Zeekr’s drip-feed of information on its upcoming Tesla Model Y rival has continued, with the Chinese brand confirming its name and providing more details.
The electric SUV was codenamed CX1e, but in a post on Chinese social media site Weibo Zeekr has confirmed it’ll be called 7X.
Zeekr confirmed in June the new SUV would launch in China within the next three months.
It’s set to be a five-seater utilising Geely’s SEA 1 architecture, which currently underpins the brand’s mid-sized 007 sedan. Highlights include double wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension.
Previous teasers and spy photos have revealed the 7X has flush-fitting door handles and low-set headlights, while the bump above the front window could represent a LiDAR sensor to help power its suite of active safety and driver assist technology.
Zeekr has confirmed the 7X measures in at 4825mm long, 1930mm wide, and 1656mm, and sits atop a 2925mm wheelbase.
That makes is marginally larger than the Model Y in all areas, and it’s expected to be Zeekr’s second-largest model behind the 009 people mover.
Car News China reports the 7X will utilise Geely’s 75kWh ‘Golden Brick’ lithium iron phosphate battery, along with an 800V electrical system allowing it to add 500km worth of charge in 15 minutes.
The outlet says more expensive variants will be offered with a 100kWh ternary lithium battery, with both battery options carried over from the related 007.
Based on the 007, there should be an entry-level single-motor rear-wheel drive variant producing 310kW, and a more expensive dual-motor all-wheel drive variant with 475kW of power.
Car News China expects the 7X to enter the Chinese market this year with a price range of 240,000 to 350,000 yuan, which equates to between A$48,000 and A$72,000.
When it launches, the 7X will join the 001 liftback, 007 sedan, 009 people mover, and X crossover in Zeekr’s lineup. An electric people mover aimed at taking on the Volkswagen ID. Buzz is also on the way, which will be called the Mix and could be a version of a Waymo robotaxi for private buyers in Europe and China.
The Shanghai-based brand has previously confirmed an Australian launch before the end of 2024, with the 009 and X the first two vehicles confirmed for our market.
Examples of the latter have already arrived in Australia, and customer deliveries are expected to start in late 2024 or early 2025.
The company has said not every market it sells vehicles in will receive every vehicle it makes.
“There are markets where we are only bringing two products, there are markets where we are planning to bring five products,” Javier Garcia-Gallardo, head of Zeekr design in Shanghai, told CarExpert in June.
“We start a product in China until we are confident about the reliability, do all the process of homologation and legislation for exporting this product, and then we see the needs of every market and we adapt the product to export globally,” he added.
Zeekr was founded in 2021 as another brand under the Geely umbrella, and is a sister brand to Polestar and Volvo.