ZEEKR 9X

Cabin

There are two 16-inch OLED screens spanning the dashboard side by side. Backed by a 47-inch augmented-reality head-up display that projects navigation and speed information directly into the driver's line of sight. The layout keeps physical controls to a minimum; this is basically to lean on the two screens and steering wheel controls for most functions without separate switches.

Front Seat and Rear Seat

• Front seats: 12-way power adjustment with memory, massage, ventilation, heating, and a 4D mode that shifts position during acceleration and braking
• Second-row seats: 6-way power adjustable Co-Pilot seats with memory and powered leg rests, upgraded to Zero Gravity rotating seats on the Hyper and Obsidian
• Six-seat, 2+2+2 layout across the entire range, rather than a conventional three-across bench in the middle row
• Premium Nappa leather trim, offered in Charcoal Black or a Caramel Brown and Moonglade Blue combination

The 2+2+2 layout trades outright headcount for space and comfort in every row. This is a deliberate choice for a car pitched at executive travel rather than shuttling the maximum number of people possible.

Climate Control

The three-zone automatic climate control allows the front and rear passengers to manage temperatures independently. Rear passengers also get dedicated air conditioning and vents, while an air-quality management system with PM2.5 filtration and an air purifier helps keep the cabin air cleaner. For a large six-seat SUV designed for long journeys, the setup is well-suited to keeping all three rows comfortable, particularly in the UAE heat.

Storage

The 9X makes good use of its large cabin with storage spaces spread across all three rows. The four doors have hidden storage compartments, while the front centre armrest and centre console provide additional space for personal items. There are also two wireless charging pads up front, while second-row passengers get built-in cupholders and smaller storage areas around the seats. The third row also gets dedicated storage space, making the six-seat layout practical for passengers travelling with phones, bottles, and other everyday items.

Charging

• 900V electrical architecture supporting DC fast charging from 10% to 80% in approximately 9.5 minutes
• No details published yet on a specific onboard charger rating for AC home charging

The 9.5-minute DC charging figure is a properly fast number for a battery this size, though buyers should confirm it against the exact charging point and cable used. Because most of the time, manufacturer-quoted charging times are usually measured under ideal conditions.

Boot Space

The Zeekr 9X offers 677 litres of boot space with all six seats in use, giving it enough room for family luggage even with the third row occupied. The two third-row seats fold flat electrically, while the second row can also be tilted forward, increasing total cargo capacity to 2,148 litres. For a large six-seat luxury SUV, that makes the 9X more practical than its low-slung exterior might suggest, particularly for airport runs, family trips, and longer journeys.

Zeekr built the 9X's safety case around a four-direction crash testing sequence run early in development; this is by using the results to shape the body structure, airbags, and seatbelt load limiters together.

• Roof-mounted LiDAR sensor paired with Nvidia Drive Thor processing chips for real-time hazard detection.
• ADAS is designed to keep working through heavy rain, dense fog, and dusty conditions, rather than only on a clear test track.
• Crash energy redirection is engineered into the body structure to route impact forces around the cabin.
• Door sills built with a multi-cell structure, Zeekr calls Carrier-Grade Ten-Grid, designed to collapse in a controlled way and absorb side-impact energy
• A 22-layer battery shield, split into 9 side layers, 8 bottom layers, and 5 top layers, isolates the pack from crash forces.

The Zeekr 9X uses a 22-layer battery protection system, with nine layers designed for side-impact protection, eight beneath the battery, and five above it. Zeekr also says the SUV underwent a four-direction crash sequence during development, including testing of the body, battery, and restraint systems. However, the 9X does not yet have an independent Euro NCAP or ANCAP crash-test rating.

Front

Star Diamond Matrix headlights, built from 1.3 million individual pixels and rated at 1,800 lumens. They can project a beam pattern up to 150 inches ahead of the car, a feature usually reserved for cars well above this price. As you can see from the front angle, the clearly face avoids the large intake grilles that combustion SUVs still carry. This is largely due to an EREV powertrain needing far less cooling airflow than one that burns fuel to move the wheels directly.

Side Profile

With the 5,239 mm length and 3,169 mm wheelbase, it is quite clear that the 9X lands firmly in large SUV territory. The width measures 2,029 mm before the mirrors are counted and 2,290 mm with them folded out. The standout design cue is a sweeping D-pillar finished in matte satin chrome. And drawn by veteran designer Stefan Sielaff's Gothenburg-based studio as a deliberate nod to a luxury yacht's roofline rather than anything borrowed from a rival SUV.

Alloy Wheels

Every variant gets 22-inch wheels, though the exact design varies by trim: the Ultra and Hyper get different alloy patterns. While the Obsidian moves to forged monoblock wheels as one of its exclusivity features. The larger forged wheels typically shave unsprung weight versus a cast alloy of the same size, a small but real benefit for a car carrying a 2,900 kg kerb weight.

