Luxury 8X and 9X SUVs on the way.
Super hybrid tech ramped up to 300km range.
Sleek 7GT wagon will join successful 7X in NZ.
Zeekr New Zealand is set to double its range with three new models. It’s now asking for interested buyers to register for updates around the 9X and 8X luxury SUVs, as well as the much-talked-about 7GT wagon (a low-slung sister car to the successful 7X SUV).
Launch timing is yet to be confirmed for each of the trio, but there’s no question they’re all coming: the brand is giving select groups a first taste of all three cars next week at the Zeekr On Ice snow-driving experience, at the Southern Hemisphere Proving Ground near Queenstown.
Customers and media from NZ, Australia and several international markets will be arriving for the brand’s first such event in the Southern Hemisphere. And yes, we’re participating; look out for our story next week.
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9X super-luxury SUV
The first of the new models is the 9X, and arguably the one we know most about at this stage. If you think it looks like a Bentley or (especially) a Rolls-Royce… that’s exactly the idea.
It’s partly a super-luxury model, but also a technology flagship for the brand. The 9X is available in dual-motor or tri-motor specifications, with 600kW/935Nm from the former and an incredible 1030kW/1410Nm from the latter.
It’s a super hybrid, pairing a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine with a 55kWh or 70kWh battery for 179-300km electric range.
“This is the new halo product for Zeekr, and it really demonstrates the ambition of the brand and where it’s heading,” says Zeekr NZ brand manager Michael Jones.
“There isn’t much electrification in the full-size SUV segment and this is really redefining what super hybrid can mean in this size of car. Having a 300km EV range means you’ll just run it as an EV 99% of the time. But if you need to go long distances, you’ve got 1000km on one tank and charge.
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“Using the motor to regenerate, you can also charge the battery at 20kW. So that’s equivalent to 3-phase AC input, but from within the car.
Jones says the 9X will arrive either late this year or early-2027, with pricing yet to be determined. But while it’s going for a Bentley/Rolls-Royce vibe, we’d be very surprised if it cost that kind of money.
Serious luxury SUVs like Range Rover start at $200k-plus, and we reckon Zeekr will be looking to get the 9X under that price point.
Jones acknowledges that regardless of any arguments about Zeekr’s impressive quality and technology, buyers of this type of vehicle do place a high value on heritage.
“With advanced product and technology, does brand loyalty have a price point? When you get into three, four or five-hundred thousand dollars for a Bentayga or Rolls-Royce, versus where 9X could actually be positioned, it starts to get customers asking that question. Where is that point? That’s the exciting part.”
8X luxury SUV
There’s no chance of the 8X appearing in NZ before 2027. It’s based on the same platform as the 9X and shares the same dual and tri-motor super hybrid powertrains, but Jones characterises it as “slightly smaller and more of a sporty orientation”.
At 5100m in length it’s hardly compact, but still 139mm shorter than the 9X. Potential rivals include the Range Rover Sport and Audi Q7, and price will be… below the 9X of course. Whatever that may be.
7GT super-wagon
From square to sporty: also confirmed is the 7GT, a sleek station wagon that’s based on the same platform as the 7X.
It’s available in single-motor (RWD) short and long-range configurations, with battery sizes of 75kWh (range 519km) or 100kWh (655km). The top dual-motor AWD gets the bigger battery and can achieve 558km.
All models have had a power bump over the equivalent 7X models: the 7GT makes 335kW (single-motor) or 500kW (dual-motor), compared to 310kW and 475kW for the 7X. Torque outputs are still to be confirmed for 7GT.
The 7GT is set to arrive in NZ in the same timeframe as the 9X (ahead of the 8X), but again – pricing is not yet confirmed. Expect it to be equivalent or perhaps just above the 7X (currently $69,990-$94,990).
Jones says the 7GT sits in a new space that’s quite different to the 7X: “We see it pulling volume up from something like a Tesla Model 3, but also pulling down form established premium brands.
“I think wagons are making a comeback. It looks cool.”
Zeekr’s Kiwi success
On the eve of its first birthday in NZ, Zeekr has hit sales of 434 year-to-date, making it the 7th-most-popular BEV brand. A modest achievement perhaps, but not bad for a luxury make and the 7X (which arrived post-brand-launch last year) has been a real success story.
“In a very short space of time we have exceeded expectation,’ says Jones. “The 7X is now outperforming all of the German premium cars in its space, outselling Audi Q5, Mercedes-Benz GLC and BMW X3 – and it’s only available as an electric car.”
The brand is forecasting 1500 sales overall in NZ for 2027.
“There’s an undercurrent of people who know Zeekr, and it just takes time to build on that in NZ in terms of where Zeekr positions and how it’s different to a lot of the other Chinese brands,” says Jones.
“It’s obviously a more elevated premium car, and I think that’s changing the mindset and how people perceive it.”
