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Zeekr's smallest electric car looks set for a shot in the arm to make it even quicker – and charge faster – but exactly when is still unclear.
Electric Cars
A power boost for the Zeekr X small electric SUV has received the green light for sale in Australia – but the brand is remaining coy on when it is due in showrooms.
Approval documents seen by Drive list three new variants of the Zeekr X homologated for sale locally, with unchanged dimensions but a new, more powerful 250kW rear electric motor, up from 200kW.
Already on sale in China, it boosts rear-wheel-drive (RWD) models to outputs of 250kW/373Nm (vs 200kW/343Nm), and all-wheel-drive (AWD) variants to 365kW/573Nm, up from 315kW/543Nm.
In Zeekr's home market, rear-drive versions of the X are now fitted with a 61.5kWh battery – smaller than the current 66kWh pack, but now using more durable lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) chemistry in place of nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC).
The rated driving range based on relatively lenient Chinese CLTC lab testing has dropped from 560km to 530km – while the AWD is unchanged at 512km – but the claimed 10 to 80 per cent charge time has halved from 30 minutes to 15 minutes.
Current RWD and AWD models sold in Australia and Europe are rated at 446km and 425km, respectively, in more stringent WLTP lab testing.
There is a chance of the LFP battery being offered in Australia, as local homologation documents list two 250kW rear-wheel-drive variants – one weighing 1855kg, and another rated at 1950kg.
The former is consistent with the weight of today's 66kWh RWD model, but the latter is consistent with masses quoted in China, where 61.5kWh RWD variants weigh 1965kg.
Lithium-iron-phosphate batteries are not as energy-dense as nickel-manganese-cobalt examples, so where two packs have the same or similar capacity, one with LFP chemistry is typically heavier.
The heavier battery pack is likely to blame for the power-boosted rear-wheel-drive variant's claimed 0-100km/h acceleration time remaining at 5.6 seconds, while the AWD has cut its claim from 3.8 to 3.69 seconds in China.
Also new in Chinese-market models is a more traditional centre console that links with the dashboard, home to a wireless phone charger and reshaped storage areas, plus a new Seattle Green matte paint colour.
The updated Zeekr X is listed as a Model Year 2026 vehicle in government documents, suggesting local arrivals within the next six months, but a company spokesperson would not confirm the model for sale.
"While we are constantly working through the regulatory and ADR processes for future model iterations, our current focus is on delivering the existing Zeekr X," a Zeekr Australia representative told Drive.
"It's premature to confirm specific local arrival or specifications for future models at this stage."
Zeekr reported 665 sales of the X in 2025, though nearly 90 per cent of those were in the first 75 per cent of the year, before the arrival of the larger 7X, which nearly doubled its sales in two months of deliveries (1206).
The entry-level X is $8000 cheaper than the least expensive 7X, but it is a considerably smaller vehicle with a third less power, a 34km-shorter range, and missing features such as heated seats that are standard in its larger counterpart.
Electric Cars Guide
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
