Chinese car manufacturer Chery appears set to relaunch in Australia as demand for more affordable electric vehicles grows.
The brand’s return to the market has been speculated upon for several years, and the rumour mill went into overdrive this week following the discovery that the brand is in the process of hiring personnel in Australia.
Chery has advertised two Australian-based job positions this week; sales director and human resources manager.
The brand notes that the sales director role will involve serving “as the main action driver on the field for Chery with dealers and vice versa” and developing “specific actions plans along with the field team to incentive dealers to accomplish”.
Both roles are based in Sydney, and both were advertised by the brand’s Wuhu headquarters. The latter point could indicate that the brand may handle its own distribution, instead of using previous distributors Ateco.
It’s not the first time Chery has been spotted attempting to find staff for a possible Australian relaunch. Earlier this year it was also seen advertising a brand manager position.
Chery hasn’t confirmed it will be launching in Australia yet, telling Drive that “at the moment we’re unable to confirm if or when [we] will launch for Australia.”
This is at odds with several press releases the brand issued in 2021, which noted it would be launching a new SUV in “Asia, South America, Australia, Africa, and Europe” from 2022.
The SUV in question is the Omoda 5, which shapes up as a potential rival for the Toyota RAV4 and Mitsubishi Outlander. The majority of Chery’s current overseas line-up is SUV-based, with the brand offering six different models (each a different size) in its ‘Tiggo’ SUV line-up.
The news comes amid the launch of several new brands on either side of the ditch, many specialising in electric vehicles. These include Polestar, Opel, and Lotus. Chery’s Chinese rival BYD also recently launched in Australia.
Chery’s initial 2011 launch down under was an embattled one. The brand’s line-up at the time, made up of affordable economy cars like the J1 and J3, had a poor reception among critics and independent crash-test groups alike.
In the decade since, moods around Chinese vehicles among consumers have shifted, as evidenced by the successful relaunch of MG. The time could be right for Chery to have a second go at the Australasian car market.
Join the conversation