Tag Archives: Chery

News

Chery Plans Four New UK SUVs and British R&D Centre

Chery is preparing its next major expansion in the UK, with four new or updated SUVs planned for 2027, a new Tiggo X family and a research and development centre at the UTAC Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire. The Chinese automaker says the move will help it build cars better suited to British roads while challenging established mass-market brands such as Volkswagen.

The announcement comes as Chery marks its first full year of UK sales. During that period, the brand has sold approximately 29,000 vehicles. Although that figure trails its sister brands Jaecoo and Omoda, Chery UK managing director Farrell Hsu says the company has already exceeded its sales target for 2026.

Hsu’s ambition is considerably larger than simply establishing a foothold in Britain. He wants Chery to become a mainstream manufacturer capable of competing with Volkswagen and other established “people’s car” brands.

“We want to challenge brands such as Volkswagen,” Hsu said, outlining a strategy focused on reaching the mass market rather than remaining a niche alternative.

Four New SUVs Will Expand the Chery UK Line-Up

Chery currently sells the Tiggo 4, Tiggo 7, Tiggo 8 and Tiggo 9 SUVs in the UK. The models compete across segments occupied by vehicles such as the Ford Puma, Volkswagen Tiguan and Skoda Kodiaq.

The next stage of the company’s strategy will see four new or updated SUVs arrive in 2027. One of those models will be electric, while the others are expected to broaden the range with new body styles, powertrain options and a more lifestyle-oriented approach.

The name of the new family has not yet been finalised, but Chery is expected to introduce a Tiggo X range. The first model could be closely related to the Tiggo X SUV unveiled at the Beijing motor show.

Positioned as Chery’s new flagship, the Tiggo X is a large, approximately 5.0-metre-long, seven-seat SUV with a boxy design and plug-in hybrid powertrain. Chinese media reports suggest it could produce a combined 476bhp and 465lb ft of torque, with an electric-only range of around 124 miles on the more generous CLTC testing cycle.

Those figures remain subject to confirmation for the UK market, but they indicate the direction Chery is taking with its flagship SUV: substantial dimensions, strong performance and the ability to cover many daily journeys using electric power alone.

Details of the other Tiggo X models remain undisclosed. However, Hsu suggested that the family will offer a distinctly different character from the existing Tiggo 4, 7, 8 and 9.

“They will bring a different feeling,” he said, describing the new models as having a “lifestyle” focus. That could mean more distinctive, boxier styling, increased practicality and some light off-road capability.

Chery Wants Its Cars to Feel More European

Expanding the model range is only part of Chery’s UK strategy. The company also wants to make its vehicles better suited to local driving conditions, and its new Bedfordshire R&D centre will play a central role in that effort.

Initially, the facility will operate as what Hsu called a “translation centre”. Its job will be to gather feedback from British customers and automotive media, then convert that information into practical engineering changes that Chinese development teams can implement.

That process will cover steering, chassis tuning and advanced driver assistance systems. British roads present a different challenge from those in China, with tighter lanes, more frequent bends and road surfaces that can be considerably less forgiving.

“We will test everything and then tell HQ what they need to do,” Hsu explained.

The Millbrook facility should allow Chery to evaluate modifications more quickly, including changes to dampers, suspension bushings and software calibrations. Rather than relying solely on feedback from overseas markets, engineers will be able to test adjustments locally and determine whether they deliver the desired improvements.

The goal is not simply to make Chery vehicles comfortable on British roads. Hsu also wants them to develop the driving character associated with German competitors.

“So many people like the German feeling; cars that drive like a German car,” he said. “It really gives them a very good impression. This is something we need to learn.”

That statement reflects a pragmatic approach from a manufacturer still building its reputation in Europe. Chery is not claiming to have mastered every aspect of the market. Instead, it is using local engineering expertise to understand what British buyers expect from the steering, suspension and overall behaviour of a modern family SUV.

Millbrook Could Influence Chery’s Global Cars

Although the Bedfordshire centre is being established to support the UK market, its influence could eventually extend much further.

The UK has considerable expertise in autonomous driving, artificial intelligence and vehicle development. Chery believes the knowledge gained through its British operations could eventually help shape products sold in other countries.

