Flagship PHEV SUV boasts a 42-speaker sound system, five lidar units, three motors, 6C charging, rotating second-row seats, and more.
Zeekr has initiated pre-sales for its flagship 9X SUV at the Chengdu Auto Show, unveiling for the first time the model’s interior after previously announcing tech and exterior details.
The model is notable for being the world’s first 900-volt hybrid vehicle and incorporates a high-performance Naim audio system previously exclusive to ultra-luxury brands.
It will be available with a substantial 70kWh plug-in hybrid battery, delivering an all-electric range of up to 380 km under CLTC conditions, and can hit 100kph from standstill in 3.1 seconds.
Pre-sale prices for the 9X start at RMB 479,900 (£49,600 / $67,400) with the official launch expected in the coming month or so.
The Zeekr 9X is constructed on the brand’s 900-volt SEA-S performance architecture, a variant of the Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) used across its model line.
Its substantial proportions and bold styling have prompted comparisons in the automotive media to the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, earning it the unofficial moniker ‘Hangzhou Bay Cullinan’.
It features a bold chrome, or black in the All-black Edition, grille at the front similar to that on the Zeekr 009 MPV, twin horizontal daytime running lights on each side, and four turquoise lights to indicate it is in autonomous driving mode.
Along the side it gets a distinctive silver or black panel that wraps from the roof to the D-pillar, as well as up to 22-inch dish-style alloy wheels, while at the back it gets twin full-width daytime running lights and more turquoise lights for ADAS.
Zeekr previously had only teased the interior in a short video during the 9X Tech Day, but at the Chengdu Auto Show revealed the full design, which includes second-row rotating and zero-gravity seats, similar to those on the Lynk & Co 900, with heating, ventilation, and massaging, and active lumbar support that fits to the unique curvature of the occupant’s back.
Confirming our suspicious from the video, the 9X features a 17-inch 3k floating OLED screen that stays tucked at the back of the large, opening panoramic window when not in use, then slides forward the desired distance for rear occupants to enjoy.
Premium materials are used throughout with Nappa leather on all three-rows, 5.5 square metres in total, while there’s also real wood and a crystal dial on the centre console.
There’s also a heating and cooling drawer in the rear, USB-C sockets for each row, and the third row gets 140mm of forward/backward adjustment and backrest reclining function.
The audio system is provided by Naim, a high-end British audio brand previously exclusively found in Bentleys.
In the 9X, the custom sound system uses 32 speakers, eight seat shakers, and two additional speakers to produce a whopping 3,868W of output across a 9.2.4.8 channel configuration.
Zeekr claims it can faithfully reproduce the full frequency sound range from 20Hz to 40Hz, placing it among the very finest audio systems deployed on any car in the world.
The powertrain combines a highly efficient 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, producing 145kW (194 hp), with three electric motors, one on the front axle and two on the rear, for a combined system output of 1,030kW (1,381 hp), enabling a 0-100 kph acceleration time of 3.1 seconds.
The CATL-sourced Freevoy battery, available in 55.1 kWh or 70 kWh capacities, supports 6C fast-charging, allowing a recharge from 20% to 80% in just nine minutes.
The 9X employs a closed dual-chamber air suspension system, adjustable by up to 110mm, which offers a maximum ground clearance of 288mm, while a 48V active stabiliser bar, a first for a Chinese car, enhances stability by virtually eliminating body roll during cornering.
Furthermore, thanks to a safety suite that includes no fewer than five lidar sensors, the 9X can react to an imminent side impact in 200 milliseconds, lifting one side of the vehicle by 80mm to direct crash forces towards the reinforced sills.
In addition, it gets Geely’s top-of-the-line H9 autonomous driving system complete with dual NVIDIA Thor-U chips, which in future should enable the 9X to be capable of level 3 autonomous driving.
Pre-sale prices for the 9X start at RMB 479,900 (£49,600 / $67,400) for the Max version, which gets the 55kWh battery, Geely’s H7 ADAS system, and the dual-motor AWD system with a 0-100kph time of 3.9 seconds.
The mid-spec Ultra starts at RMB 499,900 (£51,700 / $70,200) gets much the same, but with optional upgrades to the larger 70kWh battery for 380km of electric range, plus million pixel intelligent projection headlamps, soft-close doors, and the cockpit Comfort upgrade package.
The flagship Hyper version starts from RMB 569,900 (£58,900 / $80,000) and gets the triple-motor set up for a 0-100kph sprint of 3.1 seconds, the 70kWh 6C battery, active side bolster adjustment on the driver’s seat, the 48V active stability bar, H9 ADAS system with dual NVIDIA Thor-U chips, five lidar units, and second-row rotating seats.
