Latest news with #StefanSielaff
Business Times
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- Business Times
Zeekr 7X review: Move over, Musk. And Benz, beware
[HANGZHOU] Fledgling car brands need a breakthrough model if they're to take off, and I think the 7X is Zeekr's. The easiest way to understand this pure electric crossover is that it's yet another Chinese rival to the Tesla Model Y – except it's too good to be just another rival. While Tesla wrote the playbook on how to do a successful electric vehicle, the 7X shows that Zeekr is aiming to take things further, with the help of sumptuous interiors and some Scandinavian design. It's about the same size as the Model Y, with a long 2,900 mm wheelbase that gives back-seat passengers space to stretch out. But beyond the numbers, it's the athletic stance that stands out, along with smooth lines accented by just enough muscle to give it some visual heft. Chinese versions have a luminous 'stargate' grille that can light up as if to signal an alien mothership. That feature's unlikely to make it past the Land Transport Authority's wary eye for approval here, but it's one of many signs that Zeekr isn't content with anonymity. There are more inside, where you're surrounded by pleasing textures and materials that feel expensive, including Nappa leather in the top 'Privilege' version that Zeekr claims is 25 per cent more comfortable than regular leather. The tidy, minimalist layout adds strong Scandi energy, which only makes sense, since former Bentley design chief Stefan Sielaff heads up Zeekr's main styling studio in Gothenburg, Sweden. A 16-inch touchscreen handles most of the controls, but there are still physical switches for the everyday stuff, a quiet rebuke to carmakers that equate modernity with menu-diving. PHOTO: BIG FISH PUBLISHING I wouldn't have minded trying the 7X there, but instead I had a brief go in Hangzhou, the brand's hometown. It wasn't enough to form deep impressions of the Zeekr's handling, but more than enough to be impressed by its refinement. The cabin is a quiet place, the ride is supple, and the car's setup feels like it aims more for serenity than stimulation. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up Still, if you do want performance, the 7X doesn't fall short. European markets get a single-motor, rear-drive version with 416 horsepower and up to 615 km of range (WLTP), or a twin-motor, all-wheel-drive rocket with 630 hp and a 3.8-second dash to 100 kmh. Optional air suspension can lift the car 4.5 cm if you fancy going off the beaten path, though a better reason for having it is that it makes the ride feel plush and composed. Zeekr has also come out guns blazing with driver assist features. In China at least, the 7X has lidar, radar and sonar sensors, plus enough cameras to film a Netflix special. They enable Navigation Zeekr Pilot (NZP), a self-driving system already on Chinese roads. I didn't try it out in a 7X, but had a short go in a 007 GT, a sporty wagon destined for export markets. All I had to do was set a destination, engage the system, and then sit back while the Zeekr piloted itself all the way to my car park entrance. Regulations meant I had to jiggle the steering wheel every once in a while, to convince the car that I hadn't stepped out for lunch, while the NZP system spookily did the actual driving. It obeyed traffic lights, steered through messy junctions and, just like a real driver, crept above the speed limit now and then. It even decided on its own to overtake a lorry, executing the move smoothly and using the indicators politely, which already puts it one-up on most BMW drivers. Who knows how long it'll be before NZP pops out of the regulations bottle outside of China? The 7X Privilege's nap-friendly passenger-side rear seat reclines electrically, extends a leg rest and offers massage and ventilation. PHOTO: BIG FISH PUBLISHING Until then, the 7X has to impress by being a car you actually want to drive. It helps that it's ergonomically sound inside, with most things falling to hand easily. A 16-inch touchscreen handles most of the controls, but there are still physical switches for the everyday stuff, a quiet rebuke to carmakers that equate modernity with menu-diving. A Snapdragon 8295 chip keeps the infotainment system snappy, while 5G connectivity and over-the-air updates promise that your Zeekr will get smarter over time. The boot swallows 539 litres of cargo, there's a useful 62-litre frunk, and thoughtful touches include under-seat drawers and even a Zeekr-developed child seat with its own airbag for a baby's head. It's the Privilege version that really sets the 7X apart from the Model Y and its ilk. Its nap-friendly passenger-side rear seat reclines electrically, extends a leg rest and offers massage and ventilation. There's also a flip-out screen and a fold-down tray table, which I first encountered in a Rolls-Royce, even though this car is a world apart from old-money opulence. All that is why Elon Musk has to sleep with one eye open, but the traditional luxury players should be worried, too. Zeekr clearly intends to become known for being more high-tech than Mercedes and more high-end than Tesla, and the 7X spells that out plainly. That's exactly what breakthrough models do. Electric Zeekr 7X Privilege AWD Motor Power/Torque: 630 hp/710 Nm Battery Type/Net Capacity: Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC)/100 kWh Charging Time/Type: 5.5 hours (22 kW AC), 16 minutes 10 to 80 per cent (360 kW DC) Range: 543 km (WLTP) 0-100 kmh: 3.8 seconds Top Speed: 210 kmh Efficiency: 19.9 kWh/100 km (estimated) Agent: Premium Automobiles BEV Price: TBA Available Third quarter, 2025
