Zeekr 9X coming to Malaysia – China’s RR Cullinan due end-2026/early 2027, price ‘much higher’ than 009

The Zeekr 9X is confirmed for Malaysia, and the brand’s flagship model is slated to arrive as early as the end of 2026. This was revealed by Zeekr Malaysia’s GM Eddy Lu at a test drive event for Malaysian media and owners in Harbin, China. Besides the 9X, the carmaker had the 007 GT ‘shooting brake’ and 7X SUV on duty at the winter event.

“The Zeekr 9X is definitely coming to Malaysia, for sure, it’s just a matter of time,” Lu said, explaining that the timeline depends on right-hand drive (RHD) engineering and homologation. “It depends on the engineering progress of converting from LHD to RHD, and also from Chinese regulations to European regulations (which we’ll get in Malaysia). It will be at the end of this year or early next year,” he added.

The 9X is a hugely impressive vehicle – both as a luxury product and in its capabilities – and the 5,239 mm-long SUV doesn’t just serve as a flagship model for Zeekr, but also for the wider Geely Group. As such, it will be priced accordingly.

What this means is that the 9X’s RRP will be significantly higher than the costliest 009, which let’s not forget, also enjoyed tax-free EV status until very recently. The range-topping 009 is the Ultra Luxury, which is priced at RM359,800.

“I think no one will expect that the 9X will be cheaper than that (the top 009). It definitely will be higher than that. The 9X is about half a million RMB (specifically, RMB 465,900 to 599,900 in China), and this is a hybrid. A hybrid CBU will be applied with very high taxes. Keep in mind that this car will be much higher than the price of the highest version of the 009. This is for sure,” Lu explained.

“Keep that in mind that there’s no way for it to be a low priced product. Maybe later this year when we have the final confirmed launch plan, we’ll share with you a bit more regarding the details,” the Zeekr Malaysia chief reiterated.

Built on the SEA-S platform allowing for a 900V high-voltage architecture, the 9X debuts the Geely Group’s SEA Super Hybrid system with up to 1,400 PS (1,030 kW) and 1,410 Nm, allowing the behemoth to accelerate from rest to 100 km/h in just 3.1 seconds.

Confirmed to be a plug-in hybrid and not a range extender EV (REEV), Geely’s 2.0-litre turbo-four with 279 PS can power the wheels directly in certain circumstances. The 9X’s pure EV range is 380 km CLTC and ultra-fast ‘6C’ DC charging (meaning it can charge in kilowatts at six times the battery capacity) from 20–80% can be done in just 8.5 minutes.

Dubbed by some as ‘China’s Rolls-Royce Cullinan’, the 9X is better equipped than most homes. One item that pops out from the extensive kit list is a Naim sound system with 32 speakers (including headrest speakers for the first and second rows) and an industry-record 3,868 watts of power. The name would be familiar to audiophiles, but for the rest of us, Naim has long been Bentley’s top-shelf audio option, which says it all. A Chinese car priced well over RM500k as a bargain? The 9X is a mind bender.

GALLERY: Zeekr 9X in Harbin, China

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