The same engineering improvements will also benefit Chery’s sister brands, including Omoda, Jaecoo and Lepas. That gives the Millbrook project significance beyond the Tiggo range, potentially allowing the wider group to develop a more consistent understanding of European driving preferences.

For now, however, the priority is straightforward: make Chery vehicles feel more natural and convincing on British roads.

Plug-In Hybrids Are Central to Chery’s UK Strategy

Chery’s rapid expansion will also depend heavily on its plug-in hybrid technology. Hsu said the company’s “Super Hybrid” PHEVs account for approximately three quarters of its UK business to date.

That strong proportion suggests British buyers are responding to the combination of electric driving capability and the flexibility of a combustion engine. Hsu also implied that supply, rather than a lack of customer interest, has been a limiting factor in the company’s sales performance so far.

His longer-term vision is even more ambitious: every Chery model could eventually be offered with the company’s plug-in hybrid powertrain as standard, with customers choosing the battery size and therefore the electric range that best suits their needs.

Hsu compared the idea to selecting the storage capacity of a new iPhone. Instead of choosing between entirely different powertrains, buyers could select the battery capacity that matches their driving habits and budget.

That approach would give Chery a consistent electrified strategy across its range while allowing it to serve customers with different requirements. A smaller battery could suit buyers who mainly drive short urban journeys, while a larger pack would appeal to those seeking greater electric range and reduced reliance on petrol.

Chery’s Next Challenge Is Turning Momentum Into Trust

Chery’s first year in Britain has delivered a solid starting point, but the company’s next phase will be more demanding. Four new or updated SUVs, a new Tiggo X family and a dedicated British development centre represent a significant increase in ambition.

The brand’s success will depend on more than competitive pricing and equipment levels. It will need to demonstrate that its vehicles can deliver the refinement, driving dynamics and local suitability expected by British buyers.

The Millbrook project could prove especially important in that regard. By bringing British feedback directly into the engineering process, Chery hopes to shorten the distance between its Chinese development headquarters and the requirements of the UK market.

If the company can combine that local expertise with its expanding SUV range and increasingly important plug-in hybrid technology, it may have a credible route toward the mainstream.

For now, Chery’s message is clear: the UK is no longer simply a market in which it wants to sell cars. It is becoming a place where the company intends to learn how to build better ones.

Source: Chery, Autocar

News

Chery Revives a Land Rover Icon for the Electrified Age

Chery is about to resurrect a nameplate that once helped invent the compact premium SUV—only this time, the badge reads Freelander and the engineering passport says China. Ahead of its official debut on March 31, the first model from Chery’s new Freelander brand has surfaced in the least glamorous way possible: battered and bruised after a crash test. But even through the crumpled sheetmetal, the message is clear—this is a deliberate nod to the original Land Rover formula, reinterpreted for the electrified era.

The heavily damaged prototypes, published by Chinese outlets, still reveal blocky proportions and squared-off lighting signatures that echo the late-’90s original. The front-end graphic, in particular, mirrors teaser imagery released earlier in the week, suggesting Chery isn’t shy about leaning into heritage. Whether that nostalgia translates into credibility remains to be seen, but visually, the connection is unmistakable.

Underneath, things get decidedly more modern. The new Freelander will ride on Chery’s flexible T1X platform, a familiar architecture already doing duty under several of the company’s crossovers. It’s a pragmatic choice—shared bones keep costs down—yet it also signals that this isn’t a ground-up luxury endeavor. Instead, expect a polished mainstream crossover positioned beneath Jaguar Land Rover’s imported heavy hitters.

Powertrain details are still thin, but the first model will arrive as a plug-in hybrid. Chery says it aims to “echo the original spirit” of the Freelander while appealing to tech-savvy Chinese buyers, which likely means a blend of electric range, digital-heavy interiors, and competitive pricing. In other words: less muddy-boots authenticity, more urban sophistication.

Strategically, the Freelander revival fills a gap left by the outgoing Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque, whose local production in China is ending this year. The new model will be built at the Chery-JLR joint-venture plant and sold through a dedicated dealer network run by Chery, rather than folded into JLR’s newly separated “House of Brands” lineup. That separation is telling—Freelander is being treated as something adjacent to, rather than directly part of, the luxury portfolio.

