One of the newer car brands owned by Chinese auto giant Geely has unveiled its smallest model yet. It’s unlikely to make it to Australia, but its twin under the skin, the Volvo EX30, is expected to hit local showrooms.
electric car brand zeekr – created by Chinese auto giant Geely, which also owns Volvo, Polestar, Lotus and more – has unveiled its third production model ahead of a formal unveiling at the Shanghai Auto Show in April 2023.
The new model, shown in photos of a camouflaged prototype, is not expected to arrive in Australia.
It is the twin under the skin of the next volvo ex30 Urban SUV, due to hit Australian dealerships later this year, pending any delays.
Experts at Zeekr’s Chinese headquarters in China say the new model will receive the name 003, which fits alongside the zeekr 001 liftback-style sedan, and zeekr 009 multi-seat people mover.
The Zeekr 003 is based on parent company Geely’s Scalable Electric Architecture (SEA) electric car platform, shared with the Zeekr 001 and 009, Volvo EX30 and the #1 Smart Urban SUVtogether with which the Zeekr 003 has been developed and will be produced.
However, little information has been released about what will power the Zeekr 003. Handle It is understood that it will be sold with a choice of single-engine rear-wheel drive and twin-engine all-wheel drive systems that will develop between 200kW and 315kW, depending on model.
The car is scheduled to have been designed in Gothenburg, Sweden, by an in-house team led by Geely design director Stefan Sielaff, a 30-year veteran of automotive design, previously at Audi and Mercedes-Benz.
Slimline LED driving lights that are seamlessly integrated into the hood and horizontally-mounted headlights are included.
The side of the new Zeekr model receives large wheel arches with deep crease lines within the surrounding bodywork, conventional wing mirrors, flush door handles, extensive C-pillar treatment and a raked roofline.
Distinctive horizontal taillamps with simple LED graphics located at the base of the window are seen at the rear, with red reflector units below. The rear wiper is short, possibly one of the smallest ever fitted to a modern production car.
The dimensions of the new model have not yet been disclosed, although a car similar in size to the new Smart #1 is expected, reaching 4270mm in length, 1820mm in width and 1640mm in height.
In its first full year of operation in 2022, Zeekr sold 72,000 cars, but the company aims to sell 140,000 cars this year and expand into global markets like Europe and North America.
Read more about Greg Kable
