Zeekr 001 review: a budget alternative to the Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo?

What’s this thing?

Zeekr describes the 001 as a “luxury shooting brake”. Essentially, it’s a swoopy all-electric estate in the same vein as the Porsche Taycan Sport/Cross Turismo, but with a price tag that’s actually closer to the bargain MG5 EV.

Wait, what’s Zeekr?

Ah yes, probably should have opened with that. Zeekr is one of the many EV-only brands under the Geely mega umbrella. It was only formed in 2021 but already claims to have over 150,000 cars on the road in China, while Zeekr Europe came together in 2022 and will start deliveries of this 001 and the X crossover next month. Talk about a rapid rise.

And if you think you recognise the 001 from somewhere else, that’s because it began life as the Lynk & Co Zero concept back in 2020. 

So, will I be able to buy one in the UK?

Good question. For now, the answer is no. You won’t be able to get the X or the 001 in Britain right away, but Zeekr’s European boss Spiros Fotinos has confirmed that right-hand drive markets could get cars in the next couple of years. To start with sales will take place in Sweden and the Netherlands, with Belgium, France, Germany and Norway following soon after.

Not even those countries will get Zeekr’s flagship though – the 001 FR. That’s a China-only special edition with a quad-motor 1,265bhp powertrain and the ability to tank turn like a, erm… tank. Bonkers.

What are the specs of the cars destined for Europe?

Well, the 001 range kicks off with the ‘Long Range RWD’ version. That uses a single motor to power the rear wheels with a very sensible 268bhp. As a result, 0-62mph takes 7.2 seconds and the 100kWh battery can provide a hefty 385 miles of range. 

The next step up is ‘Performance AWD’ which adds an additional motor to the front axle for a total of 537bhp and a 0-62mph time of 3.8s. Top speed is the same for both at 124mph, but the extra poke means max range from the same battery drops to 367 miles. 

At the top of the tree is ‘Privilege AWD’. That uses the same dual motor powertrain and battery, but range drops again to 360 miles thanks to the extra weight of more kit and an active air suspension system.   

How does it drive?

The first thing to note here is that the 001 is based on the same Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) platform as the upcoming Polestar 4, but Geely’s brands are given plenty of autonomy so it’s unlikely we’ll be able to read much into the Polestar from our 001 drive.

We’ll kick off with the full-fat Privilege trim, which certainly feels quick enough thanks to four-wheel drive and 537bhp. Although strangely for an EV, we actually wouldn’t have minded a slighter quicker throttle response when in sport mode. 

It feels heavy (no surprise given that it weighs upwards of 2.3 tonnes) but does still turn in well. Of course, the steering isn’t blessed with great feel, but you can place the 001 on the road fairly confidently. The brakes are similarly acceptable, although the ‘one pedal’ drive mode needs to stop with a bit more vigour when you come off the accelerator, and the ABS needs better calibration to stop the 001 locking up when braking on rough surfaces. 

And even though the Privilege spec uses fancy air suspension, there needs to be more variation between the different settings. We’re told that the car we drove was a pre-production prototype, but it was slightly too bouncy in all drive modes. 

As with lots of EVs, the simpler single motor car actually seems like the one to go for. Its passive suspension setup is softly sprung and is perhaps a little too wallowy, but the more progressive acceleration, floatier ride and longer range combine to make a pretty convincing grand tourer.

The main issue with the way the 001 drives though is nothing to do with the hardware. Similar to the X, the 001 has a driver monitoring system that makes sure you’re looking at the road ahead. Unfortunately, the camera is blocked by the spokes of the steering wheel whenever you decide to turn a corner, so you’re constantly bombarded with beeps and warning messages on the digital dial display, and this isn’t a system you’re able to turn off. Pray that’s a pre-production feature only.

Is it efficient?

Well, on a relatively enthusiastic drive across country roads we saw an average of 2.8mi/kWh in the twin motor Privilege. Not great. However, on the same route in the Long Range RWD we averaged 3.4 mi/kWh. That's pretty average in the EV game.

It’s the latter that’s more refined too. It wears 21-inch wheels rather than the 22s that are standard for the twin motor powertrains, and there’s much less road noise as a result. Don’t expect anything close to the refinement levels of a BMW i4 though. 

What’s it like inside?

Here’s where the 001 claws back some credibility. The interior is a genuinely nice place to be, even if it does feel a little bit like sitting inside a pair of those generic, unbranded sports trainers that you sometimes see for sale in supermarkets. We can’t understand why Zeekr didn’t go for a more recognisable badge.

Anyway, the materials in here are good, there’s loads of space (even in the rear seats) and there’s plenty of rose gold to brighten things up. It feels well put together too, although of course we’d like more physical buttons. Pretty much everything is controlled in the 15.4-inch central infotainment screen (including the wheel and mirror adjustment), which is responsive to your inputs if a little overcomplicated.

There’s Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity too, plus a good Yamaha audio system and a raft of HD exterior cameras that for some reason allow you to take pictures that you can send to yourself. If only we had cameras on something more portable like our phones…

But is it a bit of a bargain?

You could say that, although anything costing £50k probably shouldn’t be described as a bargain. Still, you get pretty much all of Zeekr’s tech as standard even on the entry level Long Range RWD, and that starts at €59,490 in the Netherlands. Compared to the base price of a Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo in the same country (€99,500) that’s not bad at all. 

Obviously the Zeekr lacks the driving experience and the brand recognition of the Porsche, but with 539 litres of boot space and 200kW fast charging it’s a practical EV for those that don’t want an SUV. The more of those options the better, we reckon.