Peter Lyon
June 11, 2024
So who’s heard of Sentinel? Last weekend, we saw a Zeekr X electric vehicle (EV) with right-hand drive (RHD) cruising through Malaysia’s streets. And according to CarNewsChina, it is Sentinel Automotive Sdn Bhd, who has partnered with Zeekr, who will be launching the brand here in Malaysia.
It may be surprising to know that Sentinel Automotive was founded only very recently on May 27, 2024. And according to the company’s profile on the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM), it is based in Kuala Lumpur. In contrast, its owner and sole shareholder, Karrus Automotive Sdn Bhd is not a new enterprise.
Karrus Automotive and Lotus Karz were founded and are governed by Mohamad Reza Bin Abdul Mutalib. Established in 2019, the two firms are the sole and exclusive franchisors of Subaru and Lotus cars respectively in Malaysia. Apart from those two brands, Karrus Automotive also runs a pre-owned luxury car dealership known as Karrus Private Garage.
We can expect that the right-hand-drive Zeekr X will be the brand’s first vehicle to be introduced in Malaysia after seeing it here. It is built on the same Geely Sustainable Experience Architecture 2 (SEA2) EV platform as the Volvo EX30, Smart #1 and Smart #3. The Zeekr X (AWD) can sprint from 0-100km/h in just 3.8 seconds, making it extremely competitive in the EV world.
Similar to the Smart #1 Premium and Brabus, the Zeekr X is offered with two powertrain options globally: a single-motor rear-wheel drive (RWD) option and a dual-motor all-wheel drive (AWD) option. Following the Zeekr 001 and the 009 MPV, which is anticipated to be the brand’s next model to reach Malaysia following the X, the Zeekr X is the premium EV brand’s third model.
CARLIST THOUGHTS
This must be one of the most futuristic, and frankly speaking, best designs to come out of China in a while. If the marketing boffins can slap a competitive price on it, then we think the X and others based on it will do pretty well. The manufacturer says that the AWD model has a top speed of 190 km/h and a range of 445 km (WLTP) for the rear-drive model, which are mighty good figures for dealers to be able to throw around a showroom.
