BEIJING, March 18 (Reuters) - China's Zeekr Group

on Tuesday said it would start selling a sports utility vehicle

equipped with technology that would be ready to allow the car to

be driven without human supervision, which would be a first for

the industry as a smart driving tech war heats up.

The 9X SUV that will be equipped with H9, the most advanced

version of the G-Pilot smart driving technology launched on

Tuesday, will be officially unveiled at the Shanghai Auto Show,

in April, the company said in a statement. It added that it aims

to start deliveries of the company's first level 3-ready model

in the second half of the year.

Level 3 autonomy means cars can drive without human drivers'

supervision and intervention. The new car's level 3 readiness is

still subject to regulatory approval.