Why should we raise red flags in Munich and Stuttgart? Because this electric "shooting brake" offers, at half the price, what the European giants have forgotten in their bureaucratic slumber - audacity, passion and a technological pace that borders on absurdity.
Look, the thing is simple and at the same time painful for all of us who are grew up with posters of German cars on the walls. Zeekr 001 is not just another electric car from a thousand Chinese factories. It is proof that in the craft called the automotive industry, the Chinese are not just knocking on doors, they have just thrown them off their hinges. It is not necessarily about the car being perfect, but about demonstrating the speed of their progress. While European boards are still arguing about the shade of gray plastic, Zeekr offers something that looks like a mighty Audi RS6 , with a price starting at 55,000 euros – for the entry-level model. Yes, you read that right. Half price for (almost) the entire show.
When the “east” passes the “west” with 3.8 seconds to 100 km/h
Zeekr 001 is simply fantastic to look at. The headlights, reminiscent of tiger claws, and the powerful silhouette of the “full-size” station wagon make it clear that it is not joking. But the real fun begins when you step on the pedal. The top-of-the-range “Privilege” version with all-wheel drive takes you to 100 km/h fired in brutal 3.8 secondsYour brain may take a moment to catch up with your body, while you wonder how a 5-meter giant can so confidently defeat physics. The joy ends at 200 km/h but the car wants more. Oh... all this makes it possible 400 kW (544 PS) on all 4 wheels. Otherwise less than in "Zeekr 7x“.
Despite 22-inch rims , which are usually a prescription for a visit to the chiropractor, the air suspension does its job surprisingly well. The car adapts to the surface, although in sport mode it becomes quite stiff and lets you know what the texture of the asphalt is underneath you. The car is also very interestingly manageable, sporty and here better than Zeekr 7x, an SUV of the same brand that I tested a week ago. (link)
Interiors: Where microfiber is the new religion
If you enter the Zeekr 001, you might think you've stepped into a high-fashion racing simulator. There's microfiber everywhere—on the seats, the dashboard, even the sunshades and the head-up display housing. Why? Because it's lighter than leather, reduces reflections, and, let's face it, looks premium.
We also have to praise the Yamaha 12-speaker sound system that provides a soundscape, and the seats, which are so comfortable that you could easily spend an afternoon nap in them. But not all that glitters is gold (or is covered in Alcantara). The steering wheel has those annoying capacitive surfaces instead of real buttons – black boxes where you press something and hope for the best. Innovation? Maybe. Useful? That's debatable.
Achilles' heel: The technological "middle ages" of cameras
Let's be honest and cosmopolitan. The Zeekr 001 is essentially a three-year-old model, which in the wild pace of electric vehicles is considered "middle ages". This is most noticeable when it comes to charging. While its younger brother, Zeekr 7X SUV, already uses 800-volt architecture and charges like lightning , must 001 to meet with 400-volt system. Still solid (10 to 80 % in less than 30 minutes), but in a world where minutes count, that's something to be aware of. I was also bothered by the rather high test consumption and the regenerative braking error, which probably affected the consumption itself.
The infotainment system is also not on the level of its younger brother, the 7X, which has upgraded its software and cameras to Tesla levels. The cameras here are bad, much worse – this is noticeable at night when parking, when the resolution becomes really bad. The Germans would say: “Das ist nicht akzeptabel.”
I forgot to mention that it can still charge at home with 22 kWh, which should be standard, since you can charge it during a slightly longer shopping trip at the mall.
Where is the "mafia" hiding and where is common sense?
We like to rely on tradition here, but Zeekr is setting us up for a mirror. For a price that would barely get you a well-equipped entry-level model in the German “holy trinity”, here you get a technological ship with a 100-kWh battery and a real-world range of around 460 kilometers. Yes, the software sometimes lags behind and the front trunk (frunk) is only useful for storing a charging cable or maybe a sandwich, but the package as a whole is impressive. The trunk is practical and large for this shape of car – it measures 539 liters. Since it is a kind of “grand coupe”, the rear is quite useful.
From “promising” to “perfect” in one breath: proof of how quickly the Chinese learn
If you look at the Zeekr 001 and see only the car, you are missing the point. This car is actually a time machine that shows us how incredibly fast the Chinese learn. When the 001 hit the roads, it had its “childhood diseases” – the software was capricious, certain systems worked as if they were in beta. With European manufacturers, you would have to wait seven years for fixes, until the next generation of the model. With Zeekr? With Zeekr, it took only three years to not only understand the lesson, but to completely master it.
The best proof of this is not 001 itself, but its younger, technologically superior brother – Zeekr 7X SUVIf the 001 was an experiment, the 7X is a PhD. This is a car that I dare to say something about that I haven't said about any other vehicle: it is a practically perfect electric SUV.
That's what should worry the competition. Not that the Zeekr 001 is a good car. But the fact that a brand new company that didn't even exist five years ago is able to analyze its mistakes, rewrite its solutions, and launch a product that works as if it's been honed for decades in just three years. While Europe is honing its doorknobs, the Chinese are rewriting the definition of automotive evolution. The Zeekr 001 was a warning. Zeekr 7X is proof.
Verdict: Europe, wake up!
Zeekr 001 is proof that it is possible to make a top-notch product with an exceptional price-quality ratio. It may be just an “average” electric car in certain segments, but as a whole it represents a threat that the old continent has not yet been able to neutralize.
If you are 40 years old today, get ready for the fact that in ten years we will no longer be talking about "German engineering" if our manufacturers don't get moving. Zeekr 001 it's not perfect, but for 55,000 to 70,000 euros it offers the style, speed and comfort that should concern every CEO in Wolfsburg.
