Zeekr took on social media to tease its upcoming third production model, with the lightly camouflaged prototype hints at a compact crossover bodystyle. The new electric Zeekr model will join the automaker’s range next to the 001 shooting brake and the 009 minivan in Europe.
The teaser doesn’t reveal the actual name
of the upcoming production model, but the “Zeekr 3rd” lettering on its license
plate could hint at a 003 nameplate, in line with the rest of the lineup. The
prototype, which is photographed alongside an Audi e-tron GT, appears to be
production-ready and sports a fancy multi-color livery.
The EV looks like a mix between a
hatchback, a minivan, and a crossover, with a fair bit of ground clearance, a
rather short bonnet, pronounced wheel arches, aero-style alloy wheels, and
flush door handles. At the front, the new Zeekr gets the split headlight
treatment alongside slim bumper intakes. At the back, there is a very narrow
rear windshield, elongated LED taillights, vertical reflectors, and a
skidplate/diffuser. The third Zeekr will ride on the SEA architecture, just
like its stablemates, and an array of EVs from other Geely-owned brands,
including the Smart #1. It will likely be offered with single or dual electric
motors packing a decent amount of power and a fairly large battery pack for a
competitive driving range.
Zeekr said that the new EV is “coming
soon”, not giving away more information about it. Autocar reports that the new
model will debut at the 2023 Shanghai Auto Show in April, before launching in
select European markets. Rival models in Europe will include the upcoming VW
ID.3-based crossover, and the Renault Megane E-Tech. Zeekr sold 72,000 cars in
2022 and wants to double this figure in 2023.
