Tech event to launch the 9X will debut cutting-edge hybrid technology and Geely’s top-of-the-line H9 autonomous system.
Zeekr will launch its latest model, the 9X SUV, at a tech event to be held on July 9th in Beijing.
The 9X, which debuted at the Shanghai Auto Show, is set to be one of Zeekr’s most expensive models yet with an expected starting price of around RMB 600,000 (£61,500 / 83,500), and will debut a bunch of new tech as well as Zeekr’s first-ever hybrid drivetrain.
The brand is calling it the “most luxurious SUV of the new energy era”, a statement suggesting the 9X will directly target cars like the upcoming electric Range Rover and the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV.
While all of the interior remains a mystery, we do know the 9X will feature CATLs’ Freevoy battery with 4C charging and an electric-only range of 380km.
We also know that the 9X will come with a 0-100kph acceleration time of just three seconds, making it one of the fastest accelerating SUVs in the world, with an expected triple-motor flagship edition, boasting a single motor on the front axle and dual motors on the rear axle, as well as a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine generating 205kW of power, though this will mostly generate energy for the battery.
Dual-chamber air suspension and active stabiliser bars are also expected to ensure the 9X can balance both the on-road comfort expected of a luxury SUV, as well as the ability to corner at speed.
Perhaps most important is the 9X’s autonomous driving hardware suite, which will mark the debut of Geely’s G-Pilot H9 autonomous driving system.
We already know the car will feature five LiDAR units, but it will also come with dual NVIDIA Thor chips, each providing 700 TOPS of processing power, to deliver a system that Zeekr claims will be L3 capable.
The 9X marks Zeekr’s first foray away from pure EVs, a move that many of the pure electric brands in China are making in a bid to reduce costs.
While not officially an extended range EV, Zeekr’s system enabling the engine to drive the wheels when necessary, the 9X will perform much like one, delivering rapid electric drive but with a sizeable electric-only range, offering customers sceptical of EVs the ability to drive in EV mode for the most part, with the added reassurance of a petrol engine for longer journeys.
It’s expected to be the first of several Zeekrs to offer a hybrid option, the SEA platform developed from the ground up for both electric and plug-in hybrid drivetrains, although insiders told us the 9X won’t sit on the SEA platform, potentially suggesting a new platform will be debuted at the tech event.
Pre-orders are expected to open shortly after the July technology deep dive, with first deliveries anticipated before the end of September.