Daily Mail
28-04-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Chinese SUV that looks like a Rolls-Royce on the market for a fraction of the price
By Published: | Updated: The Zeekr 9X is the latest Chinese luxury car that will tempt buyers to ditch traditionally popular premium marques like Audi, BMW and Mercedes with its significantly cheaper price tag. The 9X SUV has been unveiled at the Shanghai Auto Show where it has - surprisingly - drawn comparison to the enormous Rolls-Royce Cullinan... but for a fraction of the cost. Exact pricing of the large Chinese family car is not yet known but is rumoured to start from as little as £50k. That's some saving on the £300k commanded by the Roller equivalent. But it's not just the price that stands to make the 9X appealing; the plug-in hybrid drivetrain promises more than 186 miles of EV-only driving combined with supercar performance. And Zeekr is ready to rattle the established Western luxury SUV market with its uber-luxurious interior and the practicality that positions it against big names like the Range Rover. It's not confirmed if or when the 9X could arrive in the UK, but Zeekr is expected to start selling some of its models on our shores from 2026. Zeekr sits under Shanghai parent company Geely – which also owns Polestar, Volvo and Lotus amongst others – and has former Bentley chief designer Stefan Sielaff in its staple of automotive experts. Alongside the 9X's reveal, Zeekr also confirmed plans to arrive in the UK from next year, with Zeekr Europe CEO Lothar Schupet telling the Independent: 'We are in discussion with dealer groups to enter the UK. 'Our plan is to be live in the UK early next year and we're trying to accelerate as much as we can.' The Zeekr 9X is a large SUV measuring 5,290mm long (longer than the Range Rover's 5,252mm) with a wheelbase of 3,220mm, and offers either six or seven seating options for maximum big family practicality. For those looking for a room limo, there's an option to have four spaced-out chairs with 'executive style' seating. The 9X's 900V architecture can handle 480kW ultra-rapid charging, which delivers 310 miles of charge in just nine minutes. The plug-in hybrid SUV will use a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine and two electric motors for a total range of 932 miles; this makes it the first Zeekr model to use its 'Super Hybrid' technology. The 'Super Electric Hybrid' tech will merge pure electric, plug-in hybrid and range-extender advantages to promise disruptive efficiency and performance. Super Hybrids with huge combined ranges are one of the biggest emerging trends in new Chinese cars, with the Jaecoo 9HS and forthcoming Omoda 9 SHS both using 'Super Hybrid Systems'. But for the Zeekr 9X it's the supercar-like three-second sprint time from 0 to 62mph that will get heads turning, more so than its Rolls-Royce Cullinan looks. The chrome detailing and large imposing waterwall grille are both very similar to the Cullinan, as is the angular, boxy shape. But it also has hints of the Rivian R1S, the Range Rover and the Jaecoo 9HS. And then there's some fancy, luxury design features such as the 'Ring Screen Star Diamond' taillight assembly with 43,343 individual diamond-cut facets called the 'Side Wing Star Diamond Matrix' which complements the 9X's front-end design. Zeekr is already on the roads in Australia but is yet to reach the UK. However, as the 9X uses the same SEA architecture as Geely's Volvo and Polestar brands, right-hand drive is a natural step. And while the 9X hasn't been confirmed for Australia, Mars Chen, CEO of Zeekr International told EV Central that the country will get either a smaller (but still large) SUV than the 9X, or the 9X itself. Neither the pipeline smaller SUV or the 9X are big volume cars, but they shoot Zeekr into a new territory of ultra-luxury car production. Chinese tech advancements on the Zeekr 9X The 9X will be the first Zeekr model to feature the G-Pilot intelligent driving solution. This builds on Zeekr's Level 3 autonomous driving architecture and utilises the ZEEA 3.0 central computing digital architecture to improve end-to-end communication response speed by 50 per cent. The 9X will use five LiDAR units – one long-range LiDAR and four supplementary short-range LiDARs for blind-spot coverage – for 'four layers of 360-degree perception capabilities.' How much will the Zeekr 9X cost? The price of the 9X SUV is not yet confirmed, but Zeekr's 009 people mover costs $130,000 and the 9X is touted to start from just under £51,000 ($68,000) and go up to around £102,000 ($136,000). This makes it almost a sixth of the price of a Rolls-Royce Cullinan which starts at just under £300,000, with exact prices depending on specification.
