Glitzy Zeekr 009 wows, mostly

Glitches aside, the electric people mover is impressive and brimming with technology

- Lee Nian Tjoe

The Zeekr 009 is among the quickest accelerating people movers in the world. It is also the most expensive Chinese electric vehicle (EV) on sale in Singapore today—$420,000 with certificate of entitlement (COE)—and is packed with technology.

The 009 scores a solid 10 in terms of road presence. The confident block-like design with a strong vertical theme makes it stand out from the crowd. The car manages to look taller than its 1,812mm height, which is actually 38mm shorter than the Toyota Alphard.

References to the Alphard are a must, given how Toyota popularised the idea of a luxurious people mover with the model, and it is still the benchmark for such cars.

The Zeekr automatically lowers itself when stationary. Besides easing access to the cabin, the car sitting so close to the ground also makes it look good and sets off the 19-inch alloy wheels nicely.

Being an EV, the Zeekr does not have a radiator grille, as there is no radiator to speak of. Instead, there are interesting vertical metallic strips running down the front of the car where a grille would be. Relatively restrained use of metallic trimmings on the car's generous flanks helps the 009 project a more premium look.