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Chery

China’s auto industry made limited progress in the decades before 1980 and the vehicles its manufacturers produced were technologically outdated. In the mid-1980s when the country opened up and the economy rapidly grew, demand for cars also rose quickly and the young carmakers initially had agreements and joint ventures with foreign companies to acquire modern technology.

At the same time, companies like Chery also worked towards developing its own technology base and reduce dependence on ‘imported’ technology. It was a long journey and by 1999, the company was able to produce its first engine. From then on, with more advanced R&D and greater investments, its engine range widened and evolved. Today, many of its engines are in the third generation and nine of them have been listed among China’s Top 10 engines. To date, the company has made over 10 million engines which power vehicles in China and other countries.

An early Chery engine in the 2003 QQ model.

All-Domain Power Architecture
As demand for New Energy Vehicles (NEV) grows with the demand for reduced energy consumption and low carbon emissions globally, Chery is taking its All-Domain Power Architecture – encompassing traditional, hybrid and fully-electric powertrains – to the next developmental stage, to respond to these demands.

Currently, three of the company’s 4th generation engines have completed thermodynamic development and are in the bench calibration phase, and development of the first 5th generation engine has been given the go-ahead. The design of this state-of-the-art engine is expected to be finalised by the end of June 2023 and will be installed in a production model by 2024.

Chery’s R&D team includes multi-national experts in the powertrain field.

Hybrid powertrain
This new engine is a hybrid powertrain with a turbocharged 1.5-litre engine, direct fuel injection, an i-HEC 4.0 intelligent high-efficiency combustion system and low-pressure exhaust gas recirculation technology. It is said to be able  to achieve an industry-leading thermal efficiency of 43.9%.

The preliminary research programme on high-efficiency engines, adopting pre-chamber jet ignition and lean-burn technologies, has met its target of better than 45% thermal efficiency in the laboratory.

One of Chery’s latest engines, used in the Tiggo Pro SUV.

Chery has also developed a Dedicated Hybrid Transmission (DHT) with dual motors, 9 operating modes, 11 gear combinations and twin-shaft drive, making it the first of its kind amongst Chinese brands.

Key R&D project
Earlier this year, a national key R&D project headed by Chery – the ‘new-type, cost-effective, passenger car powertrain development vehicle integration project’ – passed project acceptance in Wuhu, China. The outcome of the project was Chery’s first-generation DHT – 3DHT125 – which found its way into the Tiggo 8 Pro e+.

In March, the company’s ‘dedicated hybrid engine (DHE) development’ project, another national key R&D project, passed the appraisal of China’s Ministry of Science and Technology, and the jury of experts for project acceptance. This project focuses on research into high-compression ratio deep Miller cycle and high lean-burn combustion to enhance the performance of Chery’s 4th and 5th generation engines.

The company aims to further optimise its 3-speed DHTs for mid-sized plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) while developing a single-speed DHT for compact and sub-compact PHEVs and hybrid electric vehicles.

Having made its debut in the NEV market in 1999, Chery’s powertrain matrix does not end at combustion engines and hybrids. In 2017, the Chery EQ1 battery electric vehicle (BEV) was launched in China and two years later, Chery exhibited its 3rd generation hydrogen fuel cell vehicles with 30 kW fuel cell stacks that can be topped up with hydrogen in 3 minutes. The range achieved by these vehicles is said to be over 700 kms.

Chery’s All-Domain Power Architecture thus encompasses all types of current and future powertrains that use fossil fuel, electricity or hydrogen. Its technological capability is therefore comprehensive to cover automotive powertrain development during the next 30 years.

Chery Malaysia will return to the Malaysian market with these SUV models

Although commercial vehicles (mostly large trucks) from China were sold in Malaysia in the 1990s, it was only in 2005 that Malaysians saw passenger cars from China being marketed locally. That was when Chery was introduced and the local representative went on to assemble some models locally as well. However, even though they had attractive prices, the Chery models didn’t sell well back then and eventually, the brand faded away.

Now, perhaps encouraged by the success of Geely entering the market (albeit by partnering DRB-HICOM as a shareholder in Proton), other Chinese carmakers are looking more seriously at the Malaysian market as they begin to develop export markets.

Chery is among them and besides already selling in neighbouring countries, it has announced plans to also start selling its models in Malaysia. According to the carmaker’s local marketing office, the models planned for introduction are the Tiggo 8 Pro and Tiggo 7 Pro, part of the Pro line which has 4 SUV models and one sedan.

