Chery News

Jetour representatives hint at which of its off-road vehicles will be available in right-hand drive.

Chery could have a BYD Atto 3 and Kia EV3 rival in Australia shortly following the Omoda 3’s reveal at the Shanghai auto show last week.According to Autocar UK, the small SUV with an optional electric, plug-in hybrid (PHEV) or petrol powertrain has been confirmed for the UK – a fellow right-hand drive market.Chery’s local arm told CarsGuide it is interested in the model for the Australia market, although it is yet to confirm a timeframe for its release.The Omoda 3 represents a new design language, with the Chinese company opting for angular lines and a shark-nose grille, giving it the impression of a $400,000 Lamborghini Urus, despite the Omoda 3’s likely starting price nearer the $35,000 mark.It lines up at 4420mm long, making it 50mm longer than the current Omoda 5. According to Autocar, the new Omoda 5 will be stretched for its next generation.Exact powertrain specifications remain unclear at this stage, although it is likely to inherit Chery’s Super Hybrid System currently underpinning the new Jaecoo J7, with which it shares a platform.It combines a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, which makes 105kW, with a 150kW electric motor and a single-speed transmission. A 18.3kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery, meanwhile, provides 90km of electric range.Inside, the Omoda 3 adopts what Chery is calling a “starship cockpit” that features a portrait-oriented central display and a smaller landscape-oriented digital driver’s display.The Lamborghini inspiration continues with what appears to be a centre-console mounted push-button start with a red switch cover.Customers will also reportedly be able to modify their Omoda 3 with an “official racing pack” that adds body wraps.Chery Australia announced recently that it would split off Omoda into its own sub brand, sitting alongside the more premium Jaecoo.Chery has had serious sales success in Australia this year with the brand clocking some 6057 sales to March – an increase of 216 per cent compared to the same period last year.Its new Tiggo 4 – a rival to the MG ZS, Kia Stonic and Toyota Yaris Cross – has led the charge, registering 3338 sales so far this year.The announcement of the Omoda 3 follows news of Chery’s global plans to launch 19 new hybrid models across this year.

Chery has announced its popular small SUV, the Tiggo 4, has been given a modest upgrade for the 2026 model year.Still priced at just $23,990 for the Urban or $26,990 (both drive-away) for the flagship Ultimate, the Tiggo 4 remains Australia’s cheapest SUV, undercutting the MG ZS and GWM Haval Jolion (both priced at $26,990 drive-away), despite the new updates.Headlining the changes are new 17 and 18-inch alloy wheels and a redesigned rear end, which adds a LED tail-light bar that brings the car into line with the rest of the Chery line-up. The Ultimate grade also gets a 15W wireless charging pad.As before, both variants carry dual 10.25-inch LCD screens for multimedia and digital driver’s display functions. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as Chery’s voice command assistant, come standard.The Ultimate steps things up with a surround-view camera, synthetic leather seats and ambient lighting.As before, the Tiggo 4 Pro is powered by a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine that delivers 108kW/210Nm to the front wheels through a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Combined fuel consumption is claimed at 7.4L/100km, while carbon emissions are quoted at 168g/km.All Chery vehicles are covered by a seven-year/unlimited-km warranty, along with seven years of capped-priced servicing and up to seven years of roadside assistance.The Tiggo 4 Pro has helped launch Chery to mainstream contention this year, with 3338 sales in the first three months of the year, or more than 5200 since the car launched in Australia roughly six months ago.Now the most popular model in Chery’s catalogue, the brand’s sales have risen 216.6 per cent compared to the same period last year.Interested buyers can test drive the Chery Tiggo 4 Pro at the brand's showrooms from today.

Chery has announced it will develop 39 new hybrid cars across its different product lines, consisting largely of plug-in hybrid and range-extender models.According to Autohome, the move is a part of a new three-pillar business strategy that was detailed by brand executives during a “Hybrid Night” press conference last week at Chery’s headquarters in Wuhu.The new approach will prioritise vertical integration, improved safety standards and open source technologies, the latter of which meaning Chery will make its new hybrid technologies available to other automakers. KGM SsangYong is already a signatory, with Chery platforms poised to underpin a new range of joint-developed hybrid SUVs.At least three new hybrid powertrains will be developed by Chery to accommodate different applications. That starts with the CDM/CEM powertrains, which will denote the systems fitted to mainstream passenger vehicles such as the Chery ‘Fulwin’ Tiggo Pro 8 and Tiggo Pro 9.It allows for one of three 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine configurations paired with either a range-extender (REEV) or plug-in hybrid (PHEV) drivetrain. Chery claims the petrol engine will be able reach a thermal efficiency of 48 per cent, making it among the most efficient in the world.The brand’s more performance-oriented cars under its Exceed, Luxeed and iCar sub-brands, will carry CDM-S and CEM-S hybrid powertrains, which pair either a 1.5-litre or 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine with PHEV, REEV or plugless hybrid drivetrain options.And finally, the off-road oriented Jetour sub-brand will carry CDM-O and CEM-E powertrains that pair either a 1.5-litre or 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine with newly-developed dual electric motors and a brand-new off-road specific three-speed hybrid transmission.The powertrains will be made available on the plug-in hybrid Jetour G700, G900 and T1 models in China, and while Chery is yet to confirm the off-road sub-brand for Australia, it remains in with a strong chance as the brand gains a foothold in the Australian market.Last year, Chery sold 12,603 cars, an increase of 113 per cent on the previous year. Sales are looking even stronger in the first three months of 2025, with the brand already clocking 6105 sales, an increase of 216.6 per cent on the same period last year.The recent addition of Chery's self-described "premium" Jaecoo sub-brand will only build its momentum even further, while a hybrid version of the brand’s most popular car, the Chery Tiggo 4 small SUV, is expected to arrive later this year.It will be followed by plug-in hybrid versions of the Tiggo 7 and Tiggo 8, which will go head-to-head against medium SUV stalwarts in the Toyota RAV4, Ford Everest and Hyundai Santa Fe.

