ZEEKR disrupts the overseas luxury car market

As the cold winds of the Northern Hemisphere howl, the CES in the Nevada desert is already heating up. As a global technology barometer, CES has long ceased to be merely a showcase for electronic products; it has become a battleground for the "new four modernizations" of automobiles.

This year's CES booth atmosphere is subtly yet fundamentally different from previous years. In the past, Chinese car companies were often "learners" or "participants," but now, ZEEKR brings not only products but also a battle for the "definition of luxury."

ZEEKR has showcased its cutting-edge technology with the ZEEKR 9X and ZEEKR 009, positioning the "9 series twins" to stand on the global market with a disruptive approach. This marks a formal charge by domestic cars into the high-end market, ready to redefine global luxury technology standards.

Initiating Cultural Output

In front of ZEEKR's booth at CES, there is no traditional car show hustle and bustle; instead, global tech enthusiasts, automotive bloggers, and industry insiders from Europe and America linger for extended periods.

The debut of the ZEEKR 9X and ZEEKR 009 has shattered the Western stereotype of Chinese cars being merely "cost-effective," instead viewing them as synonymous with "high value" and "new luxury."

ZEEKR representatives told Wall Street Insight that the most common inquiries at the booth were not about specifications but rather two soul-piercing questions. A local media representative asked, "How much is this car?" Upon learning about the market positioning of the model, another dealer representative from Europe inquired, "When can we buy this here?"

These two frequently asked questions directly reflect the overflowing product strength of ZEEKR.

In the eyes of industry insiders in Europe and America, the design language, craftsmanship, and intelligent experience of ZEEKR's "9 series dual flagship" have already created a generational gap with traditional luxury car players like BBA that they are familiar with. They are beginning to assess with anxiety, looking up to "future competitors."

If there is a car that can represent the high-profile moment of China's flagship on the global stage, it is perhaps the ZEEKR 9X.

Next to the display car, several top global automotive media outlets are conducting live broadcasts. During the price speculation segment, based on the vehicle's design level, material quality, and technology, overseas media generally estimated that the ZEEKR 9X should be priced between "USD 100,000 to 150,000" in the North American market—typically the price range for a Porsche Cayenne Turbo or a 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 ZEEKR employees mostly heard gasps of astonishment. This significant psychological gap was interpreted in foreign media reports as "the happiness of Chinese users."

A columnist from MotorTrend candidly stated, "The ZEEKR 9X shows us another possibility for luxury SUVs. In contrast, our options at the same price point seem overly 'traditional' and 'boring.'"

If the 9X represents the dreams of families and drivers, then the ZEEKR 009 is the ultimate desire of business elites at CES.

This vehicle has been generously referred to by foreign media as the "Rolls-Royce of electric MPVs." At CES, an interesting phenomenon caught everyone's attention: a group of business people dressed in high-end suits, accompanied by assistants, always gathered around the display of the ZEEKR 009 They are not ordinary exhibition visitors, but corporate executives from Wall Street, Silicon Valley, and around the world. They are not just looking around; they are spending a long time inside the car, experiencing the luxurious configurations in the back seat. Even during peak hours at the booth, a long line formed in front of this four-seat ultra-luxury MPV, which was humorously referred to by on-site spectators as the "CES VIP Lounge."

This scene made the traditional luxury brand MPVs exhibited in the same hall seem inferior. Passersby and media comparing the Zeekr 009 with top-tier MPVs like the Toyota Alphard concluded, "It has achieved a triple dimensionality reduction in space, technology, and luxury configurations." Foreign media reports have frequently started using the title "The new benchmark" to describe the Zeekr 9 series dual flagship.

This marks a change in Zeekr's brand role: from a follower to a leader.

Reshaping the Industry Landscape

Behind the hustle and bustle of CES is the concentrated explosion of Zeekr's profound technological accumulation. This time, Zeekr's presence at CES brought not just two cars, but a complete set of solutions belonging to the new energy era.

"Luxury" has been redefined in the new energy era; it no longer merely signifies large displacement engines and a century of history, but rather extreme efficiency, intelligence, and safety.

At this CES, Zeekr showcased its fully self-developed core technology cluster. Among them, Zeekr's self-developed 900V ultra-fast charging technology became the focus of the event. While the European and American markets are still striving to popularize the 800V architecture, Zeekr has already elevated charging efficiency to a new dimension, addressing the range anxiety of electric vehicles.

In addition, the debut of the Qianli Haohan H9 architecture and AI intelligent cockpit operating system demonstrated to the world the leading position of Chinese car manufacturers in underlying architecture and software ecology.

These technological innovations are not isolated; they collectively form Zeekr's "technological moat." It is precisely these invisible technological foundations that support the "dimensionality reduction" experience of the Zeekr 9X and 009.

However, Zeekr's ambition is not only to manufacture cars but also to build an open and integrated intelligent mobility ecosystem. CES 2026 has become the stage for Zeekr to showcase its "global top-tier circle of friends."

This time, Zeekr partnered with Qualcomm to lay out intelligent cockpit capabilities using the latest chip computing power; at the same time, it collaborated deeply with Intel to co-create the next generation of intelligent cockpit "mobile living space."

In the field of intelligent assisted driving, Zeekr collaborated with NVIDIA, empowering perception and decision-making with high-performance chips like Orin-X; simultaneously, to address the "adaptation issues" when going overseas, Zeekr worked with overseas map service companies to develop Overseas Navigation 2.0, ensuring consistency in user experience globally.

Most notably, Zeekr's deep collaboration with Waymo stands out. The jointly developed world's first native autonomous vehicle has made substantial breakthroughs. The Waymo Robotaxi project has begun large-scale testing in California and Arizona and has entered regular operations.

However, all the technology and accolades ultimately need to be validated by the market. The reason why Zeekr's "9 series dual flagship" can directly target the core price range of BBA is not only due to the spotlight at CES but also solid sales data Recently, ZEEKR officially announced that after breaking 8,000 units in November sales to become the sales champion of large SUVs in the 500,000 yuan category, the monthly sales of ZEEKR 9X have reached a new high, with December deliveries exceeding 10,000 units. In the domestic ranking of new energy SUVs priced between 400,000 and 600,000 yuan, ZEEKR 9X remains at the top. This model, with an average transaction price exceeding 530,000 yuan, has entered the territory of BBA, reaching a height never before achieved by Chinese brands.

Similarly, ZEEKR 009 firmly holds its position on the pedestal. It not only remains the champion of MPVs and pure electric sales in China priced above 400,000 yuan but also shines in the "going global" strategy—becoming the sales champion of MPVs in Hong Kong, China, as well as the champion of luxury pure electric MPVs in Southeast Asian markets such as Thailand and Malaysia.

The 2026 CES is a perfect "mid-term exam" for ZEEKR and a new starting line.

From the global attention on ZEEKR 9X to the impressive lineup of ZEEKR 009; from the output of fully self-developed technology to the implementation of Waymo's autonomous driving. ZEEKR is proving to the world that the Chinese automotive industry can not only produce good cars but also export culture, creating an automotive culture and lifestyle that the world aspires to.

Perhaps, when global media begins to describe cars from the East as "New Benchmark," a new era—a global high-end travel era defined by Chinese luxury technology—has already arrived