Chery plans rapid expansion in Australia
A budget car brand has returned to Australia and it’s about to give local drivers even more choice with an onslaught of new models due this year.
Chinese brand Chery has returned to Australia after an eight year hiatus.
Chery promises to be a different proposition this time around.
Gone are the sub-$10,000 cars of its first instalment and in its place are vehicles pitched closer to mainstream rivals.
It launched its new Omoda 5 small SUV this month and has confirmed two more models will arrive this year.
The Tiggo 7 Pro mid-size and Tiggo 8 Pro large seven-seat SUVs will land in showrooms in the second half of this year.
The Tiggo 7 Pro will compete against some of the most popular vehicles in the country, including the Toyota RAV4 and Mazda CX-5 and the Tiggo 8 will have to contend with budget friendly options such as the Mitsubishi Outlander.
Australian details are sparse but the models have been on sale overseas for a number of years and Chery Australia says the versions headed our way will be an updated iteration.
In overseas versions power comes from a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine for the Tiggo 7 Pro and a 1.6-litre turbo petrol unit in the Tiggo 8 Pro.
Both promise to have a chunky standard equipment list including flashy alloy-wheels, fully digital driver instrument display, electric tailgate, ambient lighting and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There will also be a wide array of safety features.
Chery will have 40 dealerships that cover all state and territory capital cities in March when its first car, the Omoda 5 small SUV goes on sale.
The Omoda 5 is a smartly styled SUV that will be priced close to some of the country’s most popular vehicles such as the Mazda CX-30, Kia Seltos and Toyota Corolla Cross.
Prices will be finalised before the vehicle goes on sale, but Chery brand manager, Andrew Haurissa, says that it’ll be less than $40,000 and start with a three.
The brand has big aspirations for the Omoda 5, with hopes to carve out eight per cent of the market or about 10,000 sales this year.
Based on last year’s sales figures from the Federal Automotive Chamber of Industries, this would mean the Omoda 5 would outsell established players such as the Subaru XV, Kia Seltos and the more budget-friendly Haval Jolion.
Chery Australia says a fully-electric version of the Omoda 5 is due in 2024.
The Chinese maker’s local team didn’t rule out a ute arriving in country in the future.
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