Zeekr gains traction while losing it too
There are car launches, there are driving experiences, and then there’s Zeekr On Ice, an event where someone clearly decided that driving electric cars sideways on a mountain top wasn’t quite enough, so they added five-star accommodation, gourmet hospitality, world-class instructors AND, because apparently normal transport is now passé, a helicopter ride off the mountain.
And if you’re still wondering exactly what the relatively new Chinese premium EV brand is all about, the Southern Hemisphere’s first-ever (and first of many hopefully) Zeekr Ice Experience, held near Queenstown, is probably about as good an introduction as you could get.
You see, Zeekr On Ice is billed as more than a driving programme, and that’s absolutely right. It’s a carefully choreographed showcase of what Zeekr believes the future of luxury motoring should look (and feel) like. As it turns out, it can look particularly good when viewed through a cloud of snow.
So, what exactly is Zeekr?
If the name Zeekr is still relatively unfamiliar, think of it as the premium, performance and technology-focused arm of the wider Geely automotive empire. But that description probably undersells the ambition.
Zeekr isn’t simply trying to build electric cars that are cheaper than the established European players. Its pitch is much more interesting, design, technology, luxury and outrageous performance, all wrapped around modern electric platforms. They are all about creating new mobility experiences, and after a day playing on ice, that philosophy becomes pretty obvious.
The cars are deliberately different, too. They don’t necessarily scream “look at me” in the traditional supercar sense. Instead, there’s a certain stealthy confidence to them – particularly the X and 7X. Then you drive them and suddenly that understated exterior makes a lot more sense.
Welcome to the Polar Playground
The setting for Zeekr On Ice is at the glorious Southern Alps near Queenstown. It’s an appropriately spectacular location, with snow-covered mountains, alpine valleys and dedicated ice and snow-driving circuits.
The idea is simple, take a selection of Zeekr’s current and in our case three future models and remove the one thing that normally gives an EV driver confidence – grip. Then let the fun begin.
The Zeekr on Ice programme covers vehicle dynamics on snow, slalom and grid slalom, power slides with transitions, a gymkhana circuit and hot laps with a professional driver (alas we didn’t get a chance to do the latter). In other words, it’s a rather elaborate demonstration that electric vehicles can be seriously entertaining.
What were we driving – and How?
Zeekr seemingly went all out in their supply of models, including their current line-up PLUS three new models that are on their way to NZ as we speak (metaphorically) and ranging from little to large.
In no particular order, we had the Zeekr X, a vehicle with a small footprint but big attitude. The Zeekr X demonstrates something Zeekr does particularly well, packing a surprising amount of car into a relatively compact package.
The Zeekr X is essentially an urban-sized SUV with the space and presence of something considerably larger. It’s 4.4 metres long, making it perfectly suited to city life, but underneath that compact exterior is some properly spicy hardware. The AWD version produces 365kW and 543Nm, on snow, that power becomes particularly interesting.
The trick isn’t simply burying your right foot and hoping for the best. It’s about learning how the power is delivered, how the car responds to steering inputs and how quickly the electric motors can react when grip disappears.
The X feels agile, compact and remarkably willing, and when you’re sliding around on the white stuff, learning the difference between under and oversteering, compact suddenly becomes a very good thing.
Then there’s the ‘do it all’ Zeekr 7X, and if the X is the city slicker, the 7X is the family-sized all-rounder. This is arguably the model that best explains where Zeekr sees its sweet spot in New Zealand and Australia, a premium electric SUV that can do pretty much everything.
The 7X combines serious performance with comfort and practicality, and its AWD version gets air suspension, adaptive damping and a 100kWh battery option. Depending on specification, it can deliver up to 615km of WLTP range, while the Performance AWD version can hit 100km/h in 3.8 seconds. Then there are the doors. The frameless rear doors can open to 90 degrees, making getting in and out ridiculously easy, helpful when wearing thick winter jackets.
On the ice, though, the party trick is the combination of power and chassis control. The Zeekr 7X is big enough to feel substantial but surprisingly agile when you start asking it to rotate. It gives you that wonderful EV sensation of instant torque, but the experience becomes much more about finesse than outright acceleration. And yes, you can get it properly sideways.
The newbie Zeekr 7 GT a shooting-brake surprise. Take the fundamental ingredients of the 7X, add an 800V architecture and wrap the whole thing in a rather delicious shooting-brake body, and you get something that looks like it should be cruising the Autobahn rather than sliding around a frozen proving ground. It has the practicality of a wagon, the stance of a sports car and the technology you’d expect from a modern premium EV. Importantly, the 7 GT has also achieved a five-star Euro NCAP rating under the more demanding 2026 testing protocol – no small achievement.
