The Zeekr 9X has landed! Chinese SUV hits London ahead of brand’s 2026 launch

Zeekr – the electrified Chinese performance brand gunning for BMW and Audi – has showcased its remarkable 9X super hybrid in London. The 1395bhp plug-in SUV and 009 electric MPV were showcased to investors and the Chinese media at an event beside the River Thames.

It’s all part of the build-up to Zeekr’s UK launch, set for 2026. “We [plan to] launch in Germany, the UK, France and [probably] Italy in the next six to 18 months,” Lothar Schupet, Zeekr’s European CEO told Auto Express. “Let’s say the UK is one of the priority markets.”

Zeekr is owned by Geely Auto, the powerhouse Chinese car group that owns or has stakes in Volvo, Polestar, Lotus, Smart and taxi-maker LEVC. Its mainstream brand Geely has launched with the EX5 electric SUV – and premium cousin Zeekr won’t be far behind.

Already on sale in Scandinavia, southern Europe, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland, Zeekr’s initial EVs promise premium performance and fast charging. The 001 is a shooting brake aspiring to take on Porsche’s Taycan Sport Turismo, the Zeekr X is a BMW iX1 rival and the 7X will take a swing at the new iX3.   

“We see ourselves competing directly with the premium German brands; mid-term, we are targeting to be at their level,” said Schupet. He certainly knows a thing or two about BMW, having worked for the Munich car maker for 23 years. “We are Geely, so we have the power of a giant but we have a European soul, with substantial investment in Europe,” he explained.

Geely’s European R&D centre is based in Gothenburg, Sweden, as is its design centre, run by ex-Bentley design boss Stefan Sielaff. He headlined the London event and outlined Geely Global’s design strategy, along with European R&D boss Giovanni Lanfranchi who presented the brand’s latest technology. Schupet was unable to attend.

The highlight was definitely the 9X super hybrid, which packs a beefy 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder petrol generating the battery power for three punchy electric motors, and kicking out almost 1400 horsepower. It’s a serious bit of kit with a 70kWh battery, a 900-volt electric architecture, a 746-mile range and a 10-80 per cent charge in around 10 minutes. The 0-62mph sprint takes just 3.1 seconds – half-a-second quicker than BMW’s hybrid M5.

Zeekr hasn’t confirmed the 9X for right-hand drive, but given its powertrain will be shared with the Lotus Eletre, the brand would miss a trick not offering its SUV flagship here. Schupet admitted Zeekr is looking into “right-hand drive adaptation” for the existing European EVs, while the 009 MPV – offered with four, six or seven seats – is built in Thailand with the steering wheel on the right. 

“The UK R&D process has a lot of homologation topics to prepare; it’s not a three-month job. But it’s already on the way and moving fast,” commented Schupet. “And we are in deep discussion with many dealer groups, to invest in a distribution network.” Zeekr will target groups able to manage big fleet relationships, and wants sufficient stores to ensure drivetimes are not a barrier to take up.

The brand originally launched in 2023 with an online European sales model, but it has subsequently begun to enlist a retailer network to expand sales. Another bump in the road was the EU’s imposition of additional tariffs, but finding supply chain efficiencies created “a sustainable business model in Europe,” said the region’s boss.  

What’s Zeekr’s pitch to UK customers? “Our offer tackles consumers’ anxieties on range and charging,” claimed Schupet. The 7X electric SUV charges in 10 minutes like the super hybrid, and Schupet thinks this is one of the key attributes to win over European prospects. 

“We’ve created a one-stop shop where they get everything covering charging services, connectivity and a 10-year warranty, in a price bracket where we are below the premiums. And you don't have to put [on] options in to make the car nice.” 

Schupet reckons it’s getting some owners out of their Porsche Taycans and into Zeekrs, and putting the brand “on the podium” of China’s top-selling importers in Europe.

“We’re [attracting] tech nerds who want to have the latest stuff. They’re coming from the Tesla world, and the traditional premium [buyers] who are asking: ‘Why must I pay so much money if I get the same or even better in some areas?’”

It’s the tried and trusted Chinese tactic of offering a head-turning price proposition – and it’s coming to the UK in 2026. 

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