Daily Mail
28-04-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Zeekr 9X is a Chinese SUV that looks like a Rolls-Royce Cullinan but at a fraction of the price
The Zeekr 9X is the latest Chinese luxury car that will tempt buyers to ditch traditionally-popular premium marques like Audi, BMW and Mercedes with its significantly cheaper price tag. The 9X SUV has been unveiled at the Shanghai Auto Show where it has - surprisingly - drawn comparison to the enormous Rolls-Royce Cullinan... but for a fraction of the cost. Exact pricing of the large Chinese family car is not yet known but is rumoured to start from as little as £50k. That's some saving on the £300k commanded by the Roller equivalent. But it's not just the price that stands to make the 9X appealing; the plug-in hybrid drivetrain promises more than 186 miles of EV-only driving combined with supercar performance. And Zeekr is ready to rattle the established Western luxury SUV market with its uber-luxurious interior and the practicality that positions it against big names like the Range Rover. It's not confirmed if or when the 9X could arrive in the UK, but Zeekr is expected to start selling some of its models on our shores from 2026. The Zeekr 9X by the Geely-owned Chinese automaker is a rival to the Rolls-Royce Cullinan and Range Rover but will cost around the same as a family SUV at just £50k+ Zeekr sits under Shanghai parent company Geely – which also owns Polestar, Volvo and Lotus amongst others – and has former Bentley chief designer Stefan Sielaff in its staple of automotive experts. Alongside the 9X's reveal, Zeekr also confirmed plans to arrive in the UK from next year, with Zeekr Europe CEO Lothar Schupet telling the Independent: 'We are in discussion with dealer groups to enter the UK. 'Our plan is to be live in the UK early next year and we're trying to accelerate as much as we can.' The Zeekr 9X is a large SUV measuring 5,290mm long (longer than the Range Rover's 5,252mm) with a wheelbase of 3,220mm, and offers either six or seven seating options for maximum big family practicality. For those looking for a room limo, there's an option to have four spaced-out chairs with 'executive style' seating. Left: From the front, it looks rather like another luxury SUV.... and it's huge: at 5.3m it's even longer than a Range Rover. Right: The Rolls-Royce Cullinan: It's not hard to see the visual influence it's given the Zeekr 9X The 9X's 900V architecture can handle 480kW ultra-rapid charging, which delivers 310 miles of charge in just nine minutes. The plug-in hybrid SUV will use a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine and two electric motors for a total range of 932 miles; this makes it the first Zeekr model to use its 'Super Hybrid' technology. The 'Super Electric Hybrid' tech will merge pure electric, plug-in hybrid and range-extender advantages to promise disruptive efficiency and performance. Super Hybrids with huge combined ranges are one of the biggest emerging trends in new Chinese cars, with the Jaecoo 9HS and forthcoming Omoda 9 SHS both using 'Super Hybrid Systems'. But for the Zeekr 9X it's the supercar-like three-second sprint time from 0 to 62mph that will get heads turning, more so than its Rolls-Royce Cullinan looks. The chrome detailing and large imposing waterwall grille are both very similar to the Cullinan, as is the angular, boxy shape. But it also has hints of the Rivian R1S, the Range Rover and the Jaecoo 9HS. And then there's some fancy, luxury design features such as the 'Ring Screen Star Diamond' taillight assembly with 43,343 individual diamond-cut facets called the 'Side Wing Star Diamond Matrix' which complements the 9X's front-end design. The 9X is not yet announced for right-hand markets including Australia or the UK, but it is possible this will come after Zeekr lands in the UK next year Zeekr is already on the roads in Australia but is yet to reach the UK. However, as the 9X uses the same SEA architecture as Geely's Volvo and Polestar brands, right-hand drive is a natural step. And while the 9X hasn't been confirmed for Australia, Mars Chen, CEO of Zeekr International told EV Central that the country will get either a smaller (but still large) SUV than the 9X, or the 9X itself. Neither the pipeline smaller SUV or the 9X are big volume cars, but they shoot Zeekr into a new territory of ultra-luxury car production. Chinese tech advancements on the Zeekr 9X The 9X will be the first Zeekr model to feature the G-Pilot intelligent driving solution. This builds on Zeekr's Level 3 autonomous driving architecture and utilises the ZEEA 3.0 central computing digital architecture to improve end-to-end communication response speed by 50 per cent. The 9X will use five LiDAR units – one long-range LiDAR and four supplementary short-range LiDARs for blind-spot coverage – for 'four layers of 360-degree perception capabilities.' How much will the Zeekr 9X cost? The price of the 9X SUV is not yet confirmed, but Zeekr's 009 people mover costs $130,000 and the 9X is touted to start from just under £51,000 ($68,000) and go up to around £102,000 ($136,000). This makes it almost a sixth of the price of a Rolls-Royce Cullinan which starts at just under £300,000, with exact prices depending on specification.