But the headline here is how it drives. The 7 GT feels beautifully balanced. There’s enough performance to make things interesting, but it doesn’t feel like Zeekr has simply thrown power at the problem. On the snow, that balance becomes particularly apparent. You can feel the car working beneath you, adjusting and responding as grip comes and goes.
It’s a car that could happily swallow a long-distance road trip one minute and have you giggling like a teenager on a frozen circuit the next.
Want more power, Zeekr’s got you covered. If the 7 GT is the sporty one, the Zeekr 001 FR, is what happens when the engineers stop being told to behave. This is the lunatic of the family. With four electric motors, torque vectoring and a claimed 930kW, the 001 FR is capable of 0-100km/h in around two seconds. Two ‘kin Seconds.
It also gets the sort of hardware normally reserved for serious performance machinery – adjustable ride height, carbon-fibre components, Alcantara, forged wheels and AP Racing brakes. It’s essentially Zeekr showing everyone what happens when you give an EV engineer a very large box of toys and tell them to empty it.
I’d love to tell you how thrilling this vehicle is on the Ice, but unfortunately, I only drove it between exercises. Maybe I’ll get chance on the tarmac one day? Hint, hint.
But wait, there’s more, enter another newbie, the Zeekr 8X. The Zeekr 8X is where the brand’s luxury ambitions really come into focus. It’s a plug-in hybrid rather than a pure EV, combining electric driving capability with the reassurance of an internal-combustion engine when longer-distance flexibility is required.
The headline numbers are still suitably crazy, with a 55kWh battery, around 257km of claimed EV range, 660kW of combined power and a 900V architecture. But the real story is what happens when you stop looking at the driver’s seat.
The Zeekr 8X is designed with rear-seat comfort very much in mind. There’s space, premium materials and the sort of lounge-like ambience that makes you wonder whether you’re actually supposed to be driving it.
And that’s an important part of understanding Zeekr, luxury isn’t just about leather and a large touchscreen anymore, it’s about how you feel inside the vehicle.
And if you are still looking for more, then there’s the 9X. Good grief, if the 001 FR represents the ultimate expression of Zeekr performance, the 9X is the brand turning the luxury dial all the way to Goodwood and beyond. This is the flagship.
A 70kWh battery means it can more or less operate as an EV, however, its PHEV powertrain is capable of producing a frankly absurd 1,030kW. But again, the real attraction isn’t the headline figure, it’s the cabin.
Captain’s chairs, powered leg rests, foot rests, heated seats and a theatre-grade audio system transform the rear compartment into something much closer to a private lounge than a conventional SUV. The 9X is quiet, composed and wonderfully comfortable, it feels less like you’re sitting in a car and more like you’ve accidentally wandered into a very expensive hotel room that happens to have wheels.
Admittedly, trying to get this big luxurious beast wagging its tail on an icy slalom was ‘interesting’ but it just emphasised how much faith Zeekr has in both their vehicles and us as drivers – ok, so more of the former than the latter.
It’s not just about the cars
Here is where Zeekr On Ice really separates itself from a conventional manufacturer driving day, the cars are only part of the experience. The attention to detail throughout the event is almost comically thorough.
From the moment you arrive, the emphasis is on making participants feel looked after. Transfers are taken care of. Accommodation is at the five-star Coronet Ridge Resort. Hospitality is premium. The driving instruction is handled by professional Downforce instructors AND just when you think the day is over, Zeekr pulls the final rabbit from the hat, a helicopter.
Yep, rather than simply driving everyone back down the mountain, the experience finishes with a helicopter flight off the Alps. Apparently after spending the day drifting electric cars around an alpine ice track, the only acceptable way home is airborne. It’s wonderfully excessive, and, frankly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Tarmac Takeaway – The Zeekr on Ice experience
What impressed me most about Zeekr On Ice wasn’t actually the headline performance figures (and of course my driving), it was the consistency. Whether you’re in the compact X, the family-friendly 7X, the sporting 7 GT, the ballistic 001 FR, the luxurious 8X or the flagship 9X, there is a clear Zeekr philosophy running through all of them.
Technology should be useful, luxury should be experienced rather than simply advertised, performance should be accessible and premium motoring should be about more than the badge on the bonnet. Zeekr On Ice manages to package all of that into one rather unforgettable experience.
You arrive expecting a driving day and you leave wondering whether Zeekr has quietly redefined what a car launch can be. There are faster ways to learn about an automotive brand. There are certainly cheaper ones too, but there probably aren’t many involving 930kW, frozen lakes, five-star accommodation and a helicopter. Cool as..? Hell yes!
