Chery News

The cut-price Chery Tiggo 4 Pro small SUV has been hit with an urgent recall.The recall notice posted by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts, said close to 2000 of the fast-selling SUVs were affected by an issue regarding its autonomous emergency braking tech.According to the notice a software issue is to blame.“Due to a software issue, the vehicle may not have the Autonomous Emergency Brake (AEB) sound alarm activated.”If the AEB sound doesn’t go off it could increase the risk of an accident causing injury or death to the vehicle occupants or other road users, according to the recall notice.Owners of affected vehicles are urged to contact their nearest Chery dealership to have the AEB software updated at no cost.The Tiggo 4 Pro was one of the top selling small SUVs in the country at the start of this year. More than a 1000 found a new home in January, outselling familiar favourites such as the Kia Seltos, Honda HR-V and Subaru Cross Trek.A big part of this sales bonanza is due to the Tiggo 4 Pro’s low, low starting price of $23,990 drive-away. This makes it one of the cheapest new cars on sale in Australia.The Tiggo 4 Pros without proper working AEB fall foul of Australian Design Rule 98/01.A similar design rule 98/00, which was recently updated has caused the end of sale of several vehicles in Australia.This rule change meant new vehicles had to have advanced auto emergency braking, this caused the end of the current Mitsubishi ASX, Pajero Sport and Eclipse Cross as well as several Suzuki models.

Chery's Jetour range of GWM-Tank-rivalling SUVs expands, but will it ever come to Australia?

Price used to be the biggest hurdle to electric car adoption, but not anymore.Research conducted by the Electric Vehicle Council in 2022 suggested half of new car buyers were considering switching to electric, but the number one concern was the upfront cost.One of the best value offerings at the time was the Tesla Model 3, which started from a whopping $64,300. Consumers were expected to pay $15,000 to $20,000 more for an EV compared to an equivalent petrol model.A lot has changed.The electric car market has expanded significantly and costs, both from existing players and those new-to-market, have come down significantly.The upgraded Tesla Model 3, which now features more driving range and features, starts from $54,900, and you can hop into a fully electric car from as low as $29,990 (for the BYD Dolphin Essential).Not only have costs come down, but the amount of choice has exploded. The just-launched Leapmotor C10 is a mid-size family SUV, which starts from $45,888 before on-roads (or just $47,500 as part of an initial drive-away offer). It’s a price-tag equivalent to a mid-spec Toyota RAV4 — Australia’s most in-demand hybrid SUV — and soon it will have to compete with not only the Xpeng G6 but the Geely EX5.We may have expected electric car price parity to arrive with some fanfare, but it has almost arrived with barely a whimper.Top-selling models, including the Tesla Model Y, still seem to be a price-step above combustion options. There’s a vibrant price-war amongst the increasing number of Chinese automakers available and in an increasing number of segments, but it seems like electric cars have lost their lustre a bit amongst new car buyers.As a result, the latest data from the industry has those considering purchasing an EV dropping significantly.It’s not all over for electric cars as some doom and gloom headlines proclaim, often citing softening (but still growing) sales in Australia. There are also much more dire figures out of Europe causing some of the biggest manufacturers to issue embarrassing about-faces on once-bold all-electric commitments, as customers reject new products in droves.So why is this happening? Do Australian new car buyers even want an EV anymore, and are we set to follow in the footsteps of other places that have seen an EV sales slow-down?The issue has several factors, all of them economic rather than ideological, despite what the comments section would have you believe.Consumer confidence in the new car market has declined significantly with high interest rates. The January 2025 sales data from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) showed a continued decline in EV sales following a soft second half of 2024, but also a rapid increase in registrations at the lowest end of the market. Significant winners so far this year include the Kia Picanto, Chery Tiggo 4, MG3, and outgoing Mitsubishi ASX, all budget petrol-powered offerings, and a far cry from the usual mid- or high-spec SUVs which have dominated sales charts for some time.Another significant factor is the removal of EV incentives from most states.The amount of competition in the Australian market has had a knock-on effect of slaughtering the resale value of existing EVs. Imagine having bought a pre-upgrade Model 3 in 2022, only to have its value halve in three years because the new one is not only better, but it’s nearly $10,000 more affordable, too.Then there’s the consideration of why buy a two- or three-year-old, relatively high kilometre Tesla, when you could have a brand-new BYD Seal with a box-fresh warranty from $46,990. Buyers have begun to question whether now is the right time for a purely electric vehicle, when they could simply wait for prices to stabilise, buying or holding on to a combustion car in the meantime.Fuel prices are hovering around $2 a litre and Australia’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standards (NVES) will begin to have a significant impact on the model mix available. Hybrids appear to be the biggest beneficiaries. Sales are up a whopping 76 per cent year-on-year, driven by the return of the supply of popular Toyota models after a long period of parts shortages, and an explosion of new options available from Hyundai, Kia, GWM, Honda, and Nissan.This slowdown in EV consideration is a natural part of the process and what has to happen to bring the technology to the mainstream as automakers scramble to have the best, most affordable vehicles available.It’s the most keen early-adopters of electric vehicles who will feel the brunt of this. Their vehicles have been hit by the biggest declines in value, and they’ve had to put up with an immature charging network and even some additional expenses, like higher insurance costs.Still, the Australian market continues to evolve. While consumers seem to have turned more to hybrids, EV sales still grew in Australia, up 4.7 per cent over the course of 2024. They accounted for 91,292 units or 7.4 per cent the market and more options particularly at the same price of popular hybrids should continue to convert buyers.Australia has plenty of growth in the EV sector to go. Australia has the highest uptake of household solar in the world, which would, in turn, mean that Australian households with the ability to charge in their garage will have some of the lowest per-km cost to recharge their electric vehicles.The biggest factor in the long-run though will be the NVES. Finally catapulting Australia into the world of 21st century emissions policy, this policy will really start to bite in the second half of the decade. Almost every mainstream automaker who has spoken to CarsGuide on the topic has earmarked serious changes to their line-up, with a high percentage of pure electric vehicles necessary for them to avoid hefty fines from the government.It’s also worth noting that at 7.4 per cent adoption, while Australia has been a little slow on the uptake, it’s hardly hit the saturation point which many European jurisdictions and some Chinese cities have reached, which is a big source of their respective market slow-downs.What’s the take-away? While price-parity EVs have quietly arrived in Australia with minimal fanfare, the path for growth here seems more sustainable than the great swings and misses we’ve seen overseas.Periods of explosive growth and unsustainable subsidies are behind us, and a slowly-but-surely set of policies in place here seems to be adding incrementally to Australia’s electric fleets rather than moving from huge sales to gutting losses for automakers, and in the long term, this should add confidence for EV buyers rather than doubt.

