Geely Driving Experience in Beijing: Zeekr 001 FR hypercar dazzles

By CARSIFU | 09 May 2024

The "Geely Driving Experience" organised on the sidelines of the Beijing Auto Show 2024 was a startling demonstration of the high-tech engineering and performance of electrified and non-electrified cars from Geely Holding's portfolio brands.

Held at the Goldenport Park Circuit, Chaoyang District, the event brought a bevy of cars from the Chinese automaker's portfolio brands such as the Geely Galaxy high-end EV (electric vehicle) line-up and Geometry EV series, Zeekr, smart, JIYUE, Lotus, Lynk & Co and Radar Auto.

While full battery-powered EVs (BEVs) made up the majority of the lineup at the event, there were also cars like the 1.5-litre turbocharged Geely Galaxy L6 plug-in hybrid sedan and the Lynk & Co 03+ TCR CYAN race car from Geely Group Motorsport.

Due to time constraints, media representatives and invited guests could drive only one lap in each selected car.

The challenging race track with its hairpins, sweeping bends and long straights provided exhilarating on-track action as we did our best to put each car through its paces.

Not all the BEVs could be driven by some guests as by late afternoon, after the countless fast laps, all-electric cars like the Lotus Eletre R+ hyper sports utility vehicle (SUV) and Zeekr 001 FR shooting brake hypercar had ran out of juice.

smart #3.

For us, the standout fun-to-drive cars included the all-electric smart #3 (Pulse all-wheel-drive or AWD, and Brabus variants) SUV coupé, which is expected to be launched in Malaysia soon.

Both the smart #3 Pulse and Brabus variants have a dual-motor setup, AWD and a 66kWh ternary lithium battery, with 315kW (422hp) and 543Nm of torque, and a 520km range (based on CLTC or China Light Duty Vehicle Test Cycle).

The 0 to 100kph sprint is done in 4.3 seconds (Pulse variant) and a quicker 3.6 seconds (in Launch mode) in the Brabus variant.

Both variants are shod with 245/45 R19 tyres, and we found delightfully rapid off-the-line acceleration, and the smart #3 was quite planted at speed when tackling the sharp turns and bends on the race track.

Zeekr X compact luxury SUV.

Another fun-to-drive car was the Zeekr X compact luxury SUV with a dual-motor setup, AWD and which shares the same powertrain as the smart #3 Pulse and Brabus variants.

It has a 500km range (CLTC standard) and the 0 to 100kph sprint is done in an impressive 3.8 seconds.

The Zeekr X also displayed impressive agility and composure in sharp turns during spirited driving.

Lynk & Co 03+ TCR CYAN.

As for the Lynk & Co 03+ TCR CYAN sports sedan, this proved to be a real firecracker, armed with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo engine with 257kW (345hp) and 450Nm of torque, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

It was also the only non-electrified car we enjoyed that day, and being front-wheel driven, there was a fair bit of torque steer.

One look at the roll cage behind the front sport seats, and we knew we would be in for a ferocious, fast and furious session, and we were not disappointed.

The 03+ TCR CYAN is named after Swedish outfit Cyan Racing, the motorsport partner of Geely Group Motorsport.

The team has claimed eight touring car World Titles, most recently the 2023 TCR World Tour teams' title with Lynk & Co.

To bring down its kerb weight to 1,498kg, the car's rear seats, side and curtain airbags and audio speakers were removed.

The 03+ TCR CYAN was launched in China in late 2023 at prices starting from 420,300 yuan (RM276,000).

JIYUE 01.

Meanwhile, the JIYUE 01 Max Performance priced at 309,900 yuan (RM203,675) was another high-powered BEV, with its dual motor, four-wheel drive setup as well as 400kW (536hp) and 686Nm of torque.

A mid-sized crossover SUV, the 01 Max Performance does the 0 to 100kph sprint in only 3.8 seconds.

With the standard 71.4 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery pack, its CLTC travel range is 550km.

There's an optional 100kWh ternary lithium battery pack at 45,000 yuan (RM29,600) for those who want a longer 660km CLTC travel range.

JIYUE, Geely's autonomous driving focused joint venture brand with Baidu, has unconventional designs for its cars and it's worth noting that there are no door handles on the 01.

Instead, there are door unlock buttons on the B and C-pillars.

The plush cockpit has a super minimalist design, and there are no turn signal stalks, gear lever or control buttons, dials and switches.

A 35.6-inch 6K resolution touchscreen, powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8295 chip, dominates the dashboard and this is where you control essential car functions like gear shifts (via a screen slide graphic) and drive modes.

The only physical switches (for the turn signals, wipers and headlights) we saw were on the U-shaped steering yoke, which turned out to be quite challenging for us to use in driving the car at high speeds through the race track.

We found that we had to grip the steering yoke, which is common in aviation, with extra effort especially during fast and tight manoeuvres.

Zeekr 001 FR shooting brake hypercar.

As for the quad-motor Zeekr 001 FR shooting brake hypercar with all-wheel drive (AWD), a monstrous 930kW (1,247hp) of power and 1,280Nm of torque, we did enjoy the privilege of being a rear passenger as a fellow motoring writer enthusiastically put pedal to the metal on a lightning fast lap.

The 001 FR shooting brake was launched in China late last year, with production limited to 99 cars each month, at 769,000 yuan (RM505,450).

It has an upgraded 800V electrical architecture, and can also do tank turns or rapid 360-degree spins in place.

The 0 to 100kph sprint is done in a mere 2.02 seconds, in a rolling start.

Former Formula 1 champion Kimi Raikkonen helped to tune the 001 FR shooting brake, and there's a Raikkonen Mode for drivers who want a more track-focussed beast.

Zeekr 001 shooting brake.

We also sampled the still powerful and agile Zeekr 001 shooting brake (rivals the Tesla Model S) and Zeekr 007 sedan (rivals the Tesla Model 3), and the race track was the right venue to enjoy their brutal acceleration and impressive handling at a hot pace.

The 001 shooting brake sits on a new 800V electrical architecture, and our unit was a dual-motor all-wheel drive YOU version with a 100kWh CATL Qilin battery, monstrous 580kW (778hp) and 810Nm of torque which propels the car from 0 to 100kph in 3.3 seconds.

The 007 also has a 800V high voltage system, dual-motor all-wheel drive setup, an optional 100kWh ternary lithium battery, with 475kW (637hp) and 710Nm peak torque, and a 0 to 100kph sprint in 3.5 seconds.

Zeekr 007 sedan.

We also took a slow drive on public roads in the three-door Geely Geometry Panda mini BEV (Knight edition), priced at 53,900 yuan (RM35,428).

The four-seater Panda Knight has a 17kWh lithium iron phosphate battery pack, with 30kW (40hp) and 110Nm of torque.

The rear-wheel-driven mini BEV is quite lightweight (807kg kerb weight), and shod with 155/65 R14 tyres, and we found perky acceleration from the get-go.

Top speed is limited to 100kph, and it has a 200km CLTC travel range.

A rotary dial for gear modes (N, R and D), power window switches and a manual hand brake are located between the front seats.

The small cabin feels surprisingly spacious and offers adequate leg and elbow room for four occupants.

Geely Geometry Panda mini BEV (Knight edition)

If the Panda mini BEV ever arrives in Malaysia, it could be a hit among local motorists who want a more budget-friendly and attractively designed compact BEV.

At Beijing Auto Show 2024, Geely Holding had highlighted increased tech synergies among its portfolio brands.

These tech synergies can be enjoyed by Malaysian motorists via Geely Holding's partner Proton.

Photo gallery: smart #3