If the Zeekr name doesn’t ring a bell, it’s the Chinese automaker founded by Geely last year to serve as the conglomerate’s premium brand separate from Volvo. After launching the 001 swoopy wagon, this newcomer to the EV game opens the lid on the boldly styled 009 minivan. While it doesn’t have a combustion engine that requires cooling, the people drive has a large faux grille touted as the “Light Spring” with 154 programmable LEDs.
The Zeekr 009 is huge considering its length is 5209 millimeters (205 inches), 2024 mm (80 inches) wide and 1867 mm (74 inches) high. Its wide wheelbase of 3205 mm (126 in) creates a spacious three-row cab with 2+2+2 seating or an optional 2+2 executive configuration. Although it looks like a box on wheels, its drag coefficient is a very low 0.27, helped by what the automaker calls the largest aerodynamic windshield in its segment.
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At 2,830 kilograms (6,239 pounds), the Zeekr 009 is one of the heaviest EVs out there, yet incredibly fast. It does a 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) run in just four and a half seconds thanks to a dual-motor punch setup with a combined 536 horsepower. It rides on the parent company’s Continuing Experience Architecture platform, a modular architecture that underpins a variety of EVs, including the Smart #1, Polestar 4, and Lotus Eletre SUV.
Big, heavy vehicles need big batteries and Zeekr has outfitted its flashy AWD minivan with a 140-kWh lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt package developed by CATL. This is good for a range of 511 miles (822 kilometers) per China Light-Duty Vehicle Test Cycle (CLTC). In addition to its impressive range, the 009 has several other advantages, including air suspension for a silky smooth ride and the largest one-piece die-cast aluminum structure used in a road vehicle. Mounted at the rear, the large piece measures 1400 mm (55 in) long and 1600 mm (57 in) wide.
The interior looks much more conventional than the polarizing exterior, but it also has some interesting features. Items include a 15.6-inch ceiling-mounted screen, voice recognition for each of the six seats, a large 585 cm2 table, in-car communication system, and massage chair covered in Nappa leather.
Zeekr says the 009 is the safest minivan in the world thanks to the 30 driver assistant functions included as standard equipment. This electric family car is equipped with 12 short-range ultrasonic radars, one long-range wave radar, four 2MP surround view cameras and seven 8 MP HD cameras.
The dramatic-looking 009 is slated to go on sale next year in China where the 001 garnered more than 10,000 monthly sales in October for the first time since its launch last year.
