Hybrid onslaught imminent for Chery

It’s been a busy 12 months for Chinese car brand Chery in Australia, from launching a range of new models to selling 12,603 vehicles locally – a 158% increase from 2023.

Speaking with carsales at the preview drive for the new Jaecoo J7 mid-size SUV, Chery Motors Australia Head of PR, Tim Krieger, said the focus now for Chery was to bring in new hybrid options across the range.

“The hybrid market is growing significantly, so we want to get our hands on as many hybrids as possible,” he said.

“There will be a hybrid coming for Tiggo 4, Tiggo 7 and Tiggo 8. That will be the focus of the Chery brand in the second half of the year.

Krieger said the Tiggo 7 and Tiggo 8 will be receiving plug-in hybrid variants while the small Tiggo 4 SUV will be available with a standard hybrid powertrain.

“Now that those nameplates have been established, bringing hybrids gives us a great opportunity,” he said.

A plug-in hybrid is also imminent for the arrival of the newly launched Jaecoo brand with the introduction of the J7 SUV range in May.

The hybrid market in Australia continues to boom with a 76 per cent increase in hybrid sales year-on-year. Brands are scrambling to meet the evolving appetite of Aussie buyers while also narrowing the gap to Toyota, which has offered hybrid models for over 20 years.

When asked whether more EVs could slip into the Chery lineup alongside the Omoda E5, Mr Kreiger remained guarded. “It's still relatively early days for E5,” he said.

“You know that the electric car segment is a tough one at the moment – lots of players, lots of price pressures.

“We're just letting the dust settle there, letting the E5 get established, and then we'll see how things progress from there.”

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