Chery E5 Reviews

Sales of new Chinese-made cars in Australia have been on the rise for a number of years now, but 2025 saw it reach new heights.According to VFACTS sales data released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, a total of 221,699 new vehicles imported from China were sold in Australia, which is up 25.9 per cent year-on-year.It’s worth noting that this figure doesn’t include Tesla and Polestar sales. Every Polestar and almost every Tesla (excluding the updated Model Y Performance) sold in Australia are made in China.Combining this Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) sales data, it’s understood more than 252,000 Chinese-made cars were sold in Australia during 2025. An exact figure can’t be determined as Tesla doesn’t provide any data indicating how many of its Australian-delivered cars were made in China and Germany.Even despite this, China has now overtaken Thailand as the second largest new vehicle import market in Australia. A total of 249,958 Thai-made new vehicles were sold in Australia during 2025, which is down 8.2 per cent year-on-year.It’s worth noting that this is still behind Japan, which has been the largest new vehicle import market in Australia for decades now. A total of 358,981 Japanese-made new vehicles were sold in Australia last year, which is down 5.3 per cent year-on-year.The large jump in Chinese-made new vehicles in Australia is likely attributable to the wealth of new Chinese brands that launched last year. Examples include Deepal, Geely, JAC, Jaecoo, Leapmotor, Omoda, XPeng and Zeekr.These brands are able to scale quickly in Australia as they view it as a test market for further expansion. Plus, there are no import tariffs to hinder potential sales.There was also astronomical growth in a number of existing Chinese brands in Australia. Sales of Chery vehicles were up 176.8 per cent year-on-year and BYD vehicles were up 156.2 per cent year-on-year.Chinese brands GWM, BYD and MG have all cemented their place in the top 10 best sellers and continue to grow.Although Chinese-made car sales rose a considerable amount last year, the top 10 best-selling models were largely imported from Japan or Thailand. The best-selling Chinese-made car last year was the 10th placed Tesla Model Y with a total of 22,239 examples sold.A number of non-Chinese carmakers have been taking note of how Chinese-made cars have been performing in Australia and are quickly pivoting to producing models in that country.As examples, the Cupra Tavascan, Kia EV5, Lotus Eletre and Emeya, as well as the forthcoming Hyundai Elexio, Mazda 6e and Mazda CX-6e are all made in China.For now we'll have to wait and see, but China could soon topple Japan and become the biggest new vehicle import market in Australia if it continues its trajectory.

The European Union is proposing an alternative to its tariffs targeting Chinese-made electric-powered vehicles, in the form of a minimum price model, according to Bloomberg.Under the model, Chinese exporters can submit price offers, which must be “adequate to eliminate the injurious effects of the subsidies and provide equivalent effect to duties”.Details such as the minimum import price, sales channels, cross compensation and future investments in the EU must be included.Alternatively, brands who do not use this new model will continue to be subject to the tariffs.A 2024 investigation found China’s car exporters gained unfair advantage from Chinese government subsidies, which found they were able to sell cars significantly under the price of Europe-built alternatives.To combat this, Chinese brands were hit with tariffs of up to 35 per cent on imports in addition to a 10 per cent foreign cars tariff.These tariffs are designed to counteract the impact of these subsidies to protect jobs and entice buyers toward European cars.They also are intended to encourage Chinese brands to build cars in Europe.Chinese auto makers have already begun building cars in Europe.For example, Xpeng is using local assembly in Austria, while Leapmotor manufactures cars in Poland.This latest change demonstrates a cooperative approach between the EU and Chinese car makers, described as a “soft landing” in China.Despite tough economic conditions for Chinese car makers in Europe, brands are gaining an increasingly strong hold.Chinese car brands outsold Renault and Audi in Europe during August in 2025. The following month they sold more vehicles than South Korean brands in Western Europe for the first time ever.These defiant sales figures are largely due to Chinese brands shifting focus from EVs to the import of hybrid and internal combustion vehicles.The news comes after reports that the EU is planning to remove its total ban on petrol and diesel vehicles by 2035.

A new budget EV hatchback could be coming soon.

The Australian new car market is going through one of its biggest changes to date.A wave of budget-focused Chinese brands has washed over the market in the past two years, eating away into the sales of many established carmakers.The emergence of new technologies such as hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles will change the cars we drive forever.Despite that, some things have stayed the same. Diesel-powered utes and 4WDs are the dominant force in Aussie motoring, but new models are snapping at their heels.Here are the best selling 100 vehicles in Australia during the past year.

