Chery eyes America after Aussie sales blitz
Chinese car giant open to partnering with US car-makers as its Australian empire swells to eight brands and sales go through the roofThe News
Chery has conquered Australia. Now it’s eyeing the Land of the Free. The Chinese car-making colossus has stated it is open to teaming up with American car-makers to crack the US market, as Chery’s vice president confirmed.
Can China’s biggest vehicle exporter – which outsells BYD in overseas markets – push into North America off the back of rapid growth in Europe and right here? Either way, it’s gearing up to give it a red hot go.
The Key Details
- Chery open to partnerships with US car-makers
- Canadian brand launch being prepared for early 2027
- Chinese cars face US tariffs of more than 100 per cent
- Chery says a ‘China-free’ hardware and software solution is possible
- Chery and Omoda Jaecoo sales up 104% in Australia this year
The Finer Details
For now, Chinese brands are effectively locked out of the US – the world’s second-largest car market. That’s due to tariffs north of 100 per cent put in place by the Biden administration and strict data-security rules.
But Chery vice president Charlie Zhang isn’t taking no for an answer.
“The US, obviously, we are trying to look for different options there,” Zhang told Reuters.
“We’re very open to different options, even a potential partnership with American automakers.”
He didn’t spell out what that might look like but reckons the tech roadblock can be engineered around.
“Definitely from a technical point of view, we will be able to find a China-free solution in terms of hardware and software,” he told the global news outlet.
If you want proof of what happens when Chery is let off the leash, look no further than Australia.
To the end of September, Chery sold 38,022 vehicles here, up 58% on the same period last year, putting it eighth on the VFACTS ladder ahead of MG and Mitsubishi.
Another Chery brand, Omoda Jaecoo, is going absolutely gangbusters, with 15,456 – a 621% increase on the previous year’s sales.
Add the two together and the 53,478 tally would rank seventh, ahead of GWM.
And Chery’s not done yet – far from it – because iCAUR lands in early 2027, premium brand Exlantix follows mid-2027, and Lepas, Jetour and the Chery-JLR Freelander are all inbound.
A dizzying eight brands under the Chery umbrella by the end of next year. Why so many? Why not, says the local boss.
The Road Ahead
There’s no shortage of metal that would play in North America. The boxy iCAUR V25 and V27 scream lifestyle SUV, while the big Tiggo 9 and Jaecoo J8 line up neatly against the family haulers Americans love.
But the real ace could be the plug-in hybrid Stockman dual-cab, due here in February 2027.
Pick-ups are America’s bread and butter, and a well-priced electrified ute taking on the Ford Ranger and Nissan Frontier would hardly go unnoticed. Jetour’s petrol plug-in hybrid F700 ladder-frame ute is another candidate.
Founded on the banks of the Yangtze in 1999, Chery was originally called ‘Cheery’ and sold itself as a cheap and cheerful brand. These days it sees itself in the mould of Toyota for quality and Tesla for innovation.
Australia’s been a handy proving ground. America? That’s the big leagues. But a partnership could be Chery’s way in.
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