Forbes
26-04-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
Zeekr Aims To Be First Chinese Luxury Brand To Challenge Rolls-Royce
Zeekr is starting its journey towards high-end luxury with the 009 Grand and 9X. Chinese cars are improving in quality all the time, and anyone who thinks their level of engineering is behind Western companies really hasn't been paying attention. But one aspect that doesn't come with technical innovation is a heritage of luxury. Zeekr, part of Chinese giant Geely, hopes to change that. I talked to the company's Vice President of Global Design, Stefan Sielaff, about how far he intends to take Zeekr into the luxury space. He's aiming high. 'Our direct competitors will be Rolls-Royce and Maybach in the future,' he says. 'No guts, no glory.' This is no idle dream, either. Sielaff's illustrious automotive design career began at Audi, followed by a shift to Mercedes-Benz, and then a return to the Volkswagen Group culminating in six years as Design Director at Bentley. So he knows a thing or two about luxury cars. But there are clear cultural differences between European and Chinese automakers. 'It was quite a big journey moving from Bentley to Zeekr,' he says. However, he is still designing from a European base. 'The Zeekr design headquarters is in Gothenburg in Sweden.' Sielaff doesn't see such a big divide between European and Chinese designs anymore. 'When you look at Chinese cars, which are now the majority in China, especially in the electric market, they don't look dramatically different. Whether it's a European design director or a Chinese one, the overall perception of design is not so varied.' The Zeekr 7X is only a small step in the new luxury direction the company will be taking in the ... More future. Sielaff sees the rapidity of development as a key benefit for China, saying: 'Beside all the quality and the technology advantages Chinese brands have, it is also the speed, how we work together, how we accelerate in the processes, how strongly we use digital processes in every respect, whether it's in the R and D, in the design, but even in the manufacturing, everything is so heavily digitalized. This enables us to deliver a car from the first sketch to the to the product in two years.' The shift upmarket for Zeekr is part of a restructuring at Geely. 'We are in the process of doing a merger in between Lynk & Co and Zeekr into the Zeekr Group, which helps us to use efficiencies and to accentuate the differentiation between these two brands more clearly,' says Sielaff. 'Zeekr will be moving upwards into the premium luxury level, whereas Lynk & Co will be lower. It's not so different to the Volkswagen Group where Audi and Porsche operate in a very similar market segment but with contrasting customers.' The first car to arrive that will take Zeekr in this direction is the 9X, which was unveiled at the Chinese car show Auto Shanghai last week. This is a flagship SUV with what Zeekr is calling a 'Super Hybrid System' that blends the best of BEVs and PHEVs together. It will deploy CATL's Xiaoyao battery to deliver an all-electric range exceeding 380km (237 miles), which Zeekr claims is the longest among hybrid SUVs globally. This is in the Chinese testing cycle, however, so WLTP is 280km (175 miles) and EPA will be less. The exact size of this battery has not been disclosed. Zeekr is promising blistering performance from the 9X. Zeekr also claims the 9X will accelerate from 0 to 62mph in just 3 seconds, using a two-liter turbo hybrid gasoline engine with 205 kW (275hp), plus undisclosed electric motor power. This will be accompanied by a 900V system promising 1.3MW charging, taking under 10 minutes to go from 20 to 80%. So owners should expect a powerful onslaught when hitting the accelerator or replenishing the battery. Ride quality will be enhanced by industry-leadig dual-chamber air suspension and active stabilizer bars. For those who like their luxury to glitter, the 9X will boast 42,242 laser-engraved, diamond-cut lamp facets, creating a captivating 'starry sky' effect. Inside, the SUV debuts Zeekr's latest G-Pilot H9 autonomous