Zeekr will use the success of the 7X SUV in Australia as the launch pad for a new model and brand assault, with potent plug-in hybrids and the Lynk & Co brand on the table as the Chinese newcomer seeks fast expansion.
With a dealership footprint that has grown to 12 and with just three models in its stable, the brand has set its sights on becoming a significant player.
It is eyeing new models – and rebadging Lynk & Co vehicles – to meet its target of one new model launched per year.
SUVs are at the top of Zeekr Australia’s wanted list, including the Zeekr 9X, the confirmed but unseen 8X and the Lynk & Co 08.
Zeekr can access Lynk & Co models because the two brands have effectively been merged via a recent restructure by parent Geely.
Unlike its Geely stablemate Polestar, Zeekr will become a new-energy company, rather than an EV-only business, unlocking plug-in hybrid models for Australia.
READ MORE: 2025 Zeekr 009 Review: The maddest, fastest people mover on sale, but who’ll actually buy one?
READ MORE: Zeekr 9X is China’s new uber SUV, complete with 42,242 laser engravings
READ MORE: 2025 Zeekr X Review: EV newcomer brings some spice to the electric SUV category – and some Tesla-inspired tech
“The Zeekr 8X or 9X are premium segment, large and upper-large PHEVs. But the (Lynk & Co 08) is also a good product, a premium product, but a medium SUV,,” says Zeekr Australia MD, Frank Li..
“The size is like 7X and the price is more reasonable, more friendly. So that will bring a lot of volume. The whole strategy will be based on what new models we’ll be adding
“We are basically still new energy-based, so we won’t have any (pure) ICE cars. Our strategy is to bring one model per year to Australia.”
Li’s comments mean Lynk & Co is an almost-certainty for Australia. He confirmed two test vehicles are already en route to Australia for evaluation.
But he says that, rather than adding to the litany of new brands in Australia, his preference would be to rebadge Lynk & Co vehicles as Zeekr models, rather than operate it as a sub-brand.
“I think that at the end of the day, the customer cares the most care about the product itself. If you ask me personally, I would say that it’s better to re-badge Lynk & Co” Mr Li says.
“And these two brands actually have similar DNA. Actually our first model, the Zeekr 001, was a concept car of Lynk & Co.”
Sitting on the same Geely CMA platform as the Volvo XC40, the Lynk & Co 08 is a plug-in hybrid mid-size SUV that pairs a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine with a 155kW and 350Nm electric motor for a total 257kW.
The brand says a 200km EV range is achievable, contributing to a total range in excess of 1000kms.
The opulent 5.2m Zeekr 9X was unveiled at the 2025 Shanghai auto show with a claimed 380km of EV range (CLTC) and a 3.0 sec 0-100km/h acceleration time.
The Zeekr 8X is set to be unveiled in late 2025, so details are currently scant. But it is expected to be more affordable than the 9X, lining up roughly against the Toyota Kluger as a three-row family SUV.
