by Lee Nian Tjoe

Glitches aside, the electric people mover is impressive and brimming with technology

The Zeekr 009 is among the quickest accelerating people movers in the world. It is also the most expensive Chinese electric vehicle (EV) on sale in Singapore today – $420,000 with certificate of entitlement (COE) – and is packed with technology.

The 009 scores a solid 10 in terms of road presence. The confident block-like design with a strong vertical theme makes it stand out from the crowd. The car manages to look taller than its 1,812mm height, which is actually 38mm shorter than the Toyota Alphard.

References to the Alphard are a must, given how Toyota popularised the idea of a luxurious people mover with the model, and it is still the benchmark for such cars.

The Zeekr automatically lowers itself when stationary. Besides easing access to the cabin, the car sitting so close to the ground also makes it look good and sets off the 19-inch alloy wheels nicely.

Being an EV, the Zeekr does not have a radiator grille, as there is no radiator to speak of. Instead, there are interesting vertical metallic strips running down the front of the car where a grille would be. Relatively restrained use of metallic trimmings on the car’s generous flanks helps the 009 project a more premium look.

It is remarkably fast with a 0-100kmh timing of 4.5 seconds, putting it on a par with the 4-litre Porsche 718 Cayman GTS, which is not a particularly relevant attribute to have for a large people mover.

There is a certain calming quality about the way the 009 drives, such that there are very few occasions where anyone would want to call on the 450kW of power.

The accelerator response feels softer than is the norm for an EV. This makes the task of parallel parking on a slight incline all the more difficult, as the car rolls down a bit before the motor catches.

The 009 is 5,209mm long – a good 199mm more than the Toyota Alphard. Its wheelbase, at 3,205mm, is 205mm more generous than the Toyota’s. The Zeekr is wider too – by 174mm – at 2,024mm.

In the city, it feels bigger to drive than the Alphard, but not by as much as what the measurements suggest.

There may be shoebox apartments out there that are less spacious than the 009’s cabin. The car is packed with every conceivable gadget.

The materials used in the cabin are generally premium, especially the supple leather upholstery. But some areas in the lower half of the cabin feel brittle. For those who value such things, the Alphard probably has a slight edge.

The car arrives with a professional chauffeur for the first six hours of the multi-day test drive. This is probably a good simulation of how the 009 will be used by its buyers.

On the chauffeured drive from Toa Payoh to Changi Village, the independent chairs with massage and ventilation functions in the second row work perfectly. The ride is generally settled and pillow soft.

The second-row seat on the kerbside has an additional setting to make the front passenger seat whirl away and fold forward to create the ultimate massage chair on wheels. There is a touchscreen on each sliding door, which can be used to set the climate control, wind up the windows and blinds, or just to see the digital clock.

The folding tables, housed in each of the two individual chairs in the second row, are sturdy enough to prop up a laptop or printer, which can stay charged with the 100W and 60W USB type-C power source on board.

The camera mounted on one side of the cabin pairs with the ceiling mounted 17-inch touchscreen when the system is used for video calls.

The cabin is probably one coffeemaker away from being the perfect office. There is a refrigerator between the front seats, so you can even have a cold drink or an ice cream between work calls.

The car is supposed to be able to cover a fair distance too. Its 116kWh batteries promise an operating range of 582km – enough to reach Ipoh, Malaysia, with around 30km to spare.

Unfortunately, the claim could not be verified because the test drive is cut short by glitches. These include the infotainment screen rebooting itself three times in a row without obvious reasons and the one-pedal driving mode working intermittently.

The test car is supposedly a pre-production unit that still has development kinks, which will not affect customer cars.

It seems like a real pity, because the 009 feels quite impressive otherwise.

ZEEKR 009 FLAGSHIP.................................................
MOTORS AC synchronous, permanent magnet with 116kWh battery
TRANSMISSION Single-speed
POWER 450kW
TORQUE 693Nm
0-100KMH 4.5 seconds
TOP SPEED 210kmh
POWER CONSUMPTION 22.3kWh/100km
AGENT Premium Automobiles BEV
RATING ★★★✩✩ (assuming no electronic glitches)

niantjoel@sph.com.sg

Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction