42HOW Auto Survey: Zeekr 001 Buyers Prioritize Design and Space Over Autonomous Driving

After the launch of the all-new Zeekr 001, we conducted a questionnaire survey among owners who had placed firm orders. Below are the core analysis results from this survey.

Survey channel: 42HOW Auto Zeekr 001 firm-order owner group

Sample size: 119 valid responses

01Buyer Profile

The firm-order owners of the all-new Zeekr 001 are widely distributed across cities of all tiers, with the vast majority being young individuals holding bachelor’s degrees or higher.

The average age of the respondents is 29.3 years. Among them, 26.6% are aged 26–30, and 20.1% are aged 31–35, indicating that the overall user base is relatively young.

More than half of the respondents are unmarried, and only 36% are currently raising children.

02Car Purchase and Ownership Status

76.47% of Zeekr 001 users who have placed a firm order are first-time buyers. The remaining 9.24% are upgrading their vehicles, while 14.29% are adding a second car to their household.

The most popular trim among respondents is the WE Version with the 95 kWh battery and all-wheel drive, accounting for 33.61%. The least popular is the YOU Version with the 100 kWh battery and all-wheel drive, at just 14.29%.

For users who purchased an additional vehicle or traded in their existing one, the proportion of their original cars from mainstream joint-venture or foreign brands exceeded seven tenths, primarily including mainstream brands such as BMW, Audi, and Toyota. Among domestic brands, Zeekr and Lynk & Co accounted for a relatively large share.

03Purchase Decision

The primary reasons for placing a firm order for the all-new Zeekr 001 are commuting, weekend and holiday travel, and daily leisure. This aligns with the relatively young demographic of the model's target audience.

In terms of budget, the average purchase budget among respondents was RMB 333,000, with the vast majority concentrated between RMB 260,000 and RMB 300,000.

The Tesla Model Y is the main comparison vehicle for buyers who placed a firm order for the all-new Zeekr 001, accounting for 42.9%, followed by the Zeekr 007 at 35.3%.

Some buyers also compared the vehicle against traditional luxury brands, including the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, BMW 3 Series, and Audi A4L.

When asked which model they would choose if the new Zeekr 001 were unavailable at the time of purchase, the most common alternative was the same-brand Zeekr 007, selected by 21% of respondents. Tesla Model Y followed closely with 20.2%.

Notably, 10.9% of users stated that if the all-new Zeekr 001 were not available when purchasing a car, they would not buy another vehicle in the short term, while an equal proportion of users indicated that without the all-new Zeekr 001, they were unsure whether they would still purchase a car or which specific model they would choose.

Regarding the purchasing decision, more than half of the respondents indicated that their hesitation period was brief and they made decisions relatively quickly. Meanwhile, 22.69% said they wanted to compare competing models before deciding.

Exterior design, configuration, and space were the most frequently cited factors influencing the purchase. Interior design and safety followed closely behind. Smart cockpit features and autonomous driving capabilities were mentioned less often.

Before the launch of the new Zeekr 001, extensive promotional campaigns highlighted key product features. When asked which marketing point most influenced their purchase, exterior design topped the list with 52.1%, followed by the Yamaha audio system and interior space.

21% of respondents reported lingering concerns or areas of dissatisfaction when deciding to purchase the all-new Zeekr 001.

The most frequently cited issue was subpar autonomous driving capabilities. Additionally, 10.71% of respondents expressed dissatisfaction with the sales service experience during the purchasing process, including issues related to staff attitude and delivery speed.

04Brand Perception

Among the attributes associated with the Zeekr brand, personality, luxury, and performance were mentioned most frequently.

For the all-new Zeekr 001 model, design and handling were the most commonly cited positive attributes.

Produced by the 42HOW Auto User Research Group