The Zeekr Mix electric MPV from Geely has entered the Chinese market with a starting price of 279,900 yuan (39,250 USD). It offers a concept car styling combined with a five-star safety, a record-breaking interior space utilization rate, and a decent price tag.
The Mix minivan is the sixth model in the Geely-backed Zeekr high-end NEV brand. During the launch ceremony, the brand’s CEO Andy An pointed out the main feature of this car. Zeekr has brought the look of the concept car to a mass-produced vehicle, nicknamed Zeekr’s mini bus. It resulted in a standing-out exterior styling and some usability benefits.
Interior
The Zeekr Mix stands on the SEA-M modular architecture. It focuses on the increasing of the interior space. This chassis allowed engineers to increase the in-cabin utilization rate to 93%. It is the best figure in the industry. For comparison, the average space utilization rate of SUVs is below 70%.
Another feature of the Zeekr Mix is two sliding doors from the front passenger’s side. Thanks to them, the Zeekr Mix has an entrance with a width of 1480 mm. So, passengers can get in and out of the car more easily.
Inside, the Zeekr Mix has five seats. The front seats can swivel 270 degrees. The in-car cabin height is 1350 mm, and the vehicle’s floor height is 390 mm.
The feature Zeekr brags about a lot is a movable center tunnel with a table. However, it also has another built-in feature, which is a refrigerator. The Mix has 9 types of seating configuration. You can even fold every seat inside the car and turn the car’s cabin into a bed.
The center console of the Zeekr Mix has a large floating screen and a smaller LCD instrument cluster that sits behind the wheel. The gear shifter also hides behind the wheel. The Zeekr Mix has an augmented reality head-up display. The Zeekr Mix has a an OS AI that allows passengers to control the car by voice from any part of the cabin.
Safety
Due to double sliding door usage, the Zeekr Mix’s safety became a point of concern among netizens. Zeekr officials clarified that the Zeekr Mix has hidden B-pillars that enhance the car’s torsional rigidity. To prove the car’s safety, Zeekr arranged a crash test.
The first test included a side collision with a mobile barrier moving at 60km/h. Then, Zeekr dropped a 2.2-ton container on the Mix’s roof. The car’s structure wasn’t deformed, and the driver’s door opened as usual.
The Zeekr Mix’s hidden B-pillars have a tensile strength of 2000 MPa. Its body adopts 7 aluminum elements and a one-piece die-casted rear body. As a result, its torsional rigidity reaches 37,600 Nm/degree. For comparison, the BMW X5 has a number of 31,700 Nm/degree.
The Zeekr Mix adopts a LiDAR sensor on the roof. As a result, it supports Zeekr’s Haohan 2.0 driving assist system. It can autonomously operate on highways and urban roads. Worth mentioning that Zeekr’s NZP system will start operating without high-precision maps this month. It means the car will be able to use the autopilot on every road, moving from A to B autonomously. Another feature is an enhanced autonomous parking system.
Specs
The measures are 4668/1995/1775 mm with a wheelbase of 3008 mm. Its front wheels can turn more than 50 degrees. It resulted in a turning radius of 4.95 meters. It is better than the result of a Mini Cooper with a body length below 4 meters.
The powertrain of the Zeekr Mix adopts an electric motor in the rear axle with a peak power of 310 kW (415 hp). This family minivan can speed up to 100 km/h in 6.8 seconds. The Zeekr Mix has a 76 kWh LFP battery on board as standard. It is suitable for the 550 km range. It also supports 5.5C charging technology. This means the charging power of the Zeekr Mix is 5.5 times higher than the battery capacity. This pack can charge from 10% to 80% in 10.5 minutes.
Notably, there is another battery option for the Zeekr Mix. It is a 102 kWh ternary NMC pack for 700 km of range.
Prices
Zeekr Mix hasn’t got an entry-level trim. The car equips over 130 functions as standard, including AR-HUD, 800V high-voltage system, dual sliding doors, etc. It has five exterior colors, two interior shades, and three wheel variants.
The 76-kWh trim level starts at 279,900 yuan (39,250 USD). The long-range variant of the Zeekr Mix with a 702 km range costs 299,900 yuan (42,100 USD). Customers who order the Zeekr Mix before November 30, enjoy the purchase benefits of up to 43,000 yuan (6,000 USD).
I saw this vehicle in person at a showroom. My opinion: The exterior is nice but the interior is over-designed. It wants to be too many things at once. It’s not practical. Less is more. The VW ID Buzz shows how it is done. And the hinges of the sliding doors are massive, ugly and dangerous.
duality of china.
– makes product
a. this is exact copy of x product from europe/america/japan, why bother buying it
b. this is too different / why can’t it be like x product from europe/america/japan
personally, i love this design and what the buzz should’ve been at the price point.
Can you explain the “massive” and “dangerous” part? I don’t know this kind of cars very well…
Pointless vehicle . Only in theory useful.
The Zeekr sales representative told me that the front seat of the side passenger can be detached and taken out….that’s practical if you want to go fishing, he said….and that was the only example he gave me.
You didn’t even watch a review video let alone asking a sales representative. Even YouTube review videos give dozens of practical methods of using this vehicle. Forget that just by looking at this you can see it’s a spacious vehicle with tons of space and practicality.