The Chery Tiggo 7 Pro SUV is now Australia's cheapest mid-sized SUV as the Chinese brand transitions from a three- to a two-variant line-up, cutting the entry price by $7000. Priced at just $29,990, drive-away, a new SE variant will replace the previous Urban ($36,990) entry grade, while an additional SE+ variant will now top the range at $33,990, drive-away, down $12,000 from the previous top-spec Ultimate AWD ($45,990). The former mid-spec Elite ($41,990) is gone altogether.The updated line-up makes it $2010 less than the KGM Ssangyong Korando, which previously held the title of Australia's cheapest mid-size SUV at $32,000, drive-away.It is also now about $4000 cheaper than key rivals such as the MG HS and Haval H6, which start at $33,990 and $33,900 (both drive-away), respectively.The Toyota RAV4 and the Mitsubishi Outlander are at least $10,000 more, with either model starting at $39,760 and $37,760, both at before on-road costs.Unlike its aforementioned rivals, however, the Tiggo 7 Pro remains without a hybrid or plug-in hybrid offering.Despite the substantial price cut, the SE will maintain important features such as the dual-screen 12.3-inch multimedia and digital driver’s display with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.An eight-speaker Sony speaker system, 18-inch alloy wheels, a full-sized spare wheel and 16 drive-assist safety systems will remain as well.The SE+ adds a panoramic sunroof, a surround-view camera, a cabin air-filtration system, a power tailgate and heated front seats.As before, power will be sourced from a 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine that outputs 137kW/275Nm to the front wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.Claimed fuel economy is unchanged at 7.0-litres/100km, which is considerably higher than than the entry RAV4 GX hybrid at a claimed 4.8-litres/100km, but 0.5-litres less than the entry-level, petrol-powered Outlander ES.The Tiggo 7 Pro comes with a five-star ANCAP safety rating, a seven-year unlimited km warranty, seven years of capped price servicing and up to seven years of roadside assistance.It is available to order from dealerships right now.

Chery’s new rugged four-wheel drive brand is taking off.

Chery has a new sub-brand on the way to take on rivals such as the GWM Tank 700 and premium off-roaders from the likes of Land Rover.Or, rather, it's a sub-sub-brand, as Chery’s existing Jetour sub-brand is set to spawn another badge called ‘Jetour Zhongheng’.According to CarNewsChina, the brand will target premium off-roaders like the GWM Tank 700 and products from Land Rover, while using hybrid and electrified powertrains to do so.The brand will hold a conference later in January to divulge more details about the launch, but whether Australia will see any of these products is yet to be seen.So far, it seems like Chery isn’t planning to bring the Jetour sub-brand Down Under, instead focusing on luxe Jaecoo models.“Jetour is not in the plans at this stage. They’re cool looking cars, but they’re not an international export at this point,” Chery’s local boss Lucas Harris told CarsGuide in 2024.“There’s gotta be a business case,” he said. “It’s not a cheap exercise to redevelop from left-hand drive to right-hand drive.”The Jetour Traveller — powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine — would have been a cut-price rival to the Land Rover Defender if it had been available here, though the new Jetour Zhongheng offshoot would have likely seen a similar vehicle available with a hybrid drivetrain.

