This sporty, high-tech electric car could find its way Down Under as China’s Geely continues its global expansion
The Zeekr 001 is the latest attempt from Chinese auto giant Geely to improve its fortunes in the fast-rising EV market – both in its home country and further afield. The sporty looks are matched by strong performance, excellent dynamics and high-tech systems on-board, showing us that the parent company of brands such as Volvo, Lotus, Polestar and Lynk & Co might just have got it right this time around. The name could change when it hits international markets from late this year, but the Zeekr 001 is a car worthy of close attention, as we discovered in a drive out of Shanghai.
Zero Game
First shown at the 2020 Beijing auto show as the Lynk & Co Zero concept, the electric car you see here has since morphed into the 2022 Zeekr 001.
Priced in China from RMB281,000 to RMB360,000 ($A62,450 to $A80,100), the 001 is the launch model for Geely’s all-new electric vehicle brand that produces high-tech, higher-end EVs aimed at young-at-heart buyers.
Geely bills the 001 as the world’s first electric shooting brake, something the designers of the Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo might dispute. Certainly, though, it has been designed as a world car and it’s expected to find itself on the European market by the end of 2022.
Australia? Geely’s clear intent that the Zeekr 001 be a global model, the establishment of Polestar here and confirmation late last year that Lynk & Co would arrive Down Under by 2025 all bode well for a local launch.
Geely is one of a trio of private Chinese car producers that have emerged as market leaders when it comes to own brands, rather than the state-owned companies which are dependent on sales from joint ventures.
Unlike BYD, and to a lesser extent Great Wall Motors (GWM), Geely has really struggled when it comes to sales of EVs, only finding success with Chinese services similar to Uber.
Zeekr aims to take on Chinese start-ups (also with global ambitions) like XPeng and Nio with cars that appeal to tech-savvy private buyers.
Unsurprisingly, the 001 packs a lot of technology, but underneath all that it is truly a driver’s car.
It is the first model from any of the Geely-related brands to use the Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) platform, which will also underpin a raft of future models from Polestar and other brands including the upcoming electric Smart SUV – another big name in which Geely has a major stake.
Eyes on the road
Compared with the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y, not only does the 2022 Zeekr 001 get a proper digital 8.8-inch instrument panel but also a 14.7-inch fighter aircraft-style head-up display (HUD) – standard across all variants.
Most car functions are controlled through the floating central 15.4-inch screen; although this can be changed into English, the voice assistant currently only works in Chinese.
Screen navigation is reasonably intuitive and there is a Quick Control page giving access to the items you most likely need to change.
The car has an intelligent driver assistance system built around dual 7nm Mobileye EyeQ5H chips. In other words, it’s a high-tech fit-out that will enable advanced autonomous driving functions.
Using a combination of seven 8MP high-definition long-range cameras, a 250m-range millimetre wavelength radar, 12 ultrasonic radars, four short-range surround HD cameras, an exterior surveillance camera and a rear streaming camera, the 001 should have a formidable capability.
Unfortunately, as is often the case with newly-launched Chinese cars, the advanced functionality is coming in future over-the-air (OTA) upgrades, so we were unable to test it – even the 360-degree camera was disabled on our pre-production model.
Furthermore, when Chinese models such as the XPeng P5 and imminent Nio ET7 already tote LiDAR, the sensor suite might not be quite enough.
Perhaps the most noticeable technology for occupants are the electric doors. There is a button on each exterior door handle which you press for it to open.
Once inside, you can either give the handle a gentle pull and the door will electrically close or you can use the centre screen to do it. There is even a button on the screen to close all doors at once.
Our top-spec You version came with standard air suspension. There are controls for this on the screen along with a physical button in the boot to aid loading.
Fun Zeekr
The flagship You version of the 2022 Zeekr 001 gets dual 200kW motors along with a 100kWh battery pack.
Cheaper We versions either lose a motor, making the 001 rear-wheel drive, or make do with a smaller 84kWh battery to reduce costs.
With 768Nm of torque available and a slippery 0.23Cd drag coefficient, the top-shelf dual-motor 001 has one of the best acceleration times of any Chinese EV, reaching 100km/h from standstill in a claimed 3.8 seconds.
There are six driving modes available together with a customisable Individual option. Added to the expected Eco, Comfort and Dynamic are modes for Off-road, Snow and Sand.
Some of these such as Off-road will also optimise the air suspension for the conditions, and with Snow the information shown on the HUD changes in colour from white to yellow to enable better contrast.
Dynamic mode has much tighter steering than with Eco and Comfort, along with stiffer suspension.
Many EVs have dull steering, but not so with the 001 which really behaves more like a sports sedan. Thrown around twisting roads, the Zeekr showed excellent roadholding and responsiveness.
Despite the car’s size and weight – it is just shy of five metres long and tips the scales at 2350kg – the 600km-plus range (NEDC) is impressive.
It does not, however, support 800V recharging that’s available with Geely’s SEA platform, which is another omission (along with LiDAR) that could hurt its prospects when matched against key rivals.
Zeeking out comfort
The air suspension and CCD electromagnetic shock absorption system in the 2022 Zeekr 001 help deliver a smooth ride, and in Comfort it largely coasts over bumps in the road.
For once, there is true one-pedal driving but speed only really starts to noticeably bleed off below 50km/h, and even the highest setting of braking regeneration is not particularly aggressive.
Although the 001 does have sporty looks and handling, ultimately comfort wins out even when riding on 21-inch wheels.
Where the cosseting nature of the Zeekr is even more noticeable is with the interior, where both the driver and front passenger get heated and massaging seats.
With the sloping roofline, rear headroom is not particularly good, and for passengers above 1.8m tall that’s likely to be an issue. That said, the rear seats are electrically adjustable which may help alleviate the problem.
Thanks to the three-metre-long wheelbase, legroom is not compromised. Rear passengers also get a small touch-screen on the back of the centre console to control functions like climate and seat heating.
Fit-and-finish and material quality are top notch, the latter bolstered by liberal use of Nappa leather, Alcantara and microfibre. On the You model grade, the sound system is provided by Yamaha, making this the first automotive application from the brand.
Attention to detail such as coat hooks on the B-pillars are also welcome when compared to Tesla austerity.
The boot space has reasonable depth to it and the seats fold down but do not fold flat. Geely claims 2144 litres of load space but this is hard to visualise and many more traditional wagons seem to have more practical space available.
There is a hidden storage space under the boot floor and there’s also a small frunk, but this space is taken up with the charging cable kit.
Zeek and ye shall find
The 2022 Zeekr 001 is a very serious attempt by Geely to make up lost ground in the EV sector.
What is not so apparent, however, is how Zeekr is going to distinguish itself from Polestar.
While there is a strong emphasis on technology, this doesn’t come at the expense of driveability and the Zeekr here sets the benchmark.
Backing up the offering are sleek good looks which bode well for the car on the international market.
How much does the 2022 Zeekr 001 You cost?Price: From $80,000 estimated (plus on-road costs)Available: TBDPowertrain: Two permanent magnet synchronous motorsOutput: 400kW/768NmTransmission: Single-speed reduction gearBattery: 100kWh ternary lithium batteryRange: 606km (NEDC)Energy consumption: 16.5kWh/100km (NEDC)
Safety rating: Not tested
Join the conversation at our Facebook page
Or email us at [email protected]
Keyword: Zeekr 001 2022 Review – International