Chinese EV brand Seres confirms right-hand drive production

Fledgling Chinese electrified vehicle brand Seres has announced right-hand drive production for its new 2024 Seres 5 and Seres 7 SUVs, paving the way for a launch in the UK and other right-hook markets including Australia and New Zealand.

Announcing plans at the Munich motor show to rapidly expand its presence in Europe with a new dealer network, Seres Automobile – a joint-venture between Dongfeng and Jinkang – said the new Seres 5 electric car and Seres 7 hybrid would be used to expand into other export markets.

Developed in partnership with Chinese telco Huawei’s Aito brand, the Seres 5 is heavily based on the Aito M5 that’s already on sale in China.

Set to be introduced in Germany later this year, the Seres 5 is expected to launch with a single rear motor that will produce 255kW and 520Nm.

A more powerful dual-motor/all-wheel drive version will also be available, pumping out a muscular 475kW/820Nm.

Later on, the bigger three-row Seres 7 will be introduced. That car is said to be a reclothed Aito M7 and come with a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder that acts as a range extender for the battery.

In China, the Aito M7 equivalent comes with a single rear motor that produces 197kW/360Nm, while the flagship dual-motor/AWD version churns out 325kW and 660Nm of torque.

Inside, both the Seres 5 and Seres 7 have infotainment units that run Huawei’s Harmony operating system.

There’s still no indication on how Seres plans to price position both the Seres 5 and Seres 7, nor when exactly it will launch right-hand drive models. But European pricing is expected shortly.

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