It was building for a long time, but now the giant wave of Chinese challenger brands entering the Australian new-car market has hit our shores with a vengeance.

Chinese newcomer Chery has admitted it has work to do fine-tuning its advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) for the Australian market.

Chinese carmaker Chery will supply its SUV technology to South Korea’s KGM Ssangyong, in a move that will see the latter develop new medium and large petrol and hybrid SUVs for its domestic market, according to local reports.It builds on a previous deal signed in October last year, which gave KGM Ssangyong access to Cheryl's 'Global Technology Platform', a modular platform designed to underpin petrol, diesel, hybrid and electric cars, to counter Hyundai and Kia’s dominance in the South Korean market.The new agreement reportedly gives it further access to Chery’s self-driving technology, as well as more advanced electrical architecture to further develop software-defined-vehicles.A new KGM Ssangyong SUV using a Chery platform is slated to arrive in 2026, although it is unclear whether we will see it in Australia.In addition to the partnership with Chery, KGM Ssangyong recently partnered with American components manufactuer Phinia Delphi to develop diesel-hydrogen technology for its range of commercial vehicles, which currently includes the Musso ute.Chery has been one of the biggest success stories in the Australian market this year, with sales of its SUV-only line-up skyrocketing by a staggering 216.6 per cent in the first three months of the year compared to the same period last year.As of March, Chery has sold 6057 cars, up from 1913 last year, with the vast majority of those sales coming from the Chery 4 Tiggo Pro small SUV, which is currently the second-cheapest car in the country.KGM Ssangyong, meanwhile, has struggled locally with sales down 18.6 per cent to the end of March compared to the same period last year, or 1368 sales down to 1114.The brand’s current top-seller is the Musso ute, with its SUV models – the Korando, Rexton and Torres – proving less popular.Further reinforcements in the upper mid-sized KGM Ssangyong Actyon and electric Musso EV ute are expected later this year to try and help turn things around.

Chery won’t follow the lead of Hyundai, Kia and now GWM and hire local expertise to make its cars better suited to Australian tastes and conditions.

Chery has launched a new family-sized, plug-in hybrid SUV in the UK under its more premium Omoda sub-brand.As a fellow right-hand-drive market, the Omoda 9 will launch in the UK with a price tag of £45,000 (A$93,664) in May. Should it land in Australia at some stage to rival the BYD Sealion 6 and Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, it would likely receive a significant price cut thanks to lower taxation and transport costs.The brand's local operations told CarsGuide it was reviewing the Omoda range for the Australian market, which currently consists of the Omoda 5 and its electric E5 sibling, though a spokesperson stopped short of confirming the model for Australia.In terms of design, the Omoda 9 carries a similar design language to its smaller Omoda E5 sibling, albeit with larger proportions and a few styling tweaks. That includes added front and rear LED light-bars and seemingly Kia-inspired, fang-style LED headlights.It lines up at 4774mm long, 1932mm wide and 1686mm tall with a wheelbase of 2800mm, making it longer, wider and taller than the BYD Sealion 6, but slightly shorter than the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.Power is sourced from a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine and twin electric motors mounted on each axle. Combined it delivers 330kW/700Nm to all four wheels through a three-speed automatic transmission.Additionally, there is a new 34.4kWh battery pack sourced from Chinese battery giant CATL, with a max DC charging rate of 70kW. It claims to be 20 per cent more energy dense than the firm's previous lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) units, and delivers a claimed electric range of 149km.Despite carrying at least 60km more of claimed electric range over its Sealion 6 and Outlander competitors, there is no confirmation that this figure has been scrutinised under the WLTP cycle.The interior is headlined by a single 24.6-inch display that incorporates the multimedia display and digital driver’s display into a single unit. As with the rest of the Omoda range, the interior is abundant with chrome trims, while providing welcome luxury features such as a panoramic sunroof and premium Sony stereo.Chery has reportedly prioritised acoustic refinement with the Omoda 9, adding acoustically-oriented Michelin tyres and double-glazed windows. The car sits on magnetorheological dampers and carries six drive modes (Eco, Normal, Sport, Mud and Off-road).Physical buttons, switches and knobs remain for climate control, along with radio, seat-heating and ventilation functions.Autocar UK reported that an additional Toyota RAV4 and Mazda CX-5 rival in the Omoda 7 will follow the Omoda 9 in the UK later.The latest Omoda news in Australia is the local Chery division will spin Omoda off into its own sub-brand separate from Chery's mainline vehicles and the Jaecoo division. Future Omoda vehicles will be sold alongside Jaecoo as a more premium offering, similar to how the sub-brands work in Europe.

Chery may only have arrived in Australia a few years ago but the Chinese automotive giant has revealed major expansion plans.