Rear

The rear design carries the same restrained, glass-and-metal language as the front. But without a spoiler or diffuser trying to signal performance, the car already delivers through its motors. Ground clearance is rated at 208 mm at the front axle and 200 mm at the rear, figures that lean toward comfort and stability rather than any serious intent to leave paved roads.

Colors

• Onyx Black
• Lava Grey
• Crystal White

An optional Black Pack finishes the grille surround, D-pillar, and other exterior accents in high-gloss black for buyers wanting a more monochrome look, regardless of the base body colour chosen.

The ten drive modes are shared across the range: Comfort, Economy, and Sport for daily use, plus seven terrain-specific settings covering grass, light snow, deep snow, muddy ground, sandy land, rock climbing, and mountain roads. The front brakes use 6-piston fixed callipers regardless of trim, and steering assistance is speed-proportional and electric rather than hydraulic.

City Performance

• The electric motors deliver full torque instantly, with the petrol generator staying silent unless the battery needs a top-up.
• At a tight car parking the 208 mm front ground clearance and camera coverage make judging the nose easier than the car's overall length would suggest.
• On narrower streets, the speed-proportional steering stays light at parking speeds without feeling vague once traffic picks up.
• Waiting in a queue on a hot afternoon, the electric drivetrain keeps cabin cooling running efficiently without an idling combustion engine underneath.

Highway Performance

• Merging onto the E11 toward Abu Dhabi, the Hyper and Obsidian's 1,380 hp makes overtaking a formality rather than a decision.
• Cruising at a steady high speed, the petrol generator only wakes up occasionally to maintain battery charge. Keeps the cabin noise closer to a pure EV than a conventional hybrid.
• Running the long stretch, the EREV layout means fuel stops replace charging stops on longer trips, removing the range anxiety a pure EV of this size might raise.
• When you are holding a fast pace on E611 toward Sharjah, the tri-motor Hyper and Obsidian settle into a composed, planted stance that the extra motor and active suspension help maintain.

Ride and Handling

• Over speed bumps inside, the standard dual-chamber air suspension irons out sharp inputs without feeling floaty on the rebound.
• The 48V Active Suspension fitted to Hyper and Obsidian visibly reduces body lean compared with how a 2,900 kg SUV would normally behave.
• Braking hard from speed approaching the road interchange, the fixed 6-piston front callipers bite progressively rather than grabbing suddenly.
• Crossing an uneven stretch, the car's considerable kerb weight works in its favour for stability, at the cost of feeling less eager to change direction than a smaller SUV would.

Ultra is the base variant in the lineup of three choices. It runs on the dual-motor setup at 885 hp with Auto-Doors and Zeekr's Intelligent Interactive features included as standard. It also features a dual-chamber air suspension instead of the active setup fitted higher up the range.

Hyper varying adds the third electric motor for a combined 1,380 hp. That much power helps it cover the 0-100 km/h time in just 3.1 seconds. This variant also includes zero-gravity rotating second-row seats and the 48V Active Suspension, all for AED 40,000 more than the Ultra.

Obsidian is the top-end variant and shares its entire powertrain and suspension hardware with the Hyper. What it adds is only an Obsidian Black exterior and interior theme, along with 22-inch forged wheels. This positions it as a styling-led option for buyers who have already chosen the tri-motor setup.

Zigwheels Recommendation

Buyers who are mainly drawn to the brand, the cabin technology, and everyday electric driving should stop at the Ultra, as the core cabin, safety systems, and charging technology are the same further up the range. Anyone who wants the full 1,380 hp and the more capable active suspension should move to the Hyper, which delivers everything the Obsidian offers mechanically. The Obsidian only makes sense for a buyer who specifically wants the black-on-black treatment and forged wheels and is willing to pay for styling exclusivity rather than any extra capability.

The Zeekr 9X arrives in the UAE with really unusual specs: petrol that never touches the wheels, electric motors that always do, and up to 1,380 hp within a six-seat luxury body built for long-distance comfort over outright agility.

It takes on some highly established rivals and well-known brands like Lucid Gravity, Porsche Macan Electric, and Cadillac LYRIQ. And that is a big task. But what it has on offer is something compelling: first is a competitive price, which is a lower price. Yet it matches or beats most of them on power and cabin technology.

Where it falls short is that being a new brand means an unknown track record, with no independent crash rating, and no resale history.

Still, Zeekr is now gaining global recognition and becoming a preferred brand. In the UAE context, if you are fine with the EREV idea and comfortable being an early adopter here, the 9X backs up its numbers convincingly.

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