Zeekr launched the Zeekr Mix five-seater, its new foray into uncharted waters after its first model, the Zeekr 001 shooting brake.

Zeekr (NYSE: ZK) launched its new model, the Zeekr Mix, on October 23, another foray into uncharted waters for the Geely Holding Group's premium electric vehicle (EV) subsidiary after its first model, the Zeekr 001 shooting brake.

The company refers to the Zeekr Mix as a family-oriented five-seater, rather than explicitly defining it as an SUV (sport utility vehicle) or MPV (multi-purpose vehicle), unlike industry practice.

Essentially, the Zeekr Mix has the look of a typical MPV, or minivan, and is therefore often referred to as an MPV in the Chinese media.

Zeekr management said in a communication with media including CnEVPost after the Zeekr Mix's launch in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, that they avoided calling the model an MPV because regular MPVs are six- or seven-seaters.

At the same time, the Zeekr Mix has ground clearance and a driving experience comparable to an SUV, its management said.

The model has almost all the core features of an SUV, albeit in a different shape, and costs 2.8 times as much to develop as a mid-to-large size SUV, the company said in the communication.

“This vehicle is extremely creative. We are the first to break the industry practice, and more industry-leading products will emerge from China's automotive industry in the future,” Zeekr vice president Lin Jinwen told reporters.

The Zeekr Mix is the sister model of the driverless vehicle Zeekr is building for US autonomous driving technology company Waymo, a partnership the companies announced in late 2021.

The robotaxi built by Zeekr for Waymo has been shipped to the US in small batches and is undergoing road testing, according to Andy An, CEO of the Chinese EV maker.

The Zeekr Mix is yet another exploration of uncharted waters for Zeekr, similar to its first model, the Zeekr 001, a shooting brake model launched in 2021 that was the first of its kind among local Chinese carmakers at the time.

The unexpected success of the Zeekr 001 led several other EV makers to subsequently launch similar models.

The Zeekr Mix is based on the SEA-M architecture -- a derivative of Geely's Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) -- and is the first model to be built on the new platform.

Geely began developing the SEA-M architecture five years ago in a bid to explore more about the future of mobility, An said.

The Zeekr Mix measures 4,688 mm in length, 1,995 mm in width and 1,755 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 3,008 mm.

Zeekr management said that the aim of the model is to offer as much interior space as possible in as small an overall size as possible.

The Zeekr Mix is offered in two variants and they have the same specifications except for different battery capacities.

The starting price for the variant with a 76-kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack is RMB 279,900 ($39,280), while the other long-range version with a nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) ternary battery pack with a capacity of 102 kWh starts at RMB 299,900.

The 76-kWh pack is the second generation of Zeekr's in-house developed Golden Battery, capable of charging from 10 percent to 80 percent in 10.5 minutes, which Zeekr said is the fastest in the world. The pack provides a CLTC range of 550 kilometers.

The 102-kWh pack is the Qilin Battery from battery giant CATL, which can charge from 10 percent to 80 percent in 15 minutes and can provide a CLTC range of 702 kilometers.

The Zeekr Mix comes standard with a single electric motor with 310 kW of peak power and 440 Nm of peak torque, and can accelerate from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in 6.8 seconds.

One of the main selling points of the model is that its front seats can swivel, thus allowing passengers to sit face-to-face in parked mode.

The front seats cost three times as much to develop as conventional seats, the Zeekr management told reporters.

The swivel seats allow the Zeekr Mix to be used in more scenarios, such as being able to swivel to a door-facing position, thus facilitating activities including fishing.

Customers who order the model before November 30 will receive benefits worth up to RMB 43,200, including RMB 35,000 worth of free access to ZAD (Zeekr Assisted Drive) driver assistance features.

Zeekr saw the first production vehicles of the Zeekr Mix roll off the assembly line on October 21, and deliveries of these vehicles will begin on Thursday.

The expected delivery cycle for customized vehicles of the model is currently 3-6 weeks, the Zeekr App's information shows.

($1 = RMB 7.1259)

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