driving system, powered by dual NVIDIA DRIVE Thor chips, 5 LiDAR sensors, and a massing 1,400 TOPS computing power, enabling advanced L3-level driving capabilities. The Zeekr 9X is set for a global launch in Q3 2025. One website has compared the 9X to a Rolls-Royce Cullinan, a car that starts at over $400,000 and then heads close to half a million. The Zeekr 009 Grand includes an option for just two seats and a giant screen in the rear. The 9X is clearly a step up from Zeekr cars currently on sale in Europe, such as the recently released 7X. However, Zeekr already has a vehicle selling well that is proving the potential of a more luxury-focused strategy, at least in China. The Zeekr 009 Grand sells as many as 4,000 units a month in its local market, according to the company. This is a luxury minivan that comes with a version incorporating two luxurious rear massage lounge seats in the rear and a giant video screen that even exceeds the one available as an option with BMW's impressive i7. More sensibly six-seated versions are available, but the one with the giant screen is like travelling around in a mobile home cinema designed for royalty. 'The Zeekr 009 and 9x show, despite the fact this is only the beginning of the story, that Zeekr is really moving more and more into the luxury segment,' says Sielaff. 'Zeekr will operate in this field of new luxury. Customers will get a huge variety of individualistic solutions, including cars in limited editions that they can cocreate. We do this already with the 009. You have the possibility to get the car with a lot of chrome, but you can also choose a very little amount of chrome and get more body color or more tinted materials that changes the character of the car dramatically. This is already making things more luxurious, because you are not forcing customers to go in one direction. You deliver a spectrum, which is a higher level of complexity. But it is a signal of a luxury product that you can individualize it more. Another signal is having artisan interiors with handcrafted elements.' The Lynk & Co 900 is a powerful luxury SUV targeting Range Rover customers. As a taster of things to come, another of Geely's brands Lynk & Co is just launching the 900, which is very clearly aimed at the luxury SUV market currently dominated by Range Rover. This is a plug-in hybrid combining a two-liter turbocharged engine with electric motors that Lynk & Co claims deliver an incredible 872hp, enabling a zero to 62mph spring in just 4.3 seconds. I drove this car in China, and it was decidedly rapid in a straight line. Its air suspension was also one of the smoothest that I've experienced, although Range Rover still holds the comfort crown. It's an impressive vehicle with a superb interior. However, while Zeekr goes up market and Lynk & Co focuses on more youthful lifestyle, Sielaff sees luxury car buyers getting younger. 'In China, luxury customers are 30-40 years old, much younger than for the traditional brands in Europe,' he says. 'These traditional luxury brands have the big advantage of heritage, but they also have the bigger disadvantage of that heritage, because they traditionally deal with rather conservative buyers. Our new customers in China in the luxury segment are more open for new things, which are more focused on authentic materials and good craftsmanship, maybe sometimes also even using Chinese influence. For example, we are experimenting with using materials like jade or porcelain in the future, which will be beautiful.' Could the 9X be the start of a journey where Zeekr challenges Rolls-Royce and Maybach? Sielaff sees no direct competitor coming from within China to Zeekr's luxury intentions, either, not even Changan's Avatr. 'Avatr has fantastic proportions, but you need always to have a vision,' he says. 'Zeekr will be the first true Chinese brand that is delivering authentic new luxury to the customer. We must compensate for the fact that we have no heritage by delivering higher levels of everything else, including technology, quality, and design. You need to have an optimistic vision. And this is what I find in China.'
