- Geely’s Zeekr brand has teased its 9X Grand flagship full-size SUV.
- The Grand takes on Britain’s Range Rover and will cost around $138k.
- Zeekr will reveal the 9X Grand at the Shanghai Auto Show in April.
Since its debut in 2021, Geely-owned Zeekr has exclusively built and sold electric cars. But now it’s adding plug-in hybrid power to its portfolio with the launch of the 9X Grand.
A flagship SUV that should cost around ¥1 million ($138,000) when it goes on sale in China this fall, the 9X Grand makes its official debut at the Shanghai Auto Show in April. But with a few weeks still to go before that reveal, Zeekr has teased the Range Rover rival with some images and a video taken during winter tests.
Related: Zeekr 009 Grand Is The Rolls-Royce Of Minivans
We don’t yet know the exact dimensions for the 9X, but you can tell just by looking at the images that’s a beast, a proper full-size, square-jawed SUV that’ll terrify any driver who suddenly finds one in his rear-view mirror.
The images show a body shape that seems to take inspiration from luxury SUVs like the Range Rover and Rolls Royce Cullinan. Flush door handles keep the sides looking clean and the nose features double-deck headlights and a grille we think will have plenty in common with the chrome-laden one on Zeekr’s 009 minivan.
Judging from the length and width, the 9X Grand – and an even bigger version of the 9X – will give passengers plenty of room to kick back, but will struggle to fit into regular parking spaces. But a Lidar sensor above the windshield suggests the SUV will have plenty of driver-assistance tech to help with squeezing it into bays as well as making freeway drives less demanding.
Zeekr’s expertise is in the EV field but it recently merged with Lynk&Co, a brand with PHEV know-how. How the 9X’s plug-in system will be configured isn’t yet known, but a high-output petrol engine and at least a couple of electric motors seems likely. We’re expecting a sub-4second zero to 60 mph (97 km/h) time and at least 60 miles of pure electric range.
Do you think Western luxury brands ought to be worried about China stepping into the high-end SUV market, or are icons like the Range Rover safe? Leave a comment and let us know.
