Chery Australia is ready to venture beyond the boundaries of its current SUV lineup, with plans to introduce three new model lines over the next 18 months.
Speaking to CarExpert exclusively at the Chinese automaker’s headquarters in Wuhu last week, Chery CEO Shaodong Zhu confirmed the company’s bold expansion plans.
“Because Chery is now a global brand, we are trying from the beginning of each new model development to consider all global markets,” he said.
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“So, especially, for example, for the hatchback and also for the pickup, both of these are very good global markets.
“With pickup especially, the yearly volume in the global market is around five million [units], and surely as we are one global company we will consider this for all new models.
“We have the planning and strategy to arrange a full range of all our product lines. From the SUV, we will also expand to sedan in right-hand drive.”
Chery’s entry into the dual-cab ute segment will likely be the first cab off the rank, based on the Rely KP3X that debuted at the Chengdu motor show in September.
It will be launched outside of its domestic market next week in Latin America, with right-hand drive production due to commence in the middle of 2026 ahead of an expected Australian release late next year.
Chery has yet to reveal any detailed specifications for its first Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux competitor, but it has confirmed the ute is currently undergoing extensive testing and evaluation in Australia.
It is expected to be powered by the world’s first diesel-electric hybrid powertrain, but Mr Zhu confirmed that Chery is also developing plug-in hybrid, full battery-electric, and range-extender hybrid variants.
“For the pickup, we will have three to four models to match with the different [powertrain] demand,” he said.
As for the sedan, Chery Australia is expected to offer the Arrizo 8 from next year as a direct rival for the likes of the Toyota Camry and incoming MG7.
The sleek four-door is available in other export markets with the choice of either a 145kW 1.6-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine or a larger 2.0-litre engine that develops 190kW. Both are front-wheel drive and equipped with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
However, another powertrain option is the closely related Fulwin A8, which uses the same 1.5-litre hybrid powertrain as the Tiggo 7 and Jaecoo J7 ‘Super Hybrid’ SUVs.
As for the small hatchback, Chery does not currently produce a competitor for the likes of the Toyota Corolla and Mazda 3, so this would be an all-new model that is currently under development.
In any case, Chery is serious about building its presence in right-hand drive markets around the world, including Australia.
“For Australia, as well as in England and Malaysia, they all have good markets,” added Mr Zhu.
“For now, our main investment is for expanding into new markets – as well as Europe – so we have a lot of energy for right-hand drive markets.”