Chery units formidable top-five goal for Australia, needs a second model inside the highest 10
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Chery needs to be considered one of Australia’s high 5 best-selling auto manufacturers by 2027, and have one other marque – OmodaJaecoo – inside the highest 10.
Nonetheless, Chery Australia chief working officer Lucas Harris says the objective can be earned by way of execution relatively than rhetoric.
“Any model that claims to you they don’t need to be within the high 5 might be telling you porkies… The fact is that not each model goes to be within the high 5,” Mr Harris advised CarExpert.
“If we are able to have a model within the high three or 4, after which one other model inside the highest 10, then I believe that’s fairly good… a profitable mannequin.”
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Requested about timing, Mr Harris mentioned the highway there received’t be prompt.
“If HQ have been asking me… they in all probability need me to say, tomorrow, [but] we’ll get there. I believe it’s going to take slightly bit longer than that. We’ve nonetheless received lots of work to do with consciousness and belief…
“Subsequent 12 months, I believe we’ll nonetheless develop. We’ve received some maturity in a few of our mannequin traces now, which is turning into extra constant.”
Mr Harris factors to the incoming ute as a serious progress lever, with Australia a precedence market and quantity ambitions that point out a critical tilt on the section.
“For the ute that’s been developed at the moment, it’s very a lot a joint effort between Australia and China, and I believe we’ll be the primary two markets to get that new [model] from a quantity perspective,” he mentioned.
“If we’re not making an attempt to do 1000 a month in that massive section, then… [otherwise] why carry one?”
Supporting these ambitions is a seller community, Mr Harris says, that’s increasing with a watch on viability as a lot as protection. Chery counts about 85 websites as we speak and is “ across the 100 mark by the top of subsequent 12 months”, whereas Omoda Jaecoo sits at simply over 40 and is anticipated to nearly double in 12 months.
He additionally characterises Chery’s present stage as “nonetheless an establishing model”, neither model‑new nor absolutely established, which suggests selections made now matter disproportionately, hinting that another Chinese language auto manufacturers have chased short-term achieve for long-term ache.
“We’re in an ungainly place within the center the place we must be fairly cautious and thoughtful about what we do subsequent, as a result of there are others which were on this place not that way back, that a few of the selections they made in that point are affecting them now,” he mentioned.
Chery solely relaunched right here as a factory-backed operation in 2023, and final 12 months it was Australia’s twenty third best-selling model. However it has risen rapidly, and to the top of October it’s sitting in thirteenth place, even ending within the high 10 in current months.
Thus far this 12 months, Chery has delivered 27,578 automobiles, forward of Volkswagen (24,731) however just under Nissan (31,050). Its gross sales are up 207.9 per cent on the identical interval final 12 months.
Omoda Jaecoo, which began native deliveries early this 12 months, is sitting at 2709 gross sales year-to-date. That also places it forward of Cupra (2330) and Jeep (1473).
Finally, Mr Harris frames the highest‑5 goals as contingent on doing the fundamentals nicely — sharpening consciousness and belief, delivering product cadence (together with the ute), and guaranteeing retail execution retains tempo.
“By ’27 we need to be there… It’s simple to say lots of the issues that we’re saying in the intervening time; it’s one other factor to do them,” he mentioned.
“If we are able to make good on what we’re saying and do what we are saying we’re going to do, I believe prospects will make their very own thoughts up and put us the place we need to be relatively than the place we need to be.”
China’s automobile exports to Australia have grown practically sevenfold since 2020. The nation now offers one in 5 new vehicles offered right here, up from one in 25 in 2020.
Progress stays pushed by mainstream electrical and hybrid manufacturers (BYD, MG, GWM, Chery) plus Shanghai-built Teslas.
Chery, MG, BYD and GWM all have ambitions to be within the high 5 over the subsequent few years, which suggests an distinctive quantity of latest fashions at very sharp costs are headed our method.
Under is the development of Chinese language automotive gross sales in Australia over the past 5 years, with 2025 figures representing January to October solely.
| Yr | Chinese language-built automotive gross sales | Share of Australian market |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 30,696 | 4.0% |
| 2021 | 76,262 | 8.7% |
| 2022 | 122,845 | 13.1% |
| 2023 | 193,433 | 18.3% |
| 2024 | 216,219 | 19.4% |
| 2025 YTD (Jan–Oct) | 207,742 | 19.9% |
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