Mitsubishi forces Chery to rebrand Exeed as Exlantix

Chery has been forced to abandon its Exeed brand name for the Australian launch of its luxury marque, with trade mark obstacles prompting the Chinese carmaker to adopt the more obscure Exlantix identity instead.

“The brand in Australia will be Exlantix, because in all right-hand drive and European markets, Exeed could not be registered [as a trade mark], so we use Exlantix. It is the same brand but a different name,” chief executive of Exeed and Exlantix, Lilian Xiong, told carsales.

IP Australia operates Australia’s trade mark register, and its records point to Mitsubishi as the obstacle. The Japanese carmaker has held the mark for ‘Exceed’ since September 1991, which it uses as a variant grade of the ASX, Outlander and Pajero.

Exlantix has also made the decision to partially rename its ES GT station wagon to avoid a potential dispute with Toyota.

Chinese conglomerate Chery is keen to avoid getting bogged down in the trade mark disputes that are plaguing Dongfeng’s Forthing brand in Australia, which is being pursued by Porsche over its use of the badge ‘Taikon 5’.

For the launch of its first luxury marque in Australia, Chery has made an early call to scrap the ‘Exeed’ branding used abroad in favour of the ‘Exlantix’ badge that was already in use for Exeed’s EV and plug-in hybrid models overseas.

“The one brand in Australia and New Zealand will be Exlantix, because in all right-hand drive and European markets, Exeed could not be registered (as a trade mark), so we use Exlantix. It is the same brand (as Exeed) but a different name.”

In Chery’s case, the problem is Mitsubishi’s ‘Exceed’ trade mark. Australian trade mark law does not require two names to be identical before problems can arise.

Under the Trade Marks Act, an application for a mark can be refused if it is substantially identical or deceptively similar to an earlier mark covering similar goods, creating a risk of confusion.

Even if IP Australia does not refuse a trade mark application, existing owners can challenge infringing use, which is what Forthing has encountered.

Exlantix has also chosen to proactively deal with a different problem: Toyota’s ownership of seven trade marks protecting the Lexus ES sedan in Australia.

As a result, the Chinese brand’s ES GT station wagon will be known by its full name, “Exlantix ES GT”, in all marketing to avoid similarity to Toyota’s badge.

Exlantix is not an entirely new identity created for Australia and Europe. Even in countries where the business operates as Exeed, its electric and plug-in hybrid models carry Exlantix sub-branding.

Chery will bring the ES GT shooting brake and ET SUV to Australia in the middle of 2027, marking its first dedicated push into the luxury segment.

The ET is sold overseas in EV and range-extender hybrid formats, and the ES GT is also expected to be offered with both powertrain sources, including a flagship triple-motor, 400kW EV with a sub-3.0-second 0-100km/h time.

Exlantix will join Chery, Omoda Jaecoo and Lepas among the group’s local brands, with the new addition set to target both established luxury marques and Chinese premium rivals such as Zeekr and Denza.

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