If you've not yet been tempted to buy an electric car, allow me to introduce you to the make and model that might just change your mind.
The Zeekr X is the newest car in Australia from the Geely Group. It's the company behind brands like Volvo, Polestar and Lotus. Zeekr is one of the more recent additions to the group, a Chinese-born, tech-led brand that is redefining the luxury driving experience.
Australians spend an atypically long time in their cars compared to the rest of the world. We have one of the highest rates of car ownership per capita and our commute times are lengthy, thanks to the urban sprawl of our cities. It means that our cars have to be more than just a way to get from A to B. They need to be comfortable, spacious and built to function in daily city commutes, but also during weekend trips to the beach. They're more than a chassis on four wheels: they're an extension of your wardrobe, your office desk, and even your whole home.
This new generation of cars entering the market in Australia understands this ethos, and uses it to inform many of the designs and features. But providing a truly luxurious and comfortable driving experience is a tall order, and not every brand is able to deliver on its promises. It's one of the reasons why electric car adoption has historically been so low in the Australian market.
But the tide is turning, and it's brands like Zeekr that are causing Australians to double-take.
Certainly, after sitting in the driver's seat of a new Zeekr X, it is hard to return to most other cars. This fully-electric, compact SUV is quiet as a whisper, and built for journeys – not trips.
Heated seats are an option in most cars these days (even if you do have to pay a subscription fee in some instances). But seat cooling? Many of the cars we know and love have been designed around the cool or mild climates of Europe, and offer heating only. The Zeekr X, on the other hand, knows the Australian climate and wants to keep your temperature regulated, even during our hot summers. There's a massage seat option and fully adjustable lumbar support too, because our drives are long enough that we deserve it.
One solo, 14.6-inch touchscreen controls all the options in the car, but you can do it all through voice control too. Everything from asking the car to start your navigation to asking it to turn on the steering wheel heating. It means you can keep your eyes firmly on the road without compromising your comfort or drive-style.
The Yamaha surround sound system is crisp and clear, and the ambient lighting on the dashboard actually syncs and changes to whatever music you're playing. It's a small feature that makes your drive that little bit more fun. It's a similar whimsical sentiment as the smiley face that greets you on the car exterior when you unlock it. Wholly unnecessary, but an extra touch that exists just to make you feel welcome.
Have you used your car to nap? I undoubtedly have, and perhaps its not as unique an experience as I thought given the Zeekr X comes with Rest Mode. When you've gone from a busy day at the office straight to dinner, but have arrived 15-minutes early, it's the perfect instance to activate Rest Mode. The cockpit light adjusts and the sounds do too, all to create an environment that allows you to relax or take a quick cat nap.
Safety is paramount with automatic driver fatigue detection that can tell you if your eyes are wandering. Moreover, it watches for you yawning and suggests when it's time for a coffee-stop. The panoramic cameras give a 360-degree view to help navigate parking and tight spots. And of course, collision warning, emergency braking and blind-spot monitoring come standard.
If you're curious about the design and why the language seems so similar to the refinement of Volvo, it's because both brands have design teams based in Gothenburg, Sweden. Aesthetic cousins with their own unique identities. Where Volvo is quiet luxury, Zeekr is tech-led sophistication. Sleek lines, frameless doors, a panoramic sunroof and refined colour palettes.
It's fast too, going from 0 to 100km in just 3.8 seconds. It's noticeably zippy, a car that can pull out the power if and when you need it. It has up to 446 km of range and if you can find the right charger, it only takes 30 minutes to charge from 10 per cent to 80 per cent. The list of features longer than I can feasibly fit into one article; the augmented reality head-up display, dual colour reading lights, wireless phone charging, adaptive cruise control... Truly, it's hard to find a new car feature that the Zeekr X doesn't have.
In 2019, there were just 9,200 EVs sold in Australia, but just four years later in 2023, the number was more than 10 times that at 98,000. But with this new generation of cars, ones that give you every luxury and comfort for a rather surprising price tag, adoption rates of electric cars are set to skyrocket. With a the Zeekr X RWD priced at $49,900 and the AWD at $62,00, it's hard to see how new car purchasers could ever be tempted back to a petrol engine.
