Zeekr 007: This $36,000 Tesla Model 3 competitor proves we're done
Geely's mid-size electric sports sedan charges quickly, is comfortable to drive, and feels great. Western automakers: That's what you're dealing with.
Even before the advent of mass-produced electric vehicles, some critics insisted that too many new cars looked and felt the same – especially from the same parent company. For them, all these modular platforms, like TGNA and MQB, are just producing the same cars over and over again; It's even worse with electric vehicles, because the battery, motor, and software don't make as many noticeable differences as the engine.
I think it's a bit exaggerated and too pessimistic. There are many things engineers can do to make a vehicle feel different, even if the vehicle itself has to share some common parts. That's what makes a good car company stand out.
Still, when I knew I was going to China to test drive almost all of Geely's new modular EV platform, I had reservations. I've driven a lot of Volvo and Polestar electric cars before. Am I willing to fly 6,000 miles just to drive the same car a dozen times?
Thankfully, this is not the case. Geely found a way to create a modular platform that was flexible enough to give a different feel to the end product across its many brands; The affordable, small-sized Smart #3 doesn't feel like the Panamera-inspired Zeekr 001. The Geely Galaxy E8, which is priced at the same price as the Honda Accord, is completely different from the ultra-luxurious Lotus Eletre. But when it came to test-driving Geely's range of EV and PHEV models that perform well overall, one stood out as the absolute best: the Zeekr 007.
I would say that if it had a foreign brand or was widely sold outside of Chinese mainland, it could become the car of the year for some publications. I don't just say that; It is indeed a good car with a cleverly designed platform. This bodes well from Geely's partnerships with brands like Volvo, Smart, Polestar, and more that we'll see next.
What exactly is Zeekr?
Zeekr is a lower brand in the Geely family than Polestar, but both brands claim to be Sino-Swiss brands, with much of their design and engineering work done in Gothenburg, Sweden. There is also a third brand, Lynk & Co, which is also a premium brand that claims its origins in China and Switzerland; What the hell is going on?
Geely says Zeekr aims to catch up with brands like Audi and Acura (which has defunct operations in China), while Polestar is targeting Porsche. It's unclear if these three brands really have room to grow, as even under Geely, there are winners and losers. Zeekr sells twice as many sales globally as Polestar, and its share price has remained fairly stable since its recent IPO in May. It also performs well there. In contrast, Polestar is trying to avoid being delisted from the New York Stock Exchange.
Still, these things may not matter to the end consumer, who may not be an investor. Both the Zeekr 007 and the Polestar 2 are competitors to the Tesla Model 3, but in essence, the Zeekr feels more like a direct competitor than a hatchback crossover like the Polestar 2. The Zeekr 007 is a four-door, five-seater sedan without the frame of a crossover, and the pricing is directly comparable to the Model 3.
On the ground floor, the Zeekr 007 features a variant of Geely's SEA (Sustainable Experience Architecture) platform – a hyper-modular platform that Geely hopes will apply to as many of its own brands as possible, including the Volvo EX30 and Polestar 4. Geely's engineers say there's a lot of wiggle room when it comes to modularizing SEA. It can be as advanced or as low budget as it needs to be. For example, the updated Zeekr 001, 009 (as well as the mechanical twin, the Volvo EM90 sold only in China) and the current 007 all use a large, cast, one-piece rear frame, which the brand claims reduces costs while increasing vehicle stiffness. Other variants, such as the Polestar 4 or Geely Galaxy E8, do not use this technology.
Due to tariffs on electric vehicles in China, the Zeekr brand cannot be sold in the United States, but will soon land in Mexico. I feel like Geely will try it if things change; All I can say is that this won't be the last time you'll hear about this company.
This car is so good-looking
And, wow, this car is so beautiful. The car is futuristic without being ostentatious or over-the-top. Zeekr 007's sleek lines and interesting surface transformations are stunning in metal. The side profile of the 007 is almost completely unhindered by any surface, and heck, Zeekr even chose to change all the buttons except for the topmost trim to electronic buttons, which adds to the sleek and sleek design. 007 has a highway presence, feeling low and wide, but not so much that it becomes an unrealistic caricature, too wide and compromising to ever be usable or accommodate real passengers.
