ZEEKR Disrupts Overseas Luxury Car Market

While the frigid winds still howl across the Northern Hemisphere, the CES in the Nevada desert is already boiling with excitement. As a bellwether for global technology, CES has long transcended its role as a mere showcase for electronics, evolving into a gladiatorial arena for the "new four modernizations" of the automobile industry. This year, however, the atmosphere on the CES show floor carries a subtle yet fundamental difference from previous years. In the past, Chinese automakers often played the role of "learners" or "participants," but now, ZEEKR has arrived not just with products, but to wage a battle for the very "definition of luxury." ZEEKR brought its most prized cutting-edge technologies to the ZEEKR 9X and the ZEEKR 009 Guanghui, with the "9-Series Twins" making a global debut in a posture of overwhelming superiority. This marks the official charge of domestic Chinese brands into the high-end market, ready to redefine global luxury technology standards. Initiating Cultural Export In front of the ZEEKR booth at CES, the noisy sales pitches common at traditional auto shows were absent, replaced by global tech geeks, automotive bloggers, and industry professionals from Europe and America lingering for extended periods. The unveiling of the ZEEKR 9X and ZEEKR 009 Guanghui shattered the Western stereotype of Chinese cars being solely about "value for money," instead positioning them as synonyms for "high value" and "new luxury." ZEEKR indicated that the most frequently heard questions at the booth were not skeptical inquiries about specifications, but two soul-searching questions. Local media asked, "How much does this car cost?" And upon learning the current market plans for the model, a representative from a European dealership followed up with, "When can we buy it here?" Behind these frequently asked questions lies the direct manifestation of ZEEKR's product strength溢出. In the eyes of European and American industry insiders, the design language, craftsmanship quality, and intelligent experience of ZEEKR's "9-Series Dual Flagships" have already created a generational gap compared to the traditional luxury players they are familiar with, such as the German trio (BBA). They have begun assessing ZEEKR with the anxiety of looking up at a "future competitor." If there is one car that can represent the highlight moment of a Chinese flagship on the global stage, it might very well be the ZEEKR 9X. Beside the display car, several top-tier global automotive media outlets were conducting live broadcasts. During the price-guessing segment, based on the vehicle's displayed design standards, material quality, and integrated technology, overseas media generally estimated that the ZEEKR 9X should be positioned in the "$100,000 to $150,000" range in the North American market—a price bracket typically occupied by the Porsche Cayenne Turbo or high-end Mercedes-Benz GLS. However, when on-site staff revealed the actual price and positioning of the ZEEKR 9X in the Chinese market, the reactions ZEEKR employees heard were mostly exclamations of astonishment. This significant psychological disparity was interpreted in foreign media reports as "the happiness of Chinese users." A columnist from MotorTrend stated bluntly: "The ZEEKR 9X shows us another possibility for luxury SUVs. In comparison, the choices available here at the same price point seem overly 'traditional' and 'dull'." If the 9X is the dream car for families and driving enthusiasts, then the ZEEKR 009 Guanghui was the ultimate object of desire for business elites at CES. This vehicle was lavishly praised by foreign media as the "Rolls-Royce of electric MPVs." An interesting phenomenon caught everyone's attention at the CES venue: the ZEEKR 009 Guanghui display car was consistently surrounded by businesspeople dressed in high-end tailored suits, often accompanied by assistants. These were not ordinary visitors, but corporate executives from Wall Street, Silicon Valley, and around the globe. They weren't just looking; they spent considerable time inside the vehicle, experiencing the luxurious rear-seat configurations. During peak hours at the booth, a long queue formed for this four-seat ultra-luxury MPV, humorously dubbed the "CES VIP Lounge" by onlookers. This scene made the traditional luxury brand MPVs exhibited in the same hall pale in comparison. Visitors and media comparing the 009 Guanghui with top-tier MPVs like the Toyota Alphard concluded: "It delivers a triple-layered降维打击 in terms of