The Zeekr brand, like many other Chinese car brands, has appeared on the electric car market in recent years. What perhaps distinguishes Zeekr from other Chinese car brands is that it actually has a relationship with Gothenburg, which is also my home town. This is because of the Chinese Geely group, which also owns Volvo. It's Zeekr's research and development centre, which is in Gothenburg. However, the cars are built in China but designed in Gothenburg. 

Zeekr has two models, X and 001. In this article, I will help those of you who are curious about the model 001 what my impressions of it were during the week I had it for loan and test. When I go to pick up the press car, I get to do it in the new flagship store in Stockholm. In the entrance to Gallerian in the city centre, they have opened the rather large store. Just like the store, my first impression when I pick up the car is that it is quite large and spacious. The X model is smaller than the 001 and is based on the Volvo EX30 sibling. But even the Zeekr 001 is actually also built on the same platform as the X and EX30, although you wouldn't think so. If you want to describe the shape of the Zeekr 001 to someone who hasn't seen it, the best way to do it is to say that it's a suv coupé that's been pushed together at the top. 

The Zeekr 001 offers plenty of space, especially in the back seat which is really spacious. Something that Chinese seem to like even though the average length of Chinese is shorter than us Europeans. A feature that Zeekr 001 has that was also in the pure luxury sedan BMW i7 which I have written about here before. That feature is that from the back seat you can slide the front passenger seat forward. So the best place as a passenger in the Zeekr 001 is definitely the right rear seat. In addition, both rear seats have electrically adjustable backrests. These are features that, as mentioned earlier, are found in more purely luxury cars. But a small negative thing despite the fact that it may sound like the space in the back and the luxury features is that if you are over 190 you still do not sit very well. Unfortunately, this is because the floor is relatively high due to the battery being underneath. In the front seat, however, you sit really well. 

The design is one thing I think they have succeeded with. It is stripped down and calm with good material choices. The lack of physical buttons can be seen as both positive and negative. Sometimes it's nice not to have to look at a screen and see where you press to access a function. While we're on the subject of functions, the press car I borrowed unfortunately suffered from some teething problems. Something I assume a car you buy should not have. When it worked, however, the MMI system was both fast and relatively easy to navigate. 

The exterior of the Zeekr 001 also has a neat and clean design that I like. The test car I borrowed was painted in grey with a black roof. But I have seen pictures of white cars with a black roof. If I had bought a Zeekr 001, that would have been the colour combination I would have chosen. Zeekr 001 rolls on substantial 21-inch rims which looks really good but requires a little extra attention from the driver as they are scratched very easily. 

Driving the Zeekr 001 is really comfortable. It is something I certainly consider most new electric cars to be. Even the small electric cars that do not fall into this class like the Zeekr 001. Zeekr 001 can still be seen as very luxurious compared to many other cars. But the fact that the car is electrically powered makes it both incredibly quiet and powerful. If you were trying to find a petrol-powered car with the same luxury and format as the Zeekr 001 and which would also be able to sprint from 0 to 100 kilometres per hour in 3.8 seconds. Well, then you'll have to look at real performance cars that are not as quiet as the Zeekr 001 but would also cost a lot more than the Zeekr 001. 

The Zeekr 001 comes in three equipment levels. The base model Long Range offers, Performance and Privilege. The version I borrowed was a Privilege. The Long Range has rear-wheel drive, 272 horsepower and a range of 620 kilometres. You pay SEK 677,000 for the Long Range. Add SEK 30,000 and you get a Performance. If you add another SEK 50,000, i.e. SEK 80,000 more than a Long Range, you get a Privilege. It was a Privilege that I drove, tested and have written about here. Both the Performance and Privilege are four-wheel drive and have 544 horsepower and a range of 590 kilometres. What distinguishes the Performance from the Privilege is that the Privilege is equipped with air suspension. All models have the same 100 kWh battery and are fast-charged with 200 kW of power. 

In addition to being a motoring journalist and photographer, I am also a music nerd and disc jockey and I like to enjoy music in the car. Not at extremely high volume but with good sound. Zeekr 001 was equipped with what for me was new and that I had not seen in any car before. Speakers from the stereo brand Yamaha. Unfortunately, as I wrote earlier, this particular test car suffered from some teething problems so the bass was unfortunately out of order and easily very bad. However, I am absolutely convinced that there would have been a really good sound in the Zeekr 001 if the sound worked as it should. 

But my overall impression of Zeekr and Zeekr 001 is very good. For a new car brand to showcase two brand new cars from the start is very impressive to me. It will be interesting to see how far they can go and what Zeekr will show in the future. I promise to keep you updated here on carscollection.com when something new comes along. 

Zeekr 001 Privilege (2024)

Price: from 757 000 SEK

Engine: Electric motor front, rear, 544 horsepower, 686 newton metres

Transmission: 1-speed automatic, 4-wheel drive

Top speed: Limited to 200 km/h

0-100 km/h: 3.8 seconds

Electric range: 590 km

Battery size (gross): 100 kWh

Weight: 2 350 kg

Dimensions (length/width/height): 4955/1999/1548 mm