Zeekr 8X flagship SUV confirmed, on sale this year

Zeekr’s next electrified offering – the 8X Super Hybrid SUV – has been officially confirmed after the Chinese brand posted a teaser video on Weibo. The flagship PHEV SUV is expected to go on sale in China in the first half of 2026, however it’s yet to be confirmed for Australia.

According to CarNewsChina, the Zeekr 8X will be based on the same “world-first” SEA-S hybrid underpinnings and 900-volt architecture as the larger 9X, which is also yet to be confirmed for local sale.

The 9X uses three electric motors and a whopping 70kW battery pack – claimed to be the largest ever fitted to a hybrid vehicle – to deliver as much as 380km of electric-only driving range and a combined driving range over 1000km.

In a video that would almost certainly be flagged for dangerous driving and pulled from Aussie TV screens if aired, Zeekr’s Weibo clip shows a partially camouflaged 8X hurtling across sand dunes at warp speed, drifting and jumping along dirt paths, and even splashing through (admittedly shallow) water.

The 8X appears to share much of the 9X’s design cues, with a full-width LED light bar across the tailgate with C-shaped ends, while conventional exterior door handles appear, along with sporty red brake calipers – which somehow change to silver later in the video.

According to CarNewsChina, the 8X is expected to measure around 5100mm long, with a wheelbase of 3100mm and seat configurations to suit 5, 6, or 7 seats.

Zeekr has ambitious electric vehicle (EV) sales goals for Australia, where it plans to overtake the likes of BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus and other carmakers by the end of the year, all of which rides on the success of its 7X electric SUV.

The Chinese company also sells the 009 electric people mover and the small X electric SUV in Australia; however, the arrival of 8X and 9X PHEVs would bring more options to those who are not yet ready to jump into an EV.

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