Making a fully electric MPV sounds pretty straight forward. You get a van-like bodyshell, add an electric motor or two, and give it a huge battery to go the distance.
With a dedicated EV platform, manufacturers could reimagine new mobility possibilities for a new kind of mini-MPV. And that’s exactly what the folks at Zeekr has done with the Zeekr Mix. This is a 5-seater mini-MPV that doubles as a versatile living space on four wheels.
At first glance, the Mix looks like a concept vehicle but it is actually an EV that is already available in China. It looks very refreshing and this should have been the reimagined fully electric VW ID. Buzz.
What is a Zeekr Mix?
The Zeekr Mix is essentially a fully electric mini MPV that has been redesigned from the ground up to do more than just moving people from point A to B . It measures 4688mm long but it has a massive wheelbase of 3008mm with the wheels placed further apart towards the edge. The Zeekr Mix is pretty wide as well at 1995mm and it has a height of 1755mm.
The biggest design feature is its double sliding doors on the passenger side. It provides a 1.48m wide opening which is made possible with the removal of traditional B-pillars on both sides of the car. Despite having the battery pack on the floor, the Mix boasts a low floor height of 390mm which provides easy access to children and the elderly.
The front wheels can turn more than 50-degrees which translates to a tighter turning circle within 5 metres. Interestingly, only the front driver door opens the conventional way.
Since the front passenger door slides out, the Mix is smart enough to straighten the steering wheel before the front door slides forward. Similarly, the rear door wouldn’t slide open fully if the rear charging port is in use.
If you’re wondering about safety in the event of a side-impact, Zeekr says they have incorporated a dual B-pillar design by embedding two ultra-high-strength steel pillars into each of the doors. The structure is said to be crafted from 200 megapascal hot-formed steel and fortified by a unique thickening process, making it 30% stronger than conventional hot-formed steel.
In addition, the rear body has a one-piece die-casted construction which uses the same material as the Zeekr 009 flagship MPV.
On the inside, the front seats are motorised on a 2-meter long rail and it can swivel 270-degrees for various seating arrangements. Even the centre island is also motorised and attached on a 2-meter long rail. The preset seating arrangements including normal seating mode and face to face seating can be activated with a single tap from the touch screen or physical buttons on the driver door.
Besides being a small central table, the centre island also doubles as a fridge to keep your drinks and refreshments chilled for long weekend drives.
Meanwhile, the rear row seats can recline and offer an extended lower leg support. There are also deployable footrest from the back of the front seats for a first-class passenger experience. In addition, the seats are ventilated, heated and also offers a massaging feature.
To turn the Mix into a third living space outside your home, Zeekr offers a variety of add-ons for the centre island including large and small table attachments and additional cupholders. You can also turn the Mix into a bedroom by laying all the seats flat and put on a full size mattress. There are also tablet holder accessories which allows you to mount an iPad to the back of the front seats.
The Zeekr also offers a comfortably and cosy living experience with an array of ambient lighting including what appears to be “table lamp” on the sides of the rear sliding doors. For a more spacious feeling, it even comes with a massive glass roof that comes with a powered sunshade.
As you would expect from an EV, the Mix offers Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) and there’s a power outlet in the boot which allows you to power up home appliance. Yes, you can technically run a coffee shop from the boot of the Mix.
Zeekr Mix Key Features and Specs
The Zeekr Mix is built on Geely’s SEA-M architecture and it is offere4d only as a RWD EV with two 800V battery options. The single motor powering the rear axle pushes a rather powerful 310kW (415hp) and 440Nm of torque, and it can go from 0-100km/h in 6.8 seconds.
If you go for the 76kWh LFP pack, it can deliver up to 550km on the CLTC-rated cycle and 10-80% charge can be done as little as 10.5 minutes. Meanwhile, the larger 102kWh NMC battery pack provides up to 702km of CLTC-rated range, while DC fast charging from 10-80% takes 15 minutes.
The Zeekr Mix supports V2L with an output of up to 3.3kW. But what’s more interesting is that it also supports Vehicle to Vehicle (V2V), allowing you to charge another EV quickly via DC up to 60kW.
The front dash features a 15.05” 2.5K OLED display which can swivelled manually towards the driver or to the passenger. There’s also a 13.02” HD instrument cluster and a AR Head-Up Display (HUD) for the driver.
The Mix also doubles as a mobile home theatre with a 2160W 21-speaker Zeekr Sound Pro sound system. The Mix in China also comes with the Zeekr AD Intelligent Driving Assistance System as standard, which utilises LiDAR, high-definition cameras and mmWave radars, powered by Nvidia Drive Orin-X.
The Zeekr Mix is offered with 19” wheels with 235/55 R19 for the front and 235/50 R19 for the rear. There’s also the option for larger 20” wheels with 235/50 R20 for the front and 265/45 R20 for the rear.
Zeekr MIX Pricing in China. Will it come to Malaysia?
At the moment, the Zeekr Mix is sold in China with a starting price of CNY 279,900 (about RM171,582) for the smaller 76kWh battery. Meanwhile, the larger 102kWh NMC battery version is going for CNY 299,900 (about RM183,842).
So far there are no plans to offer this fully electric MPV for the global RHD market. But who knows, with enough interest, Zeekr may consider making a RHD version in the future.
In Malaysia, Zeekr has launched the Zeekr X compact SUV and the Zeekr 009 three-row MPV. The next Zeekr EV model for our market would be the Zeekr 7X, a premium fully electric SUV.
