Chery enters the South African market

One of China’s most-respected vehicle manufacturers and the winning brand in the 2020 China National Car of the Year competition, is heading to South Africa.

Chery today announced the establishment of Chery South Africa, a wholly owned subsidiary of the industrial powerhouse and China’s top vehicle export brand for the past 18 years. The announcement makes South Africa the newest member of a global network with a family of over 9,5 million owners across more than 80 countries and regions. Indeed, Chery adds a new overseas owner to its family every 2 minutes.

From its new head office in Bryanston, Johannesburg, Chery South Africa will now complete the process of appointing the first 30 dealers and preparing for the introduction of the first vehicles, which are expected in the fourth quarter of 2021.

World-renowned automotive leader

While many South Africans will be familiar with the Chery brand, its range of ultra-modern cars and SUVs will surprise even the most avid car fanSince manufacturing its first vehicle 24 years ago, Chery has focused on developing its own core technologies, including a range of engines, vehicle platforms and safety technology. Today Chery is recognised as a global leader on these fronts, with over 13 000 technology patents and 5 500 dedicated research and development specialists in five research and development (R&D) centres spread across the globe.

The results speak for themselves. In 2020, the Chery TIGGO 8 PRO beat all comers with over 1 million votes to become the Chinese National Car of the Year. Shortly thereafter, it won the Annual Innovation Award in recognition of its outstanding quality and innovative technologies.

Chery has become a benchmark for many technologies. For instance, its electric EQ1 and EQ5 together won 10 awards in the recent China EV Rally 2021, including the award for the best fast charging technology and the best battery endurance.

In the field of internal combustion, Chery has also led the way. Its current 1.6 ACTECTO TGDI direct-injection engine was voted one of the 10 Best Engines in the China Heart awards, along with five other engines from the group. Judges noted the ACTECTO engine’s high-power delivery (145 kW and 290 Nm) and incredible thermal efficiency of 37.1% as reasons for winning the award. For fuel power solutions, Chery unveiled its 2.0 TGDI engine with a maximum power of 192KW and peak torque of 400 Nm, unleashing performance that is both robust and peerless in its competitor set.

And in the world of hybrid technology, the forthcoming Chery Universal Hybrid system will offer a real-world fuel consumption of 1 litre per 100 km in a combined driving cycle. This will not come at the cost of performance, with the system offering a 0-100 km/h time of five seconds.

Chery has developed its own suite of technologies across the entire spectrum of propulsion, including electric, internal combustion, hybrid, hydrogen and compressed natural gas. It also works with world leaders like Aisin, Getrag, Bosch and Schaeffler to perfect its technologies and create a drivetrain that is true to its brand promise of “Fun to Drive”.

Safety first

Chery has developed best-in-class vehicle platforms for its SUVs, sedans and future new-propulsion vehicles.

These platforms include the SUV-focused T1X platform, the M3X platform for high-end SUVs and MPVs, the M1X platform for sedans and the forthcoming NEV platform for Chery’s range of New Energy vehicles.

These platforms utilise, among other innovations, high tensile steel that is hot-formed into position and six-dimensional frame design with not one, but multiple energy channels. The frame’s strength has been tested to the extreme, including submitting the hot-formed frame to pistol fire tests, which it passed with minimal damage. The energy-dispersing system allows crash energy to flow away from the occupants across multiple channels, allowing for the highest safety standards for all models.

South Africa – the next step

While its primary focus will be on establishing the true Chery brand in South Africa, the company aims to grow its footprint across the continent. 

To ensure it meets and exceeds the expectations of South African motorists, Chery will enter the market with an established network of 30 dealers. These dealers are been selected over the past year for their strong track record, good reputation and geographical location.

Chery will back these dealers with a large parts warehouse, strong mechanical warranty and service plan, and a comprehensive 24-hour roadside assistance service. Chery is also studying the local introduction of its global Chery app, available on both iOS and Android, which will not only allow the owner to monitor his or her vehicle’s health but connect directly with Chery South Africa to book a service or interact with the Customer Service team.