space, technology, and luxury features." Headlines in foreign media reports increasingly used "The new benchmark" to describe ZEEKR's 9-Series dual flagships. This signifies a shift in ZEEKR's brand role: from a follower to being followed. Reshaping the Industry Landscape Behind the buzz of CES lies the concentrated爆发 of ZEEKR's profound technological积累. ZEEKR's landing at CES brought not just two vehicles, but a complete, Chinese solution belonging to the new energy era. "Luxury" has been redefined in the new energy era; it no longer solely signifies large-displacement engines and a century of history, but rather极致 efficiency, intelligence, and safety. At this CES, ZEEKR showcased its core technology cluster developed entirely in-house. Among these, ZEEKR's self-developed 900V ultra-fast charging technology became a focal point. While European and American markets are still striving to普及 800V architecture, ZEEKR has already elevated charging efficiency to a new level, addressing range anxiety for electric vehicles. Furthermore, the debut of the ZEEKR浩瀚 H9 architecture and the AI-powered smart cockpit operating system demonstrated to the world the leading position Chinese automakers have achieved in underlying architectures and software ecosystems. These technological innovations do not exist in isolation but collectively form ZEEKR's "technological moat." It is precisely these unseen technological foundations that支撑 the experiential "降维打击" delivered by the ZEEKR 9X and 009 Guanghui. However, ZEEKR's ambition extends beyond manufacturing cars to building an open, integrated intelligent mobility ecosystem. CES 2026 became a stage for ZEEKR to showcase its "top-tier global circle of friends." On this occasion, ZEEKR partnered with Qualcomm, utilizing the latest chip computing power for its smart cockpit layout; it also engaged in deep collaboration with Intel to co-create the next-generation smart cockpit as a "mobile living space." In the field of intelligent driving assistance, ZEEKR collaborated with NVIDIA, leveraging high-performance chips like the Orin-X to empower perception and decision-making; simultaneously, to address the challenge of "acclimatization" in overseas markets, ZEEKR partnered with overseas map service providers to develop Overseas Navigation 2.0, ensuring a consistent user experience globally. Most notably is ZEEKR's deep collaboration with Waymo. Substantial breakthroughs have been made in the world's first purpose-built autonomous vehicle jointly developed by the two parties. The Waymo Robotaxi project has commenced large-scale testing and entered regular operation in California and Arizona. Ultimately, all technology and praise must face the test of the market. The ability of ZEEKR's "9-Series Dual Flagships" to directly challenge the core price segments of the German trio (BBA) relies not just on the spotlight at CES, but on solid sales figures. Recently, ZEEKR announced that following sales exceeding 8,000 units in November, securing the sales冠军 for large SUVs priced above 500,000 RMB, the ZEEKR 9X set another monthly sales record, with December deliveries surpassing 10,000 units. On the domestic ranking for new energy SUVs priced between 400,000 and 600,000 RMB, the ZEEKR 9X remains at the top. With an average transaction price exceeding 530,000 RMB, the model has penetrated deep into the heartland of the German luxury brands, a height never before reached by a Chinese brand. Similarly, the ZEEKR 009 firmly holds its dominant position. It not only consistently ranks as the sales champion for MPVs priced above 400,000 RMB and for pure electric vehicles in China, but also shines brightly in its "going global" strategy—becoming the MPV sales champion in Hong Kong, China, and the sales champion for luxury pure electric MPVs in Southeast Asian markets like Thailand and Malaysia. CES 2026 served as a perfect "mid-term exam" for ZEEKR, and also a new starting line. From the global attention garnered by the ZEEKR 9X, to the queues of "VIPs" for the ZEEKR 009 Guanghui; from the export of its fully in-house developed technologies, to the implementation of Waymo's autonomous driving. ZEEKR is demonstrating to the world that the Chinese automotive industry is not only capable of building excellent cars but can also engage in cultural export, creating a car culture and lifestyle that the world aspires to. Perhaps, when global media begin using "New Benchmark" to describe cars from the East, a new era—a global high-end mobility era defined by Chinese luxury technology—has already arrived.