In terms of size, the 007 is slightly larger than the Model 3. The 007 has an overall length of 191.5 inches, which is about 6 inches longer than the Tesla, in part due to the Zeekr's 2-inch longer wheelbase. The Zeekr is also about half an inch taller than the Model 3. Compared to the Polestar 2, the Zeekr 007 is about 10 inches longer, with 7 inches directly used for the car's wheelbase.
At the front of the car, a light bar stretches across the front of the vehicle. Dubbed the "Stardoor Panel", this LED strip is manufactured by Valeo and has 1,700 LEDs that enable custom patterns and information for driver settings. At the rear, the slender running lights sit on top of the clamshell boot, above the wave pattern embossed on the boot lid.
It's a good-looking car. It's kind of reminiscent of the Lucid Air, but with a shorter, sportier, and more cheerful body. The 4WD Performance Edition only enhances that: the active spoiler, ground effects kit and special wheels make the 007 look incredibly lightweight. Add to that the playful Kung Fu yellow paint and glossy black accents, and it's clear that Zeekr wants the 007 to be the electric incarnation of Bruce Lee and his iconic yellow jumpsuit.
But in terms of interior, the Zeekr 007 is a lot ahead of Tesla and its cousin, the Polestar.
Touch one of the electronic release rings on the B-pillar or C-pillar and step into the cab of the 007, and you'll feel the interior is both fresh and genuinely expensive.
The Polestar's design style is a bit too similar to that of the Volvo, resulting in a stiff and boxy interior atmosphere, while the interior of the 007 feels rounded, soft and luxurious. The 007 is like bouba, and the Polestar is kiki; The seats are soft, the dashboard is soft, and there are no sharp corners on the 007. Even the driver's display is round.
All the plastic used to touch is soft to the touch and expensive. Even the headlining, a place that most people don't even care too much about, is covered with a material similar to Alcantara. It's certainly better than what you'd see in any equivalent Tesla, Acura, or, dare I say, Audi. It even has Nappa leather seats.
Everything in the car feels so sweet. The sill panels are stamped with "Gothenburg-style" signs, so in a way, the Zeekr will follow the Scandinavian minimalist theme we've seen on Volvo and Polestar. However, Zeekr's design feels more gorgeous. Compared to the standard grey, white, and trimmed seat belts that we've seen on Volvo or Polestar, Zeekr's interior design choices are much more interesting.
The test car had a blue and white interior, with rose gold interior accents throughout. It's a miracle that we installed switches in the usual places on the doors; The 007 avoids the feeling of being too monotonous, as there are several switches (physical switches or touchscreen digital switches) that are always in the right place.
Of course, a lot of Chinese EVs do look impressive on paper. Even the sensation is convincing when touched. But when it comes to driving, some say that the driving experience doesn't necessarily keep up with the rest of the car.
The good news, though, is that this is not the case with Zeekr 007.
Zeekr 007 is exquisitely constructed
The Geely Driving Experience will take place at the Beijing Jingang Circuit, which is a narrower track that focuses on cornering ability rather than speed. The best time for this track belongs to the front-wheel drive WTCC race cars, not the lightning-fast rear-wheel drive supercars.
Geely let me run a few laps in the passenger seat with an international reporter on a half-slope to 2/3-degree incline. We test-drove more than a dozen of the latest models from all Geely brands (except Polestar and Volvo) – electric cars, plug-in hybrids and even a petrol-powered Lynk & Co 03 TCR sedan in a round-robin format. We each drove the car for a lap or two and then switched to the next one.
Maybe a lap or two will be enough for someone else to fully experience what it's like to drive, but not enough for me. I needed more time to drive the car, and I convinced the Geely staff to let me drive the 007 at full speed for three laps. Alone.
On the track, I quickly accelerated down the back straight of Goldenport to 120 mph, an effortless performance of 637 horsepower. Then I would slam on the brakes and drag the brakes around the corners, turning around the sharp turns at Turn 12. I would step on the gas, sprint through the 13th and 14th corners of Goldenport and circle back to the starting line.
The dynamics of the 007 are very smooth and will not be affected by any (modest) pitch corrections or chassis adjustments, as chassis adjustments are inevitable when driving a not-so-light luxury sedan on narrow and more technical tracks. The car feels organized, nimble, and approachable; The 007 has a lot of power and grip, but it never feels like a widowmaker or a boring video game.
