2026 Chery E5 Reviews

Beijing's plan to safeguard Chinese companies from reputational damage from dodgy exporters - but will it affect Australia?

One Chinese EV maker is trialling a new safety feature, which has been panned online.A video posted to X shows an iCar 03T (iCar is Chery sub-brand) undergoing a bizarre safety procedure.The video shows the electric 03T explosively ejecting its battery to mitigate any safety risk to the car.X users were quick to slam the idea.One user wrote: "Also, are we trying to kill pedestrians instead of putting vehicle occupants at risk? What an asinine design."Another said: "Absolutely annihilating the kids walking down the sidewalk.""Watching this makes my ankles hurt," wrote another.This tech is believed to mitigate the risk of battery fire, known as thermal runaway, which is extremely hard to extinguish and is at risk of reigniting even after the fire has been initially quenched.The novel idea asks more questions than it answers.Yes, it can help protect the car, but the manner and violence in the way the battery is expunged could lead to damage and injury to nearby vehicles, pedestrians and other road users.There is no evidence this safety feature is in production vehicles yet.The risk of an electric car fire is highly unlikely according to Australian data.EV Fire Safe, which is backed by the federal government, said there have been eight electric car fires since 2021 in Australia and only one is from an unknown cause with the rest the result of an accident, an external fire or arson attack.Electric vehicle fires are rare, but when they start they can have devastating results.US shipping company Matson announced earlier this year it would cease to accept any booking to move electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles, according to reports.The announcement follows the sinking of the Morning Midas off the coast of Alaska, which was caused by a fire starting in an electric car.Chery’s iCar vehicles are currently not on sale in Australia but they could land Down Under in coming years.According to Autocar, iCar will launch in the UK in 2026, however it will be marketed as ‘iCaur’ outside of China given Apple owns the rights to ‘iCar’.Chery Australia is remaining quiet on the iCar brand for now, with a company spokesperson telling CarsGuide previously: “We’re certainly interested in the exciting product that was revealed at the Shanghai Motor Show. However, at this early stage there are no confirmed plans.”

Chery's latest offering ticks a lot of boxes, but here's why it might not be the brand's strongest offering.

It broke the ice, unveiling the first Chinese passenger car to hit the Aussie new car market when its city-sized J1 hatch arrived here in 2011.

Chery's plug-in hybrid Prado-rivalling SUV is on the way.

