Geely's premium electric vehicle brand Zeekr has unveiled its second production model in China, the striking 009 large minivan based on a stretched version of the parent company's SEA (Sustainable Experience Architecture) electric platform that also underpins the 001 crossover.
Zeekr's eccentric-looking minivan stands out thanks to its blocky body shape and features like the large illuminated metal grille, slim vertical DRLs, full-width LED tailights, large sliding doors and 20-inch wheels. It was styled at Zeekr's design center in Gothenburg, Sweden, by a team led by former Audi designer Stefan Sielaff.
You wouldn't tell by looking at it, but Zeekr claims the 009 has a drag coefficient of 0.27, thanks in part to what the automaker calls the largest aerodynamic windscreen in the segment.
The interior is luxurious and spacious, offering six individual seats—multi-adjustable captain's chairs with massaging function on the second row—wrapped in soft Nappa full-grain leather. Second row passengers also get a console featuring a multitude of seat functions and adjustments, plus a ceiling-mounted 15.6-inch screen. A 2+2 executive configuration is available as an option.
The dashboard is dominated by a 15.4-inch central touchscreen display working in tandem with a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster; both run on the Zeekr OS system that supports over-the-air (OTA) software updates.
Gallery: 2023 Zeekr 009
As with the range-topping version of the Zeekr 001, the 009 features a dual-motor AWD powertrain delivering 400 kilowatts (536 horsepowers) and 686 Newton-meters (505 pound-feet) of torque, which is enough for a 0-100 km/h (62 mph) sprint in only 4.5 seconds. Yes, that's correct, a minivan weighing 2,830 kilograms (6,239 pounds) is that fast.
The 5.2-meter (205-inch) long electric minivan offers two battery options—116 kWh or 140 kWh—claimed to enable a driving range of 702 kilometers (436 miles) and 822 kilometers (510 miles), respectively, on China's CLTC test cycle.
The Zeekr 009 with the bigger battery is the first production vehicle to use CATL's series-produced Qilin lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt battery packs, the company's third generation of cell-to-pack (CTP) battery technology. According to CATL, Qilin batteries set a record for volume-based usage efficiency at over 72 percent, compared to 50 percent for the first-generation cell-to-pack technology.
When it comes to safety tech, the Zeekr 009 features 30 advanced driving assistance systems powered by Mobileye's seven 8MP HD cameras, four 2MP 360-degree cameras, 12 short-range ultrasonic radars and one long-range millimeter wave radar. All this information is processed by two Mobileye EyeQ5H 7-nanometer chips.
The Zeekr 009 is packed full of technology such as air suspension with electromagnetic vibration damping technology and self-leveling function, AI Mate inteligent assistant, face recognition, voice recognition, 20-speaker Yamaha surround stereo system, in-car communication system and much more.
Prices start from 499,000 yuan ($68,450) for the base version and 588,000 yuan ($80,660) for the one with the 140-kWh battery. Customers in China can already place reservations, with deliveries scheduled to start in January 2023.