Despite a backwards step in 2024, Chinese cars are on-track to bounce back in 2025 as a flood of new brands enter the market.While brands like BYD, MG, GWM and Chery have already established themselves, a new wave is on the way to challenge Japan as Australia’s biggest car importer.By the end of 2024 there were 12 Chinese brands officially in the Australian market and at least two more have announced plans for entry into our market in 2025 with more expected to follow. Japan, by contrast, only has nine brands in our local market but still comfortably leads the overall production with nearly 379,000 vehicles from Japan sold here in 2024.That compares to 272,139 from Thailand and 176,159 from China. Those figures don’t account for a brand’s national base but rather simply where they are built, so it includes certain Tesla, Volvo and other models from different brands.But while Japan and Thailand still lead the way as the most popular countries for new-car production, China appears on-course to overtake them in the not-too-distant future at the current rate.With the likes of Zeekr, Leapmotor, Deepal, XPeng, Geely, Smart, JAC, GAC/Aion, Jaecoo and more set to grow in 2025, plus expanded product lines from BYD, MG, GWM and Chery, the approximate 96,000 sales difference between China and Thailand could shrink dramatically this year.The industry is well aware of the rapid growth of the Chinese car industry in Australia, with Toyota Australia’s Head of Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations, Sean Hanley, commenting this week: “The Australian new-car market has always been one of the most competitive in the world, and 2025 will be no different. We expect to see more new brands and models, which means more choice and even stronger competition, which, in the end, is great for the consumer.“By all reports, there could be a dozen new Chinese car companies arriving in Australia by the end of next year. In the past five years, they have taken more than 13 percentage points of market share from established brands.”Hanley was quick to point out that while these new brands have taken significant market share, Toyota remains the clear leader.However, that growth must come from somewhere and that will force brands across the market to react to this new array of rivals. This is likely to result in increased competition for Australian buyers at a time when cost-of-living pressures are expected to cool the market after record sales in 2024.

The electric car price wars have renewed with increased intensity in 2025.Chery is the latest maker to slash thousands off its electric car as it tries to move stock.The brand’s first electric car, the Omoda E5, is now $6000 cheaper at $36,990 (before on-road costs) for the entry-level BX grade.This matches the drive-away run out deal on the soon to be replaced MG ZS EV, though this is only on older 2023 versions.This price discount follows similar price cuts by MG late in 2024, which took thousands off older versions of its MG4 electric hatchback.BYD just announced new entry-level versions of its Dolphin electric mini hatchback and Atto 3 small SUV. The cheaper Dolphin now starts just below $30,000 (before on-road costs).Chery Australia boss Lewis Lu said it is growing its electric and hybrid portfolio this year with several new models.“At Chery, we are committed to accelerating the transition to clean energy by making electric vehicles more affordable for everyone, and easing the burden for consumers in these tough economic times” said Lu.The Omoda E5 is powered by a single electric motor, which sends 150kW and 340Nm to the front wheels.A 61kWh lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery provides a driving range of up to 430km and can accept a maximum charge rate of 80kW. Chery claims this can replenish the battery from 30 to 80 per cent in half an hour when connected to a DC fast charger.There is a fair level of standard kit, too.The base BX comes with cloth seats with synthetic leather highlights, wireless device charger, six-speaker Sony stereo, 18-inch alloy wheels, 18 driver aids and two 12.3-inch digital displays with one for the multimedia and the other for the driver’s instruments.It also has a full size spare tyre, which is a massive advantage over the tyre repair kit other electric cars are dealt.The Omoda E5 received a five star ANCAP safety rating, too.Chery said the deal remains in place until stock lasts.

