The Chinese premium brand Zeekr, owned by the Geely conglomerate, has officially set the release date for its new flagship crossover. The hybrid SUV called Zeekr 8X will go on sale on April 17.
Excitement that's hard to ignore
Even before the official start of sales, the Zeekr 8X caused a stir. When pre-orders opened in March, the company received over 10,000 applications in the first 38 minutes. Within two days, this number exceeded 30,000. Such market reaction is quite understandable when you look at the pricing policy. The base version Max starts at $54,600, and the top Yaoying Edition will cost $74,900. In between, there are Ultra and Ultra+ versions priced at $57,500 and $64,800, respectively.
Flagship Zeekr 8X Yaoying Edition. Photo: News.cn
Technical stuffing: 900 volts and insane power
At the heart of the Zeekr 8X lies the Haohan-S architecture, which uses a 900-volt system. This is rare for hybrids, which usually are limited to lower voltage. Under the hood is a 2.0-liter turbo engine with 275 hp, but it's just a part of the complex system. The electric motors play the main role. In the top tri-motor version, the total power reaches 1030 kW, equivalent to 1381 hp.
The dynamics of the crossover weighing over 2.8 tons are impressive: acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h takes 2.96 seconds. Even the "more modest" dual-motor version does this in 3.7 seconds. Such indicators are usually shown by top electric cars like Tesla models, but here we are dealing with a hybrid that is not afraid of long journeys.
Photo: Autohome
Charging and autonomy
The Zeekr 8X is equipped with a 70 kWh battery. On pure electricity, the crossover can travel up to 410 km, and in a combined mode, the range is 1416 km. Thanks to the 6C fast charging system, energy can be replenished from 20% to 80% in just 9 minutes.
The chassis deserves special attention. The Haohan AI system can respond to changes in the road surface within 0.2 seconds. The pneumatic suspension with double chambers allows adjusting the clearance within 80 mm, providing a maximum ground clearance of 241 mm.
Digital comfort and intellect
Inside, the Zeekr 8X offers a choice between five- and six-seat configurations. Entertainment is handled by a Naim acoustic system with 29 speakers, and safety is ensured by the Qianli Haohan G-ASD complex. The latter includes 43 sensors, among which are five lidars. Computational power is provided by two Nvidia Drive Thor-U chips, delivering 1400 TOPS.
Photo: Zeekr
Much of the 8X is based on technologies developed on the successful 9X model. In the Chinese market, the novelty will compete with the Aito M8 and Li Auto L8, while among imported alternatives of the same class, the Lexus RX and Volvo XC90 are considered. However, with such power and charging speed, Zeekr plays in its own league, where it is difficult to find competitors.
