SINGAPORE: High certificate of entitlement (COE) prices are not quelling motor dealers’ appetite to grow their portfolios.
Premium Automobiles, the retail dealer for Audi, has just been appointed the distributor for Zeekr, a luxury electric vehicle (EV) brand from Chinese automotive giant Geely.
The agreement was signed in late December.
The showroom for the brand will be built in the Leng Kee Road area in the first half of the year, Premium Automobiles said in a statement sent to The Straits Times late on Dec 28. The service facility will be in the Ubi industrial area.
When asked, Premium Automobiles said the details are still being finalised for their exact locations.
The brand will be launched here with two models – 009, which is a multi-purpose vehicle, and X, a sports utility vehicle. Deliveries will begin in the third quarter of 2024.
The 009 MPV is over 5.2m long, which makes the six-seater bigger than the latest generation Toyota Alphard, which measures just under 5m.
Premium Automobiles did not confirm the exact specifications of the models, but the 009 MPV has a promised range of 800km on a full charge. Its dual motor set-up offers a maximum power of 400 kilowatts, enabling it to sprint from 0kmh to 100kmh in 4.5 seconds, making it the world’s fastest MPV.
The X SUV is about the same size as the Volvo XC40 at 4.4m long. Two versions are offered in the other markets where Zeekr is already operating. One has a 200kW motor that powers the rear wheels and boasts a range of up to 440km and the other is a zippier 315kW dual-motor version that can cover 400km on a single charge.
Singapore, Hong Kong and Macau will be the first places where Zeekr right-hand drive cars are available.
Zeekr had announced in October, when it appointed Kam Lung Motor Group as its distributor in Hong Kong and Macau, that it will start building right-hand drive cars as part of its expansion plans.
The brand already has presence in Sweden, Netherlands and Germany in Europe, with sales plans for the Middle East and Central Asia.
Lotus, Polestar and Volvo are three other Geely-owned car brands in Singapore. They are distributed by Wearnes Automotive.
Zeekr is the latest in a series of Chinese EV brands to break into the Singapore market.
The others are the Omoda, which will be represented by Vertex Automotive; Seres, by Hong Seh Evolution; and GAC Aion and Neta, two brands that will be distributed by Vincar. - The Straits Times/ANN
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