Zeekr 009 vs Mercedes-Benz Esprinter

What's the difference?

If Rolls-Royce was to make a Kia Carnival then the Zeekr 009 would probably be it, but without the stratospheric price tag.

Zeekr is Volvo’s sister from China under its massive Geely parent company and the 009 is a fully electric, luxury people mover that arrived in Australia to join the small X hatch and the forthcoming 7X mid-sized electric SUV.

The Zeekr 009 we tested is the seven-seater version and with a price of $135,900, before on-road costs, it's double the price of the fanciest Kia Carnival. Then again, the 009 is about $85,000 cheaper than the Lexus LM500h hybrid people mover.

If you are a family with more than two or three children, or a chauffeur service operator, then the 009 could be a much more practical and luxurious alternative to a high-end SUV. And, as I'll show you, even at this price it's a bargain.

The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter range of vans and cab-chassis models competes for buyers in the Light Duty (3501-8000kg GVM) segment of Australia’s highly competitive Heavy Commercial vehicle market.

In 2024 the German manufacturer expanded its diverse turbo-diesel van range by launching a full-electric variant called the eSprinter, which for the first time offered local buyers the opportunity to drive with zero tailpipe emissions.

We recently spent a working week with this unique offering to assess how competently it could fulfil the diverse job requirements of private tradie buyers and fleet operators.