Zeekr 009 in Malaysia: Premium Yet Imperfect MPV

【PCauto】In the current local market dominated by the Toyota Alphard and Lexus LM, the arrival of Zeekr 009, an MPV from a Chinese brand, appears particularly bold. With a starting price of RM349,000, this MPV aims to challenge the market position of Toyota Alphard (priced at RM548,000).  

Zeekr 009 enters Malaysia as a pure electric luxury MPV. Initially launched in Malaysia with two variants, the Luxury and Ultra Luxury, it added the Executive variant last month.  

• Zeekr 009 Executive – RM310,000, front-wheel drive  
• Zeekr 009 Luxury – RM349,000, all-wheel drive  
• Zeekr 009 Ultra Luxury – RM359,000, all-wheel drive

Zeekr 009 boasts a WLTP range of 604 km (front-wheel-drive single-motor version, while the dual-motor all-wheel-drive version has a WLTP range of 582 km), easily covering a round trip from Kuala Lumpur to Johor Bahru (approximately 400 km). With home charging costs as low as RM0.05 per km (compared to around RM0.25/km for diesel MPVs), the savings are substantial.  

You can easily find details about Zeekr 009's exterior and features elsewhere if you're interested in this vehicle. Here, we’ll mainly focus on the driving experience of Zeekr 009.

Riding Experience of Zeekr 009

Stepping into Zeekr 009's cockpit, the first impression is a strong sense of technological sophistication—an obvious contrast to Toyota Alphard. The 12.3-inch instrument cluster and central touchscreen smoothly work together, while the double-layer acoustic glass keeps wind noise at just 64.5 dB even at 120 km/h (based on real-world testing).  

The second row, the most crucial seating area in an MPV, adopts Sofaro aviation-style seats with extendable leg rests that allow a 170cm-tall passenger to lie completely flat. However, the massage function is nearly negligible—even at maximum intensity, it feels like a faint breeze brushing your back. The ventilation feature has been jokingly called a "placebo effect," and adjusting the airflow direction requires navigating three layers of infotainment menus. Want to adjust the cooling breeze? Get ready for five frantic seconds of screen-swiping.  

With a child safety seat installed in the third row, two adults can still fit for short trips. However, once the third row is occupied, the trunk can only accommodate two carry-on suitcases. Another point to note is the tailgate design—retrieving items in complete darkness (due to the lack of overhead lighting) can be quite a hassle.

Driving Experience of Zeekr 009

Despite exceeding 5.2 meters in length, Zeekr 009 delivers surprising agility on Putrajaya's winding roads thanks to its front double-wishbone and rear multi-link suspension paired with CCD electromagnetic damping. Yet some disadvantages remain.  

The steering wheel feels overly light—even in Sport mode, the steering lacks weight, requiring deliberate grip during high-speed lane changes. Combined with its small-diameter wheel, the experience resembles driving a gaming simulator. The Executive variant's front-wheel-drive single motor (335 hp) offers smooth, combustion-like acceleration off the line, but pressing the accelerator deeply unleashes the typical abrupt acceleration characteristic of electric vehicles. Its 2.8-ton curb weight (unladen) provides soft brake pedal feel, and the 100km/h to 0 braking distance is about 3 meters longer than that of the BMW iX3.

Worth praising is the chassis performance: when traversing patched road sections, the air suspension's ability to filter out bumps is indeed close to that of German luxury cars. Yet after crossing speed bumps, the body exhibits slight residual wobbles—showing inherent MPV limitations. For frequent highway driving, I strongly recommend upgrading to the all-wheel-drive version, as it not just provides an enhanced grip stability, but also a markedly lower risk of motion sickness for rear passengers.

Minor Flaws Remain in Interior Details

Positioned as a luxury MPV, Zeekr 009 still shows some minor flaws under scrutiny. The second-row seats are occasionally locked up due to misjudging obstacles from the raised floor carpet; more alarmingly, the sliding doors sometimes jam mid-operation. After manually forcing them shut, the infotainment system flashes error messages—with the universal solution being "hold the scroll wheel for 10 seconds to reboot."  

There are also certain shortcomings in craftsmanship: Zeekr 009 door’s plastic edging only covers the outer side, while the inner steel panel's cut edges are rough; the so-called premium mineral green paint shows orange-peel texture upon close inspection, far from the sophisticated appearance under showroom lighting. While these details might be acceptable in mainstream models, they become noticeable flaws for users given its luxury positioning aimed to compete with Alphard.

Reliable Range, But Troublesome Charging

The official 604 km range (WLTP) realistically drops to around 520 km in actual testing with full AC and three passengers (including 40% highway driving), which remains within reasonable expectations. The real pain point lies in the charging infrastructure.  

Few people may realize that Zeekr 009 currently available in Malaysia adopts a 400V architecture, limiting its maximum DC charging capability to 150kW. This means charging from 20% to 80% takes approximately 30 minutes.  

Meanwhile, Zeekr 009 available in China has already been upgraded to an 800V architecture. When paired with a 560kW charging station, achieving the same 20%-80% charge takes merely 12 minutes.

Zeekr 009's Biggest Advantage Lies in Price

The core competitiveness of Zeekr 009 is its price advantage. With a starting price of just RM310,000, it offers better value than even the mid-range Toyota Vellfire (approximately RM340k). Additionally, Zeekr 009 features an exceptionally flat floor design and boasts the dual advantages of a pure electric MPV: superior quietness and low energy costs.  

However, its challenges are equally apparent. First, will consumers in Malaysia embrace a Chinese luxury brand? Second, are they willing to accept the time costs of charging?