It’s cute without being a genuine showstopper, compact and still reasonably spacious inside, quiet and luxurious, and blessed with more power than one usually needs. We’re talking about the Swedish-Chinese Zeekr X, the twin brother of the much anticipated smallest Volvo EV, the EX30. So we were curious to actually drive it on Swedish roads before it finds its way to Belgium.

The Zeekr X shares Geely’s Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) platform, as does the Volvo EX30, the Smart #1, and probably the first Lynk & Co BEV to come. Theoretically, it offers the same technical base as its non-identical twin brothers. So, where do they differ? What’s the Zeekr’s USP?

Freedom to develop

Design, equipment level, software, chassis fine-tuning, and not to forget price setting, according to the Swedish engineer we present with the question. He is one of 800 engineers at Geely’s CEVT (China Euro Vehicle Technology AB) in Göteburg.

It was founded in 2013 to provide product development support to car brands within the Geely Holding Group and, in Sweden, sits right next to Zeekr’s and Lynk & Co’s shared design center at the Pumpgatan in Göteborg.

Our man used to work for Volvo (Ghent, among others), but now there are no direct contacts between the two brands anymore, he ensures. Geely gives its brands complete freedom to mold the car they build on the platform to the wishes of their target public. And Zeekr wants to be one of Geely’s luxury brands. One of them, as Volvo and Polestar, are positioned likewise.

In profile view, the compact crossovers Zeekr X and Volvo XE30 don’t differ much. The nose is different with the ‘Spiderman-like’ eyes like the EX90 on the Volvo and the ‘Lynk & Co looks’ on the Zeekr. And, of course, different light signatures on the back, with the Zeekr featuring its brand name, prominent in lightened 3D letters.

With its 4 432 mm length, the Zeekr is just under 20 cm longer than the Swede (4 234 mm). In wheelbase, the difference is 10 cm (2 750 mm compared to 2 650). That usually translates into more interior space. The Smart #1, developed by Geely with Mercedes-Benz, is 4 270 mm in length, the shortest of the trio. The design of the car and its digital environment are Mercedes-Benz-sourced.

Ample space for four

That one has the same wheelbase as the Zeekr X – even more leg space, hence less trunk space than the latter. In the Smart, you can slide the rear seat bench rearward to your liking. It illustrates how carmakers can play with dimensions on the same modular and scalable platform to make a difference.

The Zeekr X offers ample space for four rather than five, with excellent sporty seats, even in the cheapest Long Range RWD version (€45 990 in the Netherlands), with a sixfold electric adjustable, heated, and ventilated driver’s seat. The more expensive Privilege AWD (€50 490) has standard fully electric seats for driver and passenger in front and adds massage functions, among others.

Like the Zeekr 001, the interior of the compact crossover is almost Spartan in design, available in two-tone Charcoal Black & Stone Grey or very stylish Midnight Blue & Polar White. But that will cost you an extra €1 500. The wayward design of door and window handles will cost you some initial practice time to learn how it works, but you’ll get used to it.

The dashboard features a minimal ‘floating’ slim 8.8″ instrument cluster, but most relevant information is projected on the windscreen with the standard Head-Up Display. A central landscape-oriented 14,6″ CSD screen is the (only) way to access all vehicle settings. In the Volvo EX30, that’s a portrait-oriented one.

Extensive manual studying

But don’t try to adjust mirrors while driving, for instance. You’ll have to dig deep into menus to find it, which might get you into dangerous situations. This is just another example of how, in the wake of the first Teslas, many EVs today ban physical buttons as much as possible and bury many settings in the car’s central computer screen. Like it or hate it, today you must do some timely ‘RTFM’ (Read The Fucking Manual) before you get to know your new car and set it to your liking.

But carmakers today can use software to make a real difference. Once you’re used to it, Zeekr’s user interface with many graphics is comprehensive yet easy to use. And there is always Apple CarPlay or Android Auto if you prefer your smartphone apps.

But Zeekr’s own OS offers some unique gimmicks, like turning on an external speaker to attract other road users’ attention that a silent EV is approaching. You can choose between the sound of a frog or an out-of-breath tractor, or you can even use your voice to say hello if you want to keep it friendly.

No dog roasting

Another nice gimmick is a unique ‘pet mode’ to leave your dog in the car unattended while shopping. The vehicle automatically keeps the temperature in the car at a comfortable level and displays a message to worried passers-by. So they won’t have to smash the window to ‘save’ the poor animal from overheating.

The same ‘dog mode’ message can also be displayed on another unique feature of the X, the round external screen built into the B-pilar. That one is particularly useful while charging the car to see from the outside how far you are in the process.

The Zeekr X has – in both versions – a standard 22 kW AC Charger, which should enable you to charge the car’s 69 kWh lithium-ion battery at your home or your work on a wallbox in four hours from 0 to 100%. DC charging is possible up to 150 kW. That will take you some 29 minutes from 10 to 80% charge.

With all these software gimmicks to discover, you would hardly come to driving, like today’s smartphones are more likely to be used as a computer than actually to call. So, how does this Zeekr X behave on the road?

There are two versions, rear-wheel drive (RWD) and all-wheel drive (AWD), the first one with a single 200 kW (272 hp) motor and the Privilege with a 315 kW (428 hp) dual motor. The first needs 5,6 seconds to reach 100 km/hour, the other only 3,6 seconds. Both are far more agile than most comparable compact SUVs with a classic combustion engine. You really don’t need that kind of superpower in daily traffic.

And it comes at a price in the actual range, as the AWD consumes 18,3 kWh/100 km compared to 16,4 kWh for the RWD. They have the same 69 kWh battery, so the RWD will get you 440 km (WLTP), the other only 400.

In that perspective, the Zeekr X compares with the Smart #1 (RWD), but the Volvo XE30 is performing better on paper with WLTP ranges of 480 and 460 km, respectively, in similar configurations.

Driving this Zeekr X is no punishment. Again, this Swedish-Chinese combination surprises with its quality finishing and pleasant driving on the curvy Swedish roads where speeds above 70 km/hour are seldom allowed. Don’t expect the excellent comfort of the Zeekr 001’s air suspension.

However, the engineers did find a reasonable ‘European’ compromise in suspending and handling this not-that-heavy EV (1 885 to 1945 kg) as long as you don’t want to show off your rally driver’s ‘capabilities’ to get your passengers sick.

Both versions come with a long list of ADAS systems to ‘help’ the driver in most cases. But this can be annoying when the lane-keeping, for instance, is too enthusiastic to force you back between lines or when the ‘driver alertness’ function warns you every few seconds to keep awake when turning the wheel.

It proved the pre-production models we drove in Sweden needed some more tweaking, as the camera behind the steering wheel that monitors the driver was ‘obscured’ by the steering wheel’s spokes in every turn of the road.

Value for your money

Nevertheless, the general feeling is – again – you’ll get good value for your money, even if we don’t know yet how much this car will cost when it finally comes to Belgium, probably not before 2025.

Compared to Dutch prices (€45 990 and €50 490), the Volvo EX30 will be cheaper. The Core version (with a smaller battery and 334 km range) is listed at €39 900, while the comparable RWD Volvo EX30 Plus will cost €42 850 and the AWD €51 800.

Judged by the standard comfort equipment, we consider the Zeekr X the best and most luxurious offer. In driving comfort, unfortunately, we’ll have to wait to try out the Volvo later as Volvo Belgium’s top management apparently prefers to prioritize internet influencers over car journalists to have their new models ‘tested’. We’ll keep you posted.