LEVC, the manufacturer of London's famous black cabs, has begun previewing the model, codenamed L380.

The model will be available in eight-seat and six-seat versions, with length, width and heights of 5,316 mm, 1,998 mm and 1,940 mm, respectively, and a wheelbase of 3,185 mm, according to the filing.

For comparison, Zeekr's 009 MPV has a length, width and height of 5,209 mm, 2,024 mm and 1,848 mm respectively and a wheelbase of 3,205 mm.

The L380 is powered by a single motor only, with a maximum power of 200 kw and supports a top speed of 170 kilometers per hour, according to the filing.

LEVC was founded in 1908. In 2006, Geely acquired a 20 percent stake in it and in 2013 it became wholly owned by the Chinese auto giant.

MPVs are a niche market in China, selling only one-tenth as many as traditional sedans or SUVs.

In October, China sold 933,454 sedans and 1,005,882 SUVs, contributing 45.94 percent and 49.51 percent of passenger car sales, respectively, according to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).

MPVs sold 92,473 units in October, contributing only 4.55 percent of passenger car sales.

But it's worth noting that the market's space is expected to be enlarged as more players join the market.

Xpeng (NYSE: XPEV) and Li Auto (NASDAQ: LI) both unveiled their respective MPV models at the Guangzhou auto show in November, and both have started pre-sales.

Nio (NYSE: NIO) will not launch an MPV model based on its current Nio Technology 2.0 (NT 2.0) platform, but has plans for an MPV model on the company's third-generation NT 3.0 platform, its management said last month.

Nio plans MPV model based on its 3rd-gen technology platform