Chery teases SUV aimed at European buyers

Chinese car-maker, Chery, has announced it will reveal an all-new SUV at next month's Frankfurt motor show.

The new Chery SUV is believed to be near-production ready and the company has released three teaser images of its new crossover's side profile, nose and interior centre console.

Featuring a wide grille and full LED headlights, the new SUV's nose, unusually, appears to feature a daytime LED running light strip that stretches across from the corner of the fenders to the grille badge. There's also a side profile reminiscent of the current Hyundai Santa Fe.

The Chinese car-maker also gives us a glimpse of the SUV's cabin, showing a large landscape-mounted touch-screen infotainment screen and three simple rotary dials for the climate control system.

Designed specifically for Europeans, the new SUV is expected to be offered with a plug-in hybrid powertrain following a declaration from the brand that it had already switched to focus on only offering 'electrified' models including mild hybrids and full pure-electric powertrains.

It's unclear where Chery plans to position its SUV in the market, or if it will offer its SUV in right-hand drive for markets like the UK.

If it does, the new still-to-be-named SUV could potentially be sold Down Under if the Chinese brand fancies another crack at the Australian market.

Already one of China's largest car producers, last year Chery manufactured more than 700,000 cars. Of that number, only 100,000 were for export markets.

Thought to be set for an on-sale date some time in 2019, the new Chinese SUV could end up going head-to-head with Geely-owned Lynk & Co.

To help future Chery models breakthrough in Western markets the Chinese car-maker has announced that it will have a new European R&D hub and design centre up and running within a "few years".