Chinese carmakers aren’t just winning over Aussies with affordable electric SUVs, the same manufacturers have quickly established themselves as serious competitors in the popular ute segment that's dominated by the Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger. Just this year we’ve seen a stack of new Chinese utes models arrive in Australia to join some already well-established players. So, here’s the ultimate list of Chinese utes in Australia to help you keep up to date with what’s on the ground now and those expected to arrive soon.BYD has taken Australia by storm with its affordable electric cars, but wading into the treacherous and competitive waters of the ute segment inhabited by the likes of Toyota’s HiLux and Ford’s Ranger was brave. BYD, however, didn’t just wade in, it backstroked in during late last year and stole a sizable chunk of the market with the Shark 6 becoming the fourth best-selling 4x4 ute on the market so far in 2025.The Shark 6 is a plug-in hybrid that uses a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine with two electric motors for a combined output of 321kW and 650Nm. Braked towing capacity is 2500kg.The GWM Cannon is the most established Chinese ute in Australia and is popular for its combination of good looks and good value.The Cannon dual-cab has a 2.4 litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel unit making 135kW and 480Nm. Braked capacity is 3500kg.JAC’s T9 arrived in Australia in late 2024 and there are currently two grades on sale - the Oasis and the Haven. Powering the T9 is a 2.0 litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine making 120kW and 410Nm, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Braked towing capacity is 3200kg.LDV’s Terron 9 is the latest member of the brand’s growing ute family. Larger in every way than the T60 both in dimensions and grunt.Powered by a 2.5-litre turbo-diesel four cylinder making 163kW and 520Nm, the Terron 9 has a braked towing capacity of 3500kg.An eTerron 9 electric version could also be arriving in Australia soon. The LDV T60 is the smaller stablemate of the Terron 9 and is powered by a 160kW/500Nm 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder, mated to an-eight speed automatic, with a six-speed manual gearbox also available. LDV upgraded the T60 in 2025 and this T60 Max, as it's called now, has a higher braked towing capacity of 3500kg.The new Foton Tunland arrived late in 2025 a very different vehicle to the one we used to know with strikingly handsome exterior and lavish looking cabin.All variants have a 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine with a 48V mild hybrid system, with outputs of 120kW and 450Nm.Chery has confirmed that it will bring a plug-in hybrid ute to Australia to compete against BYD’s Shark 6 in 2026 and the Rely P3X could be it.Rely is one of the many brands owned by Chery, along with Omoda and Jaecoo which are already in Australia. Rely showed off the P3X recently at the Chengdu motor show and it's very likely one or both of these will be vehicles to be picked and arrive wearing a Chery badge.The P3X appears to have all the ingredients to make it a tough rival to the BYD Shark 6 with its ladder frame chassis and 2.5-litre turbo diesel engine with dual electric motors.MG’s U9 arrives right about now and could be a game changer, even if it’s based on a ute that’s already here - the LDV Terron 9.MG’s bosses say that the U9 will come with a choice of diesel, plug-in hybrid and fully electric powertrains, and that variety, along with its good looks and expected affordable price point, will make it a big market disrupter. A 3500kg braked towing capacity is confirmed as well - possibly only on the diesel.Unlike all the other utes here the Geely Riddara doesn’t sit on a ladder frame and is far more car-like and lifestyle focused than a work truck.Still, there’s definitely a market for a small and comfortable little ute like the Riddara RD6, which is likely to come to Australia with a plug-in hybrid powertrain.When it does come isn’t certain, with Geely appearing to concentrate more on growing its passenger car line-up first.

One of Australia's cheapest SUVs, the Chery Omoda 5, has come in for a much-needed makeover. Now badged C5, there's a new nose treatment, but more importantly, it also adopts independent rear suspension, to hopefully address comfort and refinement issues. Along with other changes, are they enough to make the Chinese crossover more competitive against rapidly improving rivals like the MG ZS?

The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) has published ratings for several new cars after crash testing new SUVs, a ute and a sedan.

Chery’s new ute brand has only just debuted a model that looks set to head to Australia, but one company executive has told media he expects the Rely P3X will be competitive with mainstream sales stars the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux.Following its reveal at this week's Chengdu Auto Show, General Manager of Chery’s Rely sub-brand, Zhang Jiaming, told Chinese motoring outlet Autohome the Rely P3X is the brand’s “future product” designed to “compete with Toyota and Ford in the global mainstream market”.Chery’s Australian boss Lucas Harris has previously told CarsGuide the model would be his preferred option for a model to bring to Australia.The Rely P3X, which could wear a different badge if it comes to Australia, is a diesel plug-in hybrid, ladder-frame ute with a 2.5-litre turbo-diesel engine and electric motors. More details, like outputs and capabilities, are yet to be confirmed, but the brand is reportedly aiming for a 1500kg payload.If the P3X is to come to Australia, it will launch in the second half of next year, according to Harris.It would make sense for the P3X to be the model selected to launch in Australia, as Zhang Jiaming says it’s “arguably most prominent product”.“We aim to truly enter the core mainstream segment of the global market, such as Toyota and Ford. Current products can't penetrate this market, and we can't compete on brand and mechanical performance,” he told Autohome.“However, with the P3X, Rely has a chance to seize this position. First, the Rely P3X offers excellent safety, second, it offers better economical efficiency, and third, it boasts exceptional intelligence, enabling various scenario-based innovations. Therefore, I believe the Rely P3X can fully compete with these competitors.”

Australian new car sales are booming. We bought more than 100,000 new cars in August, which is an all time high for the month.