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Zeekr, Geely’s premium EV unit, set to take on BMW, Mercedes in China’s SUV segment

Zeekr will unveil the 9X Grand hybrid SUV next month and price it at the 1 million yuan (US$137,840) level

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Zeekr, Chinese carmaker Geely’s premium EV brand, will launch a luxury SUV priced at 1 million yuan. Photo: Reuters
Daniel Renin Shanghai
Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker Zeekr Intelligent Technology will unveil a luxury model next month, targeted at luring wealthy consumers away from premium foreign brands such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW.
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The Hangzhou-based unit of Geely Auto, mainland China’s second-largest carmaker by sales, said on Monday that the Zeekr 9X Grand SUV would be priced at about 1 million yuan (US$137,840).

Further details about the plug-in hybrid model, Zeekr’s first since its formation four years ago, will be revealed at the time of the launch. The 9X Grand is the super-luxury edition of the 9X series, with other variants also making their debut next month.

“It will have an engine, but the driving performance is much better than plug-in hybrid EVs,” Zeekr said, adding that deliveries will start in the third quarter this year.

Zeekr will take on BYD, Nio and Xiaomi that also offer luxury EVs on the mainland, where petrol cars sold by the likes of BMW and Mercedes-Benz are fast losing their lustre in the world’s largest automotive market.
The Zeekr 9X Grand SUV. Photo: Handout
The Zeekr 9X Grand SUV. Photo: Handout

At present, most EVs in China are priced below 300,000 yuan and have largely replaced internal-combustion engine cars due to their high-performance batteries, preliminary self-driving technologies and digital cockpits.

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