Chery has ambitious plans

The Chinese car manufacturer Chery has ambitious goals. Sales growth rates of ten to 20 percent are to be achieved this year. This confidence is also based on the development of exports, which doubled last year to almost 940,000 vehicles. In total, Chery sold over 1.88 million vehicles in 2023, 52.6 percent more than in the previous year. In the first few months of this year alone, sales increased by 69.5 percent to just under 350,000 units.

Outside of China, Chery has been particularly successful with the Omoda 5. The sub-compact crossover is also set to come to Germany in the second half of the year. There will be a 1.6-liter petrol model with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission for under 30,000 euros and an electric version for under 40,000 euros. A larger SUV, the Jaecoo 7, has also been announced.

"The type approvals have been granted. Now it's a matter of fine-tuning the Omoda 5 and Jaecoo 7 to meet the wishes of European customers, for example in terms of driving dynamics and assistance systems," says Jochen Tüting, Head of Chery's European Research and Development Center in Raunheim near Frankfurt. "Many buyers in Chery's domestic market are first-time buyers, while the average European customer often has decades of experience as a user and therefore has different requirements when choosing a new car."

By the end of next year, the range of the two new brands is set to grow to six models and five drive variants. (aum)