‘Litmus test’
Chinese car brands eye Australia
China’s automotive sector has an eye on Australia, with Chery in particular closely monitoring the upcoming launch and future potential for the brand locally, and on a global scale.
Due to relaunch in Australia this month with its bang-up-to-date Omoda 5 small SUV, Chery is looking to put the past well and truly behind it – a short run here between 2011 and 2015 ended on the back of poor safety scores and an asbestos-related parts scare.
This time, the brand launches in Australia with a wholly-owned subsidiary model that could well make the car-maker more accountable than would have been the case previously, when Chery vehicles were imported and distributed by Ateco Automotive.
The company’s Australian marketing director, James Curtis, told Goauto the pressure is on for the Australian arm to get it right this time around.
“Australia really is a litmus test for the brand,” he said.
“If it’s successful, Chery will rise to becoming a truly global company.”
The brand is already present in other markets outside of China, including – but not limited to – South Africa, Russia, Egypt and a number of South American and Middle Eastern nations.
Among the models sold elsewhere are the Tiggo 7 pro medium SUV and
Tiggo 8 large SUV that Goauto understands require more development before being introduced to Australia.
Mr Curtis said the product range sold in Australia would be more representative of a modern, safety and technology-focused line-up.
“We’re a right-hand drive market, and that’s a rarity,” he said.
“We’ve got the most amount of makes and models per capita. I think the fact that we’re global consumers, our expectations in safety and design, and in terms of our lifestyle, are equal to that of North America and Western Europe, in particular.”
As for what China is doing to try and allow the brand every success with its imminent launch in Australia, Mr Curtis said company headquarters were essentially ‘pulling out all the stops’ to make it a smooth start.
“Where other manufacturers might have parts shortage issues, I don’t expect that to be the case for us. We’re planning to make sure it’s not the case for us,” he said.
The brand’s parts warehouse will be based in Melbourne.
Further, Chery’s Australian arm has confirmed it will have ‘hundreds’ of Omoda 5 SUVS on ships, due in Australia in the coming weeks ahead of that vehicle’s launch.
The Chery Omoda 5 is a compact SUV, similar in size to a Nissan
Qashqai or Kia Seltos. It will be offered initially with a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol four-cylinder engine, CVT automatic transmission and front-wheel drive.
Pricing and further details about the Chery Omoda 5 are still to be revealed, though the brand has suggested it will be comprehensively equipped when it comes to safety technology.
The Chery Omoda 5 scored a fivestar rating in Euro NCAP crash testing in December 2022.
Chery reportedly sold more than 1.23 million vehicles globally in 2022, an increase of 28.1 percent on its 2021 tally.