This isn’t your typical Chrysler Pacifica, that’s for sure.
‘Zeekr’ may not be a household name, but parent company Geely has a mission to shake things up with this luxury electric minivan. It formed the brand as a separate premium marque to Volvo, and the Chinese auto giant has ambitions to expand the name beyond its homeland. That said, it’s highly unlikely you’ll see this Zeekr 009 rolling through the school dropoff line anytime soon.
Just on its looks alone, though, we have to talk about it — even if it’s not bound for the States. This electric-only van not only brings, well, let’s say “distinctive” styling, but it’s also packing a 140-kWh battery pack. That’s really not insanely far off that of a GMC Hummer EV truck, and it gives the Zeekr a (claimed) range of 511 miles. There’s a smaller battery pack available, but with a relatively small 0.27 drag coefficient, either option should be pretty efficient on paper.
The Zeekr 009 packs a dual-motor setup, and that 536-horsepower drivetrain allows it to sprint from 0-60 in around 4.5 seconds. That pretty much blows any “conventional” minivan into the weeds, unless we see any of the existing pack go all-electric in the near future. Not only can it accelerate, but this van is packing a double wishbone suspension setup in front, and a multilink setup in the rear. Naturally, being a luxury model, Chinese customers can get it with a “high performance” air suspension package.
The interior of the Zeekr 009 is what really matters, though
Unlike your conventional minivan, Zeekr isn’t particularly bothered about packing as many passengers in as possible here. You still get three rows by default, but in a 2+2+2 configuration for six occupants. Or, if someone wants their Zeekr 009 to be a road-going business jet, you can get it in a 2+2 executive layout.
Of course, this being a modern EV and practical vehicle, you get plenty of technological goodies in the Zeekr 009 as well. You get “spa-level” massaging facilities with those second-row seats, as well as a 15.6-inch flip-down rear screen and a 20-speaker Yamaha audio system.
For the time being, Zeekr only plans to sell the 009 in China. Pricing for the larger battery pack rings in at ¥588,000, or around $80,660 at present. The smaller pack drops the price by about $12,000.
Still…we can at least get our family haulers with a supercharged 6.2-liter V8. So that’s something.
