by Brad Anderson
- The large SUV delivers 1,381hp from a turbo-four and three electric motors.
- It comes with the largest battery ever fitted to a production plug-in hybrid model.
- The 900-volt tech means the battery can be charged from 20-80% in 9 minutes.
Update: Zeekr has officially launched its new flagship SUV in China at a starting price that came in far lower than expected, even by Chinese standards. With styling that could be mistaken for the lovechild of a Rolls-Royce Cullinan and a Range Rover, the full-size plug-in hybrid opens at 465,900 yuan (about $64,000) for the entry-level Max variant, which comes with all-wheel drive and a dual-motor setup producing 885 hp. Early buyers get an extra 10,000 yuan off across all trims, lowering the starting figure to 455,900 yuan (around $62,600).
More: Dreame’s Cullinan SUV Clone Might Be Rolls-Royce’s Worst Nightmare
For a little perspective, that’s roughly what you would pay in the United States for a mid-level Lincoln Nautilus, which, fittingly enough, is also built in China and exported.
Climbing the trim ladder, the Ultra retains the dual-motor powertrain but adds second-row captain’s chairs at 485,900 yuan (roughly $66,700). The Hyper raises the stakes with a tri-motor system producing 1,381 hp, plus further luxury upgrades, for 559,900 yuan (around $76,900). Sitting at the top is the Black Edition, which uses the same high-output powertrain while layering on even more opulence, priced from 599,900 yuan (about $82,300).
Demand appears strong out of the gate: Zeekr reported 10,000 pre-orders within the first 13 minutes of launch and more than 40,000 within the first hour. Customer deliveries in China are scheduled to begin by November.
Original story continues below.
Zeekr offered a first glimpse of its all-new luxury SUV, the 9X, earlier this year at the Shanghai Auto Show. Although the debut included several images of the full-size premium model, details were kept to a minimum. The official specifications for the new flagship Zeekr are now available, and as has become common with recent launches from China, they leave many Western competitors looking dated by comparison.
The 9X marks Zeekr’s first step into plug-in hybrids, having previously sold only fully electric models. Power comes from a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 275 hp, paired with either two or three electric motors depending on the trim. In dual-motor form, the system delivers a combined 885 hp, while the tri-motor setup pushes output to an extraordinary 1,381 hp (1,030 kW), numbers rarely seen in an SUV.
Read: Zeekr 9X Is A Rolls Royce Cullinan Clone For The Price Of A BMW X5
With figures this extreme, Zeekr says the 9X can sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 3.9 seconds with the dual-motor setup, and an even more staggering 3.1 seconds with the tri-motor version, which also reaches a top speed of 240 km/h (149 mph). Impressive as those numbers are, performance is only one part of the story
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Data from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology confirms that buyers will be able to choose between 55 kWh and 70 kWh battery packs. The larger option is currently the biggest battery offered in any plug-in hybrid, enabling up to 302 km (187 miles) of electric-only range. A 900-volt electrical system allows for rapid charging from 20 to 80 percent in just nine minutes, further setting it apart from most competitors on the market.
Measuring 5,239 mm (206.2 inches) long, 2,029 mm (79.8 inches) wide, and 1,819 mm (71.6 inches) tall, with a wheelbase of 3,169 mm (124.7 inches), the 9X is a substantial presence.
Zeekr has released an animated interior preview showing a 2+2+2 seating layout. Highlights include a digital instrument cluster, a large central infotainment screen, and a fold-down entertainment display for rear passengers.
When it comes to intelligent driving, the Zeekr 9X debuts the Qianli Haohan H9 system, also known as G-Pilot H9. This setup combines five LiDAR sensors, including one long-range unit and four dedicated to blind-spot monitoring and full surround coverage, with dual Nvidia Drive Thor-U chips.