In the years since the likes of GWM and MG established a beachhead for Chinese automotive brands in the local new car market a slew of others have followed.Economics 101 says increased competition in a mature market will quickly stimulate activity, generating big winners and significant losers.And the reality of 2025’s vehicle registration data, compiled by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI VFacts) and the Electric Vehicle Council (EVC), has graphically validated that economic theory.More than 30 of the 60 passenger car and light commercial brands monitored by VFacts and the EVC went backwards in terms of sales volume in 2025 compared to 2024.But the winners were BIG, the top two improvers experiencing spectacular growth; the overall champ almost sending the needle off the clock.Of course, some were coming off a relatively small sales base, with increasing supply and expanding model line-ups inflating percentage figures. So, for context, we’ll also note outright volume increases and only include brands that recorded full-year sales in 2024.Here are our top five countdowns for biggest new car sales winners and losers in 2025.5) Rolls-Royce: Okay, it’s 13 extra cars for 2025 over 2024, but when each one of them retails for a minimum of $700K that’s some handy incremental profit margin. Obviously, for a select few it’s a case of ‘cost-of-living crisis be damned’, with no less than eight extra Cullinan SUVs and the same number of sedans finding a home last year. 4) Mini: A big year for Mini, including a major JCW-focused refresh across the range as well as a burst of sales for the pure-electric Aceman line-up. There were substantial boosts for the Cabrio (+100 per cent), Cooper (+45.2 per cent) and Countryman (+19 per cent).   3) Polestar: It was a case of swings and roundabouts for the Swedish EV specialist with the Polestar 2 liftback dropping sales while the larger 3 and 4 SUVs expanded total numbers by close to 40 per cent. Stand by for the performance-focused Polestar 5 GT’s impact when it arrives here mid-year.2) BYD: Market appetite for BYD’s products grew in parallel with its model range, the Chinese giant’s Aussie line-up expanding from four to eight models. Newcomers like the Atto 1, Atto 2 and Sealion 7 grew its share of the pie dramatically, but the star of the show was the Shark 6 hybrid ute, racking up more than 18,000 sales for the year.1) Chery: The sharply-priced Tiggo 4 Pro small SUV has proved a smash hit for Chery with sales building steadily over 2025, to the point where it’s nipping at the heels of the category-leading Hyundai Kona and MG ZS. Adding the large Tiggo 9 large SUV also delivered handy incremental sales.5) Suzuki: Despite the addition of the Fronx small hybrid SUV mid-year (which captured a handy 1667 sales) the evergreen Japanese brand went backwards in 2025, with stocks of the discontinued Ignis dwindling, Swift sales decreasing and even the cult-favourite Jimny in decline.   4) Jaguar: Kind of a no-brainer given the brand very publicly pulled the pin on production of everything except the F-Pace SUV for 12 months in preparation for a new, more premium range ramping up through 2026 and 2027. The big surprise is sales of the E-Pace growing four per cent year-on-year despite the manufacturing halt. Must have been a few in stock.  3) Maserati: Sales volume dropping by close to a third is rarely a good thing but with the Maserati Levante SUV falling off the radar there weren’t enough Grecale SUV buyers ready to pick up the slack. The Granturismo and Grancabrio coupe and convertible GTs were also missing in action creating a low ebb for the iconic Italian. 2) Jeep: Speaking of iconic brands, Jeep has been fighting well-publicised head winds in its US home market thanks to a seemingly ill-advised move to a more premium positioning with prices to match. Despite a slight sales uptick for the Grand Cherokee as it leaves the local stage, serious falls for the Wrangler 4WD and Gladiator ute also took the wind out of Jeep’s sales here.1) Lotus: Who would have thought a brand famous for simplifying and adding lightness in producing race-ready sports cars would be punished for heading down the pure-electric path with a heavy SUV (Eletre) and big four-door GT (Emeya). Even the internal-combustion mid-engine Emira (despite a stay of production execution) dropped by more than 50 per cent.   

China is about to ban a popular feature on new cars.Retractable door handles on cars will be banned in China from January 2027, according to a public notice from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).Under the draft rules, cars will be required to have mechanical emergency releases for exterior and interior door handles. Exterior door handles must be positioned within accessible areas on the door or door frame. For interior side doors, they must have at least one mechanical interior handle, and a minimum of one interior handle must be visible to occupants.Many manufacturers had been adopting retractable door handles on their vehicles, with it quickly becoming the latest premium gimmick.There are also some other more practical benefits such as aiding aerodynamics by reducing drag when the car is moving. Despite the points in favour, there have been several safety concerns raised, including a fatal fire-related incident in China recently. In situations where electric vehicles become submerged or catch alight, the electrics can malfunction and halt the operation of any electric door handles, leaving occupants trapped. This latest ban will require manufacturers to rethink their approach to door handle design if they want to continue selling their cars in China.This will likely have knock-on effects for Australia given it's an important export market for many Chinese carmakers.Among the many carmakers utilising electric door handles are Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y, as well as plenty of Chinese competitors. Similar concerns around electric door handle safety have also been raised in Australia.The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) has adapted its safety testing protocols from 2026, placing emphasis on electric door handles. “Increasingly popular electrically-operated door handles – which sit flush with bodywork when not in use – should remain operable after any crash,” a press release read. ANCAP’s official 2026 changes brochure expands on this. “We’re asking that cars with electric door handles – those powered by the cars’ 12 volt auxiliary battery – provide the ability for all side door handles to be in the extended/ready-to-open position immediately after a crash,” it reads. “They’ll also need to remain operable from the inside, or provide a manual override, so that occupants can exit, or first-responders can gain access inside the vehicle after a crash.”

Surely, you'd think there's no more room in Australia's market for more Chinese brands, but we think these ones would still have a place.

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Who will break first - legacy brands or struggling newcomers?

I know what you're thinking. Surely we don't need any more Chinese cars, but you'd better bet some of the best ones still aren't in Australia.