The Geely-owned Zeekr brand has officially launched the Zeekr 8X, an all-new high-performance flagship SUV. It says the new model further enhances the brand’s luxury SUV portfolio by forming a dual-flagship lineup with the Zeekr 9X.
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The company also claims industry observers believe this is the first Chinese flagship capable of posing a genuine threat to the long-standing dominance of so-called ‘BBA’ brands—BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi—in the global high-performance SUV segment. For the first time, these established German marques are expected to feel tangible technological pressure from China, Zeekr says.
Built on the SEA-S architecture and the Super Electric Power (SEP) Hybrid System, the Zeekr 8X includes full-stack 900V high-voltage architecture, a high-performance AWD system, and Haohan AI Digital Chassis. Zeekr says the 8X delivers unmatched power across all speed ranges and steady control on all terrains. The three-motor Zeekr 8X Black Edition accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.96 seconds, making it the world’s fastest-accelerating hybrid SUV, the brand claims.
As a flagship five-seater, Zeekr says the 8X comes with MPV-like spaciousness, one-touch comfort of the Eames Lounge Chair, and the world’s only Naim audio system, offering a ‘new luxury choice that balances driving performance with comfort’.
Zeekr also says the 8X is the ‘first model to feature a cabin-and-driving-integrated super intelligence system’ and is setting a new intelligence benchmark for the new energy era. The voice assistant has evolved to Super Eva based on WAM (World Action Model), becoming a ‘vehicle-wide super-intelligent control centre natively integrated with underlying systems such as G-ASD 4.0 driver-assistance system, chassis, and powertrain’.
The variants of Zeekr 8X are listed between RMB 356,800 and 426,800, and the Black Edition is priced at RMB 500,800.
In the first quarter of 2026, German luxury brands faced widespread headwinds in the Chinese market: Mercedes-Benz sales in China fell 27% year-on-year, BMW declined 10%, and Audi decreased 12%. However, Zeekr notes that the core asset that has sustained BBA through a century of cycles is not their volume-driven mainstream models, but rather their high-performance product lines such as the X5 M, GLE AMG, and RS Q8.
Positioned as a super hybrid high-performance flagship, the Zeekr 8X is ‘widely seen by Chinese and international media as a direct competitor to the BMW M and Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT, marking the first Chinese flagship product to penetrate the inner sanctum of BBA’s high-performance stronghold’.