The Pro models are already on sale in various markets in Eastern Europe, South America, the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Recently, the 500,000th unit of the Tiggo 8 was produced, making it the fastest model to achieve the 500,000-unit milestone among Chinese-brand mid-size SUVs and 7-seater SUVs.

In developing the Pro models, Chery has established 3 pillars as the core of every product – intelligent technology, stylish design and efficient power. By ensuring that each model is technology-rich, the carmaker believes it can exceed consumers’ expectations and offer more than competitors.

For example, the Tiggo 8 Pro, flagship of the range, has 3 separate displays screens in the cabin. These consist of a horizontal 12.3-inch instrument panel, an 8-inch climate control screen and a 10.25-inch ‘floating’ infotainment screen. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto expand the functionality of the infotainment system by making smartphone apps available on the dashboard. There’s also a 360-degree view around the vehicle to assist the driver in manoeuvring, improving ease of parking as well as safety.

The smaller Tiggo 7 Pro is similarly equipped and comes with features such as wireless charging for compatible smartphones, and an electrically-powered tailgate.

Having produced motor vehicles since 1999, Chery has long R&D experience and has developed its own advanced powertrain and chassis technology. Six of its ACTECO series engines have been listed among China’s Top 10 Engines. This engine range, which has displacements from 800 cc litres to 4 litres, has strong power output with high thermal efficiency.

Where safety is concerned, Chery models not only to meet China’s C-NCAP safety standards but also international ones since they are sold in many countries. In Europe especially, safety standards are demanding and the Pro models have been designed and engineered to meet them.

The use of ultra-high-strength steel in body construction ensures strong passive safety while up to 6 airbags provide additional protection in the event of a collision. Intelligent technology is also used for active safety systems that include Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). These systems will help the driver avoid accidents or if that is unavoidable, then reduce the effects of accidents. This is  achieved by automatic emergency braking which activates when the driver does not respond to warnings of a pending collision.

Chery’s has a global design language known as ‘Life in Motion 3.0’ which is used on all its models, include the Pro models. This has a visual signature created by a galaxy-inspired geometric matrix diamond front grille and LED headlamps.

Besides the Tiggo Pro models. Chery will also introduce the OMODA 5 in Malaysia soon.

Chery launches new Tiggo 8 Pro SUV in South Africa with warranty for 1 million kms

 

Chery was the first carmaker to begin exporting passenger vehicles from China and not surprisingly, it has remained the country’s top passenger car exporter for 19 consecutive years. Its vehicles are now sold in more than 80 countries and regions, and it has also set up 10 factories outside China.

Like the early years of the Japanese brands venturing overseas, the quality and reliability of cars from China has also been raised by customers. There’s certainly no doubt that since the auto industry in China began accelerating its activities and development from the 1980s, the products have constantly improved with new technologies and more advanced manufacturing processes.

2022 Chery Tiggo 8 Pro

To show its confidence in the reliability of its latest products, Chery has launched the new Tiggo 8 Pro in South Africa with an engine warranty that is 10 years long or up to 1 million kms (whichever comes first). This warranty complements the vehicle warranty which is 5 years or a maximum of 150,000 kms and this warranty is transferable (if still valid when the vehicle is sold to another person).

The 1 million km engine warranty is impressive but not new as Hyundai has been offering a warranty of a million miles (1.6 million kms) in America for some time. Like Chery’s warranty, it is only for the powertrain but is for up to 20 years.

Long warranties are reassuring for owners and may seem to be a long-term risk for carmakers that offer them. However, it should be noted that such warranties usually apply only to the first owner and subsequent owners will not enjoy the same length coverage. In markets like the USA, ownership of a car is for a few years and then the owner gets a new one, so in reality, the risk to the carmaker is not much different from that of warranties of 5 years.

Anyway, it’s still a good way to convince customers who wonder about quality, which was one of the reasons why Hyundai offered it in America. Back in the 1980s, when the brand first entered the market, its products had poor quality and damaged the image. The Koreans worked hard to improve quality and when they were confident they could offer better products, they backed up their claims with longer warranties.

The engine is a 1.6-litre turbocharged direct-injection petrol unit, one of Chery’s powerplants which has won awards in China for its high efficiency. The TGDI engine produces 197 ps/290 Nm.

2022 Chery Tiggo 8 Pro

2022 Chery Tiggo