It felt really fast, like the first time I drove the Lucid Air and fell in love with it. It was so fast that I had to slow down several times during my solo lead follow lap because I was too close to the pro rider driving the Zeekr 001 in front of me.
It was a delightful car and I was disappointed that I couldn't do a few more laps. The 007 inherits all the benefits of the 001 I drove in October, but adds a feature pack that feels even more responsive. The 001 is a bit of a low-chassis crossover that mimics a sedan, while the 007 is like the sporty premium sedan it aims at.
The model I drove was called "Smart Driving Edition 4WD", which is the most expensive model in China outside of the top-of-the-line 4WD performance version. The selling price is 259,900 RMB, which is $36,629 at the current USD exchange rate. In comparison, that's about $1,500 cheaper than the equivalent dual-motor, all-wheel-drive long-range Tesla Model 3 in China. Zeekr says the car has a range of 383 miles following the Chinese CLTC cycle.
Zeekr owners will get an 800V architecture, 75 kWh LFP battery that can reach a staggering 500 kW of peak power with a DC fast charger – which Zeekr says can add 310 miles of range in just 15 minutes. The battery powers a 637-horsepower electric motor, all supported by beautiful electromagnetic dampers. According to Zeekr, the acceleration time from zero to 100 km/h (from zero to 62 mph) is about 3.8 seconds.
Of course, every electric car is frighteningly fast, unless, for some reason, it's a regular version of the Chevrolet Blazer, Bolt, or Equinox. Zeekr 007 is no exception. Full throttle activation keeps all passengers snuggly behind their respective seats, just like any car with more than 600 free spaces at the driver's right foot. It's interesting, but it's not uncommon in the EV space, isn't it?
No, the proof of how good a car is really good or bad is how well it controls weight and power levels, and the 007 does a good job of this. Electric vehicles are generally heavier than their gas counterparts. It's not easy to create a chassis and suspension setup that can control all the weight without making the car feel clumsy or a bad driving experience, just ask the Chevrolet and its bumpy Blazer, or drive the surprisingly bulky BMW i7.
Even among the other Geely Group platform sibling models I drove that day, the 007 stood out. The updated 001 improved chassis and suspension and solved the problems with the car I drove in New York, but that car didn't feel as agile as the 007. The tail of the Smart #3 Brabus is fun, but the dynamics don't feel as refined as the 007. The Zeekr X is indeed comfortable to drive, but it feels like it's come at the expense of all handling. Hell, even the slightly relevant Lotus Eletre doesn't feel like its 905-horsepower handling is inferior to the 007.
Very strong competitors
Of course, the sparkling performance on the track is only one aspect of the overall ownership experience of the car. As far as I know, the maximum charging speed of 007 500kW is probably just a myth. Or, it could be a fully energy-hungry vehicle that simply can't live up to its 383-mile rating. Also, since all the infotainment settings are in Chinese, I don't know if Zeekr's system is good or bad, although I know that Nvidia provided the chipset for the system.
But from what I've seen and evaluated, Geely and Zeekr have built an amazing car. If any Western automaker had come up with a car that was so well thought out and so well addressed, the EV conversation would not revolve around brands desperately trying to find ways to sell metal or increase sales, but around which models would be the most popular. It's certainly better than any car of the year contender I've driven so far.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: if the non-Chinese automakers don't unite, they're really doomed. The Zeekr 007 is a top-notch model. Even if Zeekr adds more than $10,000 to the price of the 007, it will be a powerhouse in the U.S. compact EV luxury segment. It looks better than the Mercedes-Benz EQE. It has a much better interior than the Tesla Model 3. Heck, even under Geely, the Polestar China is more than $5,000 more, but the car is in worse condition; The Polestar 2 is neither as good nor as refined. This may indicate some sort of infighting in the Geely Group brand, but I digress.
Although Zeekr is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and even enters Mexico, the chances of Zeekr entering the U.S. are slim to none, in large part due to the Biden administration's new 100% tariffs on imported Chinese electric vehicles. But the Zeekr 007 undoubtedly proves that the SEA platform is undoubtedly a good foundation for Volvo, Polestar, and any other brand.
If all the Southeast Asian cars Geely plans to sell at its new plant in South Korea are so good, the rest of the industry would do well to be careful. for they have come to seek blood.