The Geely Electric-branded Zeekr has reimagined the family MPV in a space-saving redesign that is reminiscent of the original Renault Espace and radically rethinks passenger space.
The Zeekr Mix extends its wheelbase, does away with the central B-pillar and adds two sliding doors that open like a train to create a 1.5-meter-long entrance to the passenger compartment, a gap that Zeekr says “the largest in the history of the automobile.
Designed by former Bentley design boss Stefan Sielaff, the new car maximizes the space freed up by the electric platform by ensuring the wheels are pushed to the edge to achieve the greatest possible wheelbase to length ratio.
The 4688mm long car has a 3008mm wheelbase, making it 24mm shorter and 58mm wider than the Volkswagen ID Buzz, but with a 20mm longer wheelbase.
The mix, which, alongside the midsize Zeekr 001 “shooting brake” and the compact SUV Zeekr Mobility), also forms the basis for the new custom-made robotaxis that Zeekr makes for Google’s self-driving car unit Waymo.
The platform separates the shock absorbers from the springs and uses a slimmer electric motor to flatten the platform and increase the space between the rear wheel arches. Slimmer tires reduce the width of the wheel arches themselves, creating seating for three people in both the rear and front. The seats can be rotated and pushed back to create a space large enough to create a play area for children when the car is parked, Zeekr claimed.
The wide access and small side clearance of 390 mm make it ideal for access not only for children, but also for the elderly and the disabled, said Zeekr.
The redesign of the front suspension allows for a larger steering angle of the front wheels, giving the car a claimed minimum turning radius of less than 5 meters. The Ford Puma, on the other hand, has a turning radius of more than 10 meters, a typical value for its class.
The doors return the structural rigidity lost by cutting out the B-pillar by adding additional high-strength reinforcements, increasing the material strength of the traditional B-pillar by 33%, according to Zeekr
Information in official documents submitted to the Chinese government confirms that the mix will receive a battery developed in collaboration between CATL and Geely, possibly the Zeekr 001’s 86 kWh package, which comes with 800 V hardware for 360 kW -Fast charging is equipped.
The production version of the Mix, which Sielaff says will be very close to the show concept, opens up an underserved market for family-friendly MPVs. “The MPV market is growing in China, but they are usually about five meters long, which is too big and too expensive for some family customers,” Mars Chen, head of Zeekr emerging markets, told reporters at the Beijing Motor Show.