When X meets ‘Why’ and ‘Z’
Imagine a scene, so futuristic, in the 2010 sci-fi film, Tron: Legacy. Hold that image. Feel how that vibe and what that gives you. Feel it deeply. Next, once you capture that certain energy, get behind the wheel of a vehicle, any vehicle for that matter. Now, put that ‘imagined scene’ into the vehicle you’re driving. Picture the roads, the lights and sounds. How does it feel?
Well, what if I told you that that kind of energy in a vehicle can be had for a minimum price of P2.6M. Or even up to P3M, if you want the privilege of the whole shebang. Now, I believe certain things were placed or given to us for a reason. That’s why Zeekr, the newest kid on the full electric block of vehicles, was given to mankind and began its operations in 2021. The company started with just 6,000 units sold in its first but already ballooned to 120,000 units just last year. Today, it’s growing faster than ever.
Recently, I was lucky enough to try the subcompact SUV, Zeekr X and realized why it’s selling by the gazillions and selling fast–lightning fast.
Honestly, it’s one of the few full electric vehicles I’ve personally driven and taken home for a few days. For the longest time, I’ve been used to the traditional internal combustion-engined cars and I was literally ‘culture shocked’ when it was lent to me. First off, its keys came in the form of a key card and I had no idea it had to be swiped on the driver’s B-pillar first before opening the door and eventually starting the engine. Second, since it’s electric, the vehicle–shall we say for someone like me, the uninitiated or to any innocent bystander–is silent as a mouse, to the point that its deafening silence could already raise an army back from the dead.
Nonetheless, the X is literally one beautiful specimen. Bar none. Its head-turning design is an amalgam of sharp yet sexy character profiles with sloping lines from front to the rear. It also features intelligent matrix LED projection headlights, equipped with ADB adaptive high beam technology, which utilize countless independently controlled LEDs.
At its rear is its iconic bold ‘ZEEKR’ badge that is literally cut straight from any utopian futuristic world.
Inside, posh fabric, mostly suede-look Alcantara, abound. It’s minimalistic and two-toned: Charcoal Black and Stone Grey, has 13 sets of ambient lighting, arc-shaped panoramic roof, complemented by a 13-speaker Yamaha surround sound system.
Technology is top-notch: Qualcom Snapdragon 8155 chips work like magic, 24.3-inch panoramic heads-up display is heaven on earth and AI-powered intelligent voice assistant is an angel on the road. Plus, it can be one MTV or karaoke-on-wheels with all the other wonders it can do while rolling out there.
Under its hood, meanwhile, are high-performance motors which can churn out 315kW (428hp) with 543N-m of torque, thanks to its dual-motor system and 66 kwh lithium-ion battery. This allows 0-100km/h acceleration in only 3.8 seconds. It also has a minimum of 440km WLTP range and can top at 190kph.
Moreover, reinforced anti-collision beams feature an eight-tube multi-layer structure, allowing the entire vehicle to withstand a lateral impact force of 65 tons while enhancing protection of the battery and passengers, not to mention it’s fast-charging, as well. Its sibling, for one, the 001, can go up to 200kW, which means it can charge the vehicle from 10 percent to 80 percent in just half an hour.
To tell it plainly, overall it’s a marriage of simplicity, functionality and luxury all in one. More so, this gives us more than just a glimpse of a ‘Tron-like’ future. It’s preparing us for it.
Controlling nature