Urban life with Andrea and the new ZEEKR X.
But first, coffee...
I absolutely love Melbourne at this time of the year. It’s glorious, especially on a perfect summer day.
Today is not a one to be wasted, so I grab my phone and message my girlfriend group chat to see who’s up for a long lunch somewhere overlooking the water.
A day like today is invigorating, almost like it’s my own little vacation. But, as always, I do need my morning coffee to really kick things along. With the luxury of time on my hands, I bypass my espresso machine and grab the keycard for the ZEEKR X AWD in my driveway. I’m getting a real Melbourne coffee and going to sit back and watch the world go by as I savour every spark of caffeine.
I love the style of the ZEEKR X, from its handlebar moustache and the spider-eyed headlights at the front, its two-tone black-on-white colour scheme, angular lines and sleek stance. It’s a fantastic looking car, and certainly THE most stylish and unique.
My first touchpoint reveals a really neat feature that is unlike any other car. As I unlock the car, a welcome note flashes up on the B-Pillar, and the flush door handles disappear into the body rather than pop out, creating a cavity complete with an LED light and a touchpad to open the door. How cool is that? Entering the vehicle, I could see the words “Designed in Gothenburg, Sweden” stamped on plaques inside the front doors, another interesting touch.
What that reveals is a cabin that is simply beautiful with its contrasting Midnight Blue and Polar White scheme, zinc alloy metallic highlights on the switchgear and the floating twin digital screens. The seats are super comfortable and have both heating and ventilation – which is perfect for Melbourne’s cold winters and hot summers – the leather is sumptuous, and there’s plenty of storage spaces throughout, including a hook on the centre console to keep my handbag secure, plus a 50W wireless charging pad for my mobile phone in the centre armrest.
It's nice and light inside, too thanks to the full-length glass panoramic sunroof, and the cabin offers heaps of space for both front and rear occupants. I’m impressed.
Melbourne is renowned for its coffee culture, and one of my favourite little places is in Hosier Lane, right in the heart of the city. So, I simply ask the sat nav system for directions using ZEEKR's AI voice activation and then hit the road.
It’s only a quick trip for me into the city, but first impressions of the ZEEKR X are extremely positive. The power delivery is smooth, it’s quiet, and the suspension is extremely supple over Melbourne’s craggy roads.
More importantly, the ZEEKR’s comprehensive suite of active safety systems gently guide me through the chaos of morning traffic. With an array of functions such as forward collision warning and mitigation, lane departure warning and lane keeping assistance, traffic sign recognition, blind spot detection and adaptive cruise, it feels like I have an electronic guardian angel on my side.
They all work in perfect harmony through the narrow streets of Melbourne’s CBD as I arrive in Hosier Lane, the globally famous narrow alleyway that’s covered in vibrant street art and home to some of the city’s trendiest hole-in-the-wall cafes.
A sight for sore eyes.
Not surprisingly, the laneway is full of tourists. But what catches my eye as I creep past them slowly is the amount of attention the ZEEKR X is capturing. As their phones turn towards me, I feel like a supermodel strutting down a catwalk.
Thankfully, the ZEEKR X is relatively compact, which makes it easy to find a parking spot so I can nip out and grab a macchiato and a pastry, all then sit back and watch people walk by, then stop and take a second look at the stylish electric SUV. It’s fun to see their reactions.
After the caffeine has kicked in, I get back on the road and meander my way towards St Kilda along the iconic Beaconsfield Parade that snakes its way beside the majestic Port Phillip Bay with an umbrella of palm trees on one side and some of the city’s best beachfront houses on the other.
With so many distractions – including all the beautiful people walking their dogs or running the length of the boardwalk – I notice how convenient it is having the Augmented Reality Head-Up display projected onto the windscreen in front of me. The high-res 14.2-inch display provides all the basic information I need right in my eyeline. But, more amazingly, it projects directions from the natively integrated sat nav, like moving arrows and road signs for intersections, which not only looks amazing but also makes it more convenient to follow where I need to go and safer when driving.
Shopping is an activity!
I find a parking spot behind the iconic Luna Park and go for a stroll along Acland St, which is filled with eclectic shops, to waste a little time before my lunch across the road at The Stokehouse. I don’t get over this side of town very often, but it’s nice to wander in and out of the shops for a while and have a little ‘Me’ time.
While walking back to the car, I notice the midday sun is starting to beat down and imagine the ZEEKR’s cabin is probably going to be a little toasty. So, I open the ZEEKR smartphone app on my phone and activate the air conditioning and seat ventilation to ensure it’s nice and cool for me when I get in.
Sure enough, there’s a welcome relief from the cool air and chilled leather seat as I open the door and slip back behind the classy squared-off, two-spoke steering wheel.
As I pull into the driveway of The Stokehouse, the footpath is flooded with people on their lunch break – presumably either heading somewhere nice for a bite to eat or getting some midday exercise and enjoying the sunshine. Thankfully, a key part of the ZEEKR X’s advanced safety system not only recognises other vehicles on the road but also pedestrians and cyclists and will automatically stop the vehicle if it detects an obstacle in its path.
Lunch with (parking) perks
It is very easy to park, thanks to a 360-degree view of its surroundings. But it can also park itself, too. At the touch of a button, you can activate the ZEEKR X’s Automatic Parking Assistant, which detects a suitable parking spot, asks you to confirm and then takes over the steering to position you perfectly in the middle of the parking spot. It’s a weird sensation at first, but it’s magic and especially useful if you hate reverse or parallel parking.
I choose the parking spot outside that has an EV charger, not that I really need it. The ZEEKR X’s 66kW lithium-ion battery has an estimated driving range of 470km and can recharge on a 150kW DC fast charger from 10-80 percent in less than 30 minutes. But I figure it is always good to top up the battery when I can, especially as I’m going to be here for a couple of hours.
So, I plug in the charger and notice the display on the B-pillar tells me how long it will take to charge, which is a handy little feature – both for me and, as EV charging becomes more prevalent, for the next electric car owner that wants to use the charger. With this display, they too can see how long I’ll be on the charger for before the app sends an alert to my smartphone, and I can vacate the spot for someone else. EV charging etiquette is a thing, I’m beginning to learn. And, until the network becomes bigger, being mindful of others is an important part of the collective ownership experience.
Anyway, I head upstairs to meet my girlfriends for a laugh-out-loud lunch that is delicious in both cuisine and company. And let’s just say, any of the details are best kept between us. You really don’t need to know what we talked about here.
A few hours later, with our bellies literally full and metaphorically aching, there’s plenty of hugs – and more laughs – as we say goodbye and already start to plan our next mid-week escape, and a few of my friends comment on the ZEEKR parked behind me. “Wow… that is beautiful,” says Melanie. “What do you think of it; do you like it?” asks Taylor. “It’s brilliant” I reply, “Definitely one of the best EVs you can buy in terms of value, performance and features. Check this out…” I say, opening the door to reveal the city skyline dotted into the leather of the door card. There’s a collective ‘cooooolllll' from the gang.
And, just as I did earlier, I hop behind the wheel with the cabin and driver’s seat already chilled and head off down the road aimlessly following the beach south.
A drive home with a view.
Today couldn’t get much better, and after a couple of hours cruising alongside the water, I’m on my way home heading when I notice the sun falling towards the horizon on the other side of the water. So, I stop at Black Rock for a while and watch the twilight colours come to life and reminisce about a truly memorable mid-week Melbourne day with the ZEEKR X.
What a beautiful day, with a wonderful car.
Written and photographed by carsales.com.au