The Australian new car market is more competitive than ever before and the 2024 sales charts proved exactly that.It doesn't matter whether you're a legacy brand or a new kid on the block, the electric transition has created ample opportunities for carmakers to thrive – and a considerable number did so this year.So, without further ado, here they are...GWM’s rise to a top-ten brand in 2024 caught many by surprise, though people are quick to forget that this has been a long time coming.As the first Chinese car brand to reach Australian shores in 2009, GWM has evolved considerably from its early ute foundations, with its SUV range now comprising the vast majority of its sales.Specifically, the Haval Jolion, which GWM sold 14,238 of last year – a record for the brand for what is Australia’s second-cheapest hybrid car and 10th most popular in December. We knew BYD was coming, but who expected this?The Chinese Tesla-challenger came big in 2024 with a sales uptick of 64.5 per cent, primarily off the back of the fully-electric Seal and plug-in hybrid Sealion 6 models – which sold 6393 and 6198 units, respectively, in their first year.With the Shark 6 ute and Sealion 7 on its way, who knows, by this time next year we could be calling it a top-ten brand.It was another strong year for Ford which maintained the title of Australia's best-selling vehicle with the Ranger ute. It clocked 62,593 sales in total.Second to it, albeit much further behind, was the Ranger-based Everest SUV, which clocked 26,494 sales for the year – a 75.8 per cent increase on last year.Together they accounted for nearly 90 per cent of Ford's sales, which puts them in a precarious position in 2025 with New Vehicle Efficiency Standards and stiff competition from BYD and GWM on the plug-in hybrid ute front.Australia’s love of Mitsubishi clearly isn’t waning despite the brand lacking an EV.Sales of the Outlander SUV, which is offered in plug-in hybrid guise, skyrocketed in 2024, with 27,613 sales making it the second-best selling medium SUV in the country behind the Toyota RAV4.It is also worth noting that the new-gen Triton had a strong year, with sales up a further 7.6 per cent to 14,737 for the year.There are few things Australians love more than a Toyota.  The Japanese powerhouse grew its sales by 26,056 on last year, with the final tally of 241,296 sales exceeding the volume of both second (Ford) and third (Mazda) places combined. A big chunk of that was off the back of the RAV4, which nearly doubled its sales from 29,627 last year to 58,718. Toyota expects that to grow even further in 2025.HiLux sales retracted by 14.2 per cent in 2024 and are likely to do so again in 2025, but it still performed strongly with 53,499 total sales. Expect some of the slack to be picked up by the brand new Prado this year.The South Korean powerhouse continues its march as one of Australia’s best-selling car brands, increasing its slice of the pie by a further 7.4 per cent in 2024 to 81,787 total sales.Leading its sales was the Kia Sportage with 22,210 sales, a 41.0 per cent increase on the previous year.The Cerato and Carnival models weren’t too far behind at 15,502 and 10,080 sales, respectively.Regardless of challenging times for the brand globally, Nissan had a strong year in Australia, clocking up nearly 6000 more sales this year compared to last.Those were greatly helped by the X-Trail, which had a huge 36 per cent increase in sales year-on-year.Though it's far from the most compelling ute in Australia, the Navara continued to sell relatively well, clocking up 10,063 sales for 2024, a 15.5 per cent increase.So apparently selling super-affordable cars during a cost-of-living crisis was a winning ticket, who would’ve thought?Chery shook things up in 2024 with its very affordable range, which doubled in size. The Omoda 5 reigned supreme, growing its sales from 5370 to 6162.It wasn’t without help from the Tiggo 7 Pro (2734) and the brand new Tiggo 4 Pro (1918) and Tiggo 8 Pro (1789) models, though.Suzuki is proving that you don’t necessarily need a brand new line-up to achieve sales success.As the brand’s most popular model, the Jimny (9697 sales), enters its seventh year, it shows no signs of slowing down, with sales up 93.9 per cent from 2023.The same can be said for the Vitara (2456 sales), which enters its 10th year this year with a 45.6 per cent sales increase on last year.Porsche’s strong year was largely off the back of its petrol Macan model, which is now out of production as the brand transitions to an electric-only Macan range.Expect sales to dip strongly next year.The second- and third-most popular models were the Cayenne and 911, which remain strong market favourites with respective sales increases of 15.5 and 40.3 per cent.While recording a modest sales increase, BMW retained its title as Australia’s best-selling premium brand for the second year running.With 26,341 total sales, BMW saw strong results across its very dynamic line-up, which consists of EVs, plug-in hybrids, mild-hybrids, petrol and diesel.Notable models were the electric i4 sedan, which saw a staggering 484.1 per cent increase on last year, along with the new X2, which saw a 565 per cent increase.It sounds big on paper, but the 16.1 per cent increase only equates to 600 sales from 3703 in 2023 to 4303 in 2024.Not to downplay it, though, it's a strong result for Chevrolet which sells its cheapest car in Australia – the Silverado LTZ 1500 premium – for $130,500, before on-road costs.

Having expanded its line-up from one model to four, on the way to huge year-on-year sales growth in 2024 (+114 per cent), Chery Australia has confirmed it is bringing no less than three hybrid SUVs to the local market around the middle of this year.