For now, the focus is squarely on China, though executives have hinted at possible global expansion. That’s where things get complicated. A Chinese-built Freelander entering Europe could overlap with JLR’s forthcoming entry-level electric SUVs, potentially cannibalizing sales before they’ve even found their footing. From a business standpoint, that makes any Western rollout far from guaranteed.

The original Freelander, launched in 1997, helped pioneer the compact premium SUV segment with its monocoque construction and approachable size. It lasted two generations before giving way to the Discovery Sport in 2015. Nearly three decades later, the formula returns—only now it’s electrified, digitally focused, and shaped by the realities of the world’s largest car market.

If nothing else, the Freelander’s comeback is a reminder that in today’s auto industry, no badge ever really dies. It just waits for the right platform—and the right market—to be reborn.

Source: Autocar; Photos: MyDrivers

News

Chery Adds Lepas to Its Growing UK Lineup

If you thought the UK had reached peak Chinese-car saturation, Chery would like a word. The fast-expanding automaker has confirmed that Lepas, its fourth brand for Britain, will land later this year, joining Omoda, Jaecoo, and Chery itself in what’s quickly becoming one of the most aggressive foreign market pushes in recent memory.

Lepas isn’t just another badge-engineering exercise. Chery says the brand was conceived specifically for Europe, and its name—apparently a mash-up of leopard, leap, and passion—suggests it wants to feel more energetic, more aspirational, and more premium-adjacent than your average budget import. Whether it lives up to that promise remains to be seen, but the intent is clear: this is Chery aiming for mainstream dominance, not niche curiosity.

Two Crossovers, Three Powertrains, One Big Strategy

Lepas’s UK debut will be built around two compact crossovers, the L4 and L6. They’ll ride on Chery’s T1X modular platform, which also underpins the Omoda 5, Jaecoo 5, and Jaecoo 7. That might sound like corporate copy-paste, but it’s actually the point: massive shared volume equals lower production costs, which equals more competitive pricing.

Both models are expected to be offered with internal combustion engines, plug-in hybrids, and full battery-electric drivetrains—what China calls “new energy vehicles.” In other words, Lepas isn’t picking sides in the powertrain wars. It’s selling whatever the customer wants, which is exactly how you grow market share fast.

Styling: Familiar, But Not Accidental

Design-wise, Lepas walks a careful line. The cars take heavy influence from Chery’s Tiggo SUVs while also nodding toward European brands like Audi, with smooth surfaces, rounded edges, and a quietly upscale vibe. That’s not a coincidence. Chery wants Lepas to feel like a European-market brand, not a Chinese transplant.

The tricky part is internal competition. When you already sell multiple crossovers at similar sizes and prices, things can get messy. Chery’s management knows it—so much so that one internal presentation was literally titled “Too many brands?”

Their solution? Reposition everything.

  • Tiggo will go chunkier and more family-focused.
  • Omoda will lean into sharper, more aggressive, polygon-heavy styling.
  • Jaecoo will keep its outdoorsy, rugged image.
  • Lepas will sit in the sleek, modern, urban space—more style-led and tech-forward.

It’s not unlike what Volkswagen Group has done for decades, only Chery is doing it at hyperspeed.

Volume Is the Weapon

Chery isn’t pretending this is about art or brand purity. It’s about numbers.

“By offering different brands on the same platform, the volume is very big and that gives us a good price,” said Chery International president Zhang Guibing—and that one sentence explains the whole strategy.

And it’s working.

Last year, Chery’s three UK brands captured 2.65 percent of the British new-car market, beating Mini, Tesla, and BYD. That’s not a foothold—that’s a beachhead. With Lepas joining the party and more models coming across the board, Chery could soon be rubbing shoulders with brands like Renault, Skoda, and Kia.

Lepas isn’t just another crossover brand. It’s a signal that China’s carmakers are done playing on the fringes of Europe. They’re not here to sell a few bargain EVs—they’re here to compete head-on with the industry’s biggest names, in the heart of one of the world’s most brand-loyal markets.

If Chery gets the pricing right—and history suggests it will—Lepas could become the one that finally makes buyers stop asking, “Why would I buy a Chinese car?” and start asking, “Why wouldn’t I?”

For a company already outpacing Tesla in the UK, that’s a terrifyingly plausible future.

Source: Autocar