustment. There’s also a 17-inch roof monitor, retractable USB-C fast charging cables and a 6.3-inch removable “Magic Control” OLED display on the rear of the centre console.

Other features include a Naim sound system with 32 speakers (including headrest speakers for the first and second rows), featuring an industry-record 3,868 watts of power. There’s also a large panoramic glass sunroof, a rear fridge, powered sunshades for the second and third rows and even the rear windscreen, and “atmospheric” ambient lighting with 16.8 million colours. Even with all seats up, the boot still measures a decent 470 litres and can be expanded to 2,148 litres with the two rear rows folded.

In terms of driver assists, the 9X can be had with Geely’s range-topping G-Pilot H9 suite with five lidar sensors, enabling enhanced obstacle avoidance steering, highly-automated city and highway driving, a wheel kerbing warning and even a “summon” function similar to Tesla’s system.

Prices in China range from 465,900 yuan (RM275,400) to 599,900 yuan (RM354,500). Would you like to see this thing in Malaysia? Sound off in the comments after the jump.

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