Zeekr Australia wants to spice up the local people mover market by launching the ultra-luxurious 009 Grand Down Under, although its arrival is contingent on as-yet unconfirmed right-hand drive production.
The standard 009 went on sale in Australia late last year, offered in either seven-seat or six-seat configurations, priced at $135,900 and $139,900 before on-road costs, respectively.
Sales have gradually increased since launch – 66 have been sold this year to the end of June – although the Lexus LM (163 deliveries) and Mercedes-Benz V-Class (141) remain the preferred options in the premium people mover space.
That hasn’t stopped Zeekr’s local team from enquiring about the Grand, which hit the Chinese market a few months ago at roughly double the price of the standard 009 variants.
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“We are exploring ways to launch it in Australia officially at the moment,” Zeekr Australia marketing boss, Andrew Haurissa told local media in Sydney.
“With the 009 present in the local market, that makes a compelling argument to have the Grand here.”
While the Grand would be welcomed to Australian showrooms, there’s no guarantee it will be produced in right-hand drive at this stage.
Zeekr is in the process of investigating the viability of a conversion for the Grand, which will be informed by the sales performance of other 009 variants across the globe.
“The right-hand drive is here but only as a six- or seven-seater, we are investigating the possibility of the Grand, not only for Australia but for all right-hand drive market depending on customer needs and the business case,” said Zeekr global product marketing director Tony Zhou.
“The Grand version is a new variant that only launched in China a few months ago in left-hand drive. To convert from left- to right-hand drive takes time, including the product development, engineering and homologation.
“We need a positive business case, which we are investigating now. The performance of the current versions will give us the confidence to deliver the Grand version, because the Grand is positioned much higher than current versions, which means the price will be much higher.
“Just look at the price in China, it’s around double the normal versions. Converting to right-hand drive the price will be much higher, how many customers will choose this one? And given the volume assumptions, what will be the business case?”
Based on pricing in the Chinese market and the costs involved in readying a vehicle for sale in Australia, it would be reasonable to expect that the 009 Grand could retail for north of $250,000 locally, making it the most expensive people mover on sale.
The 009 is one of two Zeekr models currently available in Australia, alongside the compact X electric SUV. Both will be joined by the larger 7X SUV later this year, with a further SUV offering to come in 2026.
Mr Zhou says that the brand wants to avoid overcrowding its Australian showrooms at this early stage.
“We need to consider the product lineup here, because we have two versions already, the X, and the 7X coming, we’re going to have a new model next year, it’s about whether the showrooms can contain so many variants,” said Mr Zhou.
Zeekr markets the 009 as a luxury people mover, but the Grand elevates that premium positioning to another level.
For starters, the third row of seats has been deleted to maximise second row passenger legroom. Instead, the rear section houses a pair of airplane-style individual seats with 24-way electric adjustment, 12 zones of support, heating, ventilation, and massage functions.
There’s also a huge divider between the front and rear compartments, like the Lexus LM.
The cabin is now trimmed in hand-polished stainless-steel elements and natural Himalayan marble, while entertainment is delivered through a 43-inch mini-LED screen and 31-speaker Yamaha sound system.
VIP passengers can also enjoy full privacy courtesy of light curtain glass technology that offers adjustable window tinting, and ice-cold refreshments thanks to an 18-litre mini fridge.
Like the base 009, the Grand features a dual-motor electric powertrain that can propel the people mover from 0-100km/h in 3.9 seconds in this application. Zeekr quotes 702km of driving range on the more optimistic CLTC testing cycle.