The Independent
24-04-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
Zeekr car brand coming to the UK next year with high-tech luxury
New luxury brand Zeekr has confirmed that it will be selling its first cars in the UK from next year. The brand is expected to start with electric models but plug-in hybrids are likely to come to the UK, too. Zeekr is part of the giant Chinese Geely Group, which also owns Volvo, Lotus, Polestar and LEVC, and makes London's black taxis. However, although Zeekr is headquartered in Hangzhou, China, its models are designed and engineered in Gothenburg, Sweden, where the brand's head of design, former Bentley chief designer Stefan Sielaff, is based. Speaking exclusively to The Independent at the Shanghai Motor Show, Zeekr Europe CEO Lothar Schupet said: 'We are in discussion with dealer groups to enter the UK. We have initiated already the ride and drive development, which is not very complex as we have launched in Australia and Malaysia where we have already right and drive products. 'Our plan is to be live in the UK early next year and we're trying to accelerate as much as we can.' Lothar describes the UK as 'very important – one of the most important markets in Europe' and is likely to launch with the Zeekr 7X, unsurprisingly a rival for the big-selling Tesla Model Y. We've driven the Zeekr 7X and were hugely impressed, especially with the quality inside. That's just as well given the brand's positioning. 'Zeekr is a new electric brand with cutting edge technology in the luxury segment,' said Lothar. In our view, the 7X certainly feels more Audi than Tesla. 'We are within that positioning differentiating by really taking care of innovations,' Lothar continued. 'We're looking at the customer needs in terms of what is the new luxury, how you feel, how you are as a consumer. And we're really looking into what they need to move to electric mobility. 'We always have this statement: we want to accelerate the shift to electric mobility because Europe is changing and the world's changing.' Zeekr isn't alone in launching a Tesla Model Y rival, with BYD, Xpeng, Changan Deepal and others all targeting the world's best-selling car. So what is Zeekr's point of difference? 'We believe we have two main big points,' said Lothar. 'First of all, we have the power of the giant because of the Geely group in the background. So, we have access to all the partner suppliers, innovation development, the entire platforms we have been developing, financial substance and so on. 'Our statement is always that we have the power of a giant with a European soul – and that makes us really unique. We are not just exporting cars here from China to Europe, we have heavily invested with Zeekr in Europe. 'We have an R&D centre, Zika Technology Europe, which [has been] sitting in Europe for 12 years already developing electric cars in Gothenburg. And there we are developing cars in Europe for Europe; we understand the customer, we are behind it. This is also an agile entity living in a software defined vehicle mode in terms of iteration in the development process. We have a very close relationship with our customers [with them] giving feedback immediately, and this is also integrated into the development process.' While Lothar counts Audi, BMW and Mercedes as its main competitors, Geely also has Volvo in its family at a very similar price point – and Zeekrs could well be sold out of Volvo dealers in the UK, as they are elsewhere. 'We see not a lot of overlapping with Volvo,' said Lothar, 'Volvo's more on the safety and traditional side; we are on the technology progressive side. 'That's why our dealers are multi-brand dealers often with Volvo, Polestar and us in one location and we see no big cannibalisation.' Pricewise, Zeekr will sit just below its German rivals and offer more kit for the cash, including advanced 800-volt technology for fast charging, as Lothar explained: 'When you look into the list price, we are slightly lower than the premium manufacturers to get on the shopping list. We don't have the brand heritage, we don't deny that, and we need to build it up. When you then compare spec we offer even more – and a ten-year warranty.' 'One differentiator is the 800-volt technology where we are the fastest charging car right now – we are very proud of that. We have announced 13 minutes from 10 to 80 per cent charge, which we tested now in public charging in Gothenburg. The maximum charging speed is 480kW of that car.' While Zeekr has focused mainly on all-electric cars, Lothar revealed that plug-in hybrids are also a possibility for Europe and the UK. 'Our super hybrid technology is also under investigation for Europe,' he said. 'Super hybrid technology is unique – we are the only one who provides full battery electric vehicle specs in terms of battery, which has full capability to be used for long ranges. But we have the range extender as a plug-in hybrid to increase it. Plus, we can have driving experience enhancements through having the combustion engine to help in terms of power and the drive.' Zeekr unveiled its first model with the super hybrid technology in Shanghai: the Zeekr 9X, a bold-looking full-size SUV set to rival the Range Rover, Bentley Bentayga and Rolls-Royce Cullinan when it goes on sale in China. The 9X features a large battery said to be capable of 236 miles, with a 2.0-litre petrol engine alongside it. Despite the 9X's size and weight, it's still capable of getting from 0-60mph in three seconds, while charging is just as fast – the 9X is said to be compatible with the next generation of 1.3MW super-fast chargers, too. The Zeekr 9X was unveiled in China by Stefan Sielaff, who said: 'For Zeekr, the whole brand is lifting upwards very fast now into much more luxurious cars. We call this Powerful Elegance in the 9X. 'Zeekr is the combination of design and technology, but the technology in this car is really a statement. That's first and foremost what you can't get in Europe in this league.' Although Sielaff admitted that China was a priority for the 9X rather than Europe, he did admit that he'd like it to put in an appearance in the UK. 'I would love to see it at the Goodwood Festival of Speed,' he told The Independent.
