2024 will be remembered as the year that the Chinese well and truly infiltrated the car market in Singapore. We've seen no less than six different Chinese car brands make their debut here this year alone, and there appears to be no signs of stopping, with more brands set to arrive in the coming months.
Many of them will likely compete in the lower-end mainstream segment, as that is probably where the brands can quickly gain market share with competitive pricing and establish a foothold here. However, a number of brands are aiming at the premium segment, and one of them is Zeekr.
Who is Zeekr?
The general gist of the Zeekr story is that it is an electric vehicle (EV) brand created by Chinese car-making conglomerate Geely in 2021, making it quite a young company compared to some of the more established names on the market.
In China, it is extremely common for large carmakers to have multiple brands to compete in different segments in the market. Most of these brands are sold primarily in the Chinese domestic market, but what sets Geely apart from the rest is that they have grown to become a massive multinational industry player, and they now have substantial stakes in a number of major foreign automotive brands.
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Geely's portfolio of foreign brands under its stable span the gamut from Sweden's Volvo, Lotus from the United Kingdom, and even Malaysia's Proton. They also have joint-venture programmes with Mercedes-Benz to develop the Smart brand, as well as a three-way partnership with Renault and Samsung (yes, that Samsung) to collaborate and produce cars for South Korea.
Zeekr, though, is 100 per cent Chinese, and wholly owned by Geely. However, you can see the foreign influence, in terms of the shared platforms and technology with other Geely-controlled brands like Volvo and Smart. It could offer an added sense of assurance perhaps, knowing that what goes into Zeekr is mostly the same as what is used in established European brands as well.
What's the first car from Zeekr to be sold in Singapore?
Just three years after its establishment, Zeekr has now made its way to Singapore. The brand has actually developed quite an interesting and varied model line-up back in China in its short existence, but over here, it has decided to start off with something conservative and tested, in the form of the Zeekr X compact crossover electric SUV.
There are probably many good reasons why Zeekr chose the X as its debut car for Singapore, but part of it could perhaps be down to the fact that it shares its platform (known as Sustainable Experience Architecture 2, or SEA 2) with two other cars from the Geely family, the Smart #1 and the Volvo EX30. All three models were launched here this year, and it makes for an easy comparison for consumers to make as to which interpretation of the platform is to their liking.
In any case, Zeekr positions the X as the more premium and upmarket offering of the trio, in contrast with the Smart which is aimed at the more youthful crowd, while the Volvo is targeted at those who want something that's more minimalist and European in design.
To that end, the Zeekr X features styling that, while generally clean and conservative, contains a few flourishes that make it stand out. The flush door handles retract into the body when the car is unlocked, and the dramatically rising window line midway through the rear door is an interesting touch, although it does create an awkward blind spot for the driver.
The interior is slightly more interesting though. Like many new EVs these days, the dashboard of the Zeekr X is dominated by a large infotainment touchscreen, and barely any physical controls. Annoying perhaps for those who prefer a more tactile experience, but the Zeekr makes up for it by having one of the most intuitive and responsive voice assistants you'll find anywhere.
Other delightful highlights include the 13-speaker sound system from Yamaha, which delivers spectacular audio quality. There's also an actual refrigerator between the two front seats, which is cold enough to store ice cream, and can be transformed into a hot box to keep your dabao food warm back from the hawker centre.
Finally, just for giggles, the Zeekr X has an external speaker where you can play animal sounds or pre-recorded messages at people outside the car. It does give off very juvenile and childish Tesla vibes, but I guess having the occasional fun and games in your car won't really hurt anybody.
How does the Zeekr X drive?
Quite well actually. The model tested here is the entry-level rear-wheel-drive Standard version, and it features a single electric motor driving the rear wheels, producing 200kW/268hp and 343Nm of torque. Those are fairly generous figures, and as a result, the car makes light work of acceleration, going from 0-100km/h in a brisk 5.6 seconds.
The general demeanour of the Zeekr X is one of calmness. The car feels refined and comfortable at speed, and the ride quality is extremely well-damped over most surfaces. Sound insulation is excellent too, and the car is very quiet while on the move.
Handling can mostly be described as fine. The car takes on corners well, with a sense of poise and neutrality, but it is not meant to be driven hard. There is some body roll, and the steering feels rather artificial, but it's not something to be bothered by in everyday driving.
One thing that has to be noted, and something that has also been commonly observed by other testers, is that the Zeekr's driving assistance systems tend to be overly intrusive. The fatigue detection system in particular seems to be extremely eager to let you know when you're tired (aren't we all tired?), but in my experience this issue appears to be consistent across all the SEA 2 platform cars, which have the same sort of assistance systems in place.
Is the Zeekr X worth considering?
There are no shortage of compact crossover electric SUVs in the market that are similar to the Zeekr X, with two of them even coming from the same family and sharing the same genes. But the Zeekr X does stand out with its unique and interesting features that set it apart from everyone else.
Its biggest selling point though is probably its price tag. As of October 2024, the Zeekr X Standard RWD retails for $219,999 inclusive of COE. This puts it almost on par with its cousin the Smart #1 Pro+ ($220,000 with COE), but significantly undercuts the Volvo EX30 ($247,000 with COE).
That said, all three have very different characters, and the Zeekr X is probably most ideal for those who seek a premium experience at great value. If anything, the Zeekr is the strongest sign yet that Chinese carmakers are fast becoming a serious force to be reckoned with in the ultra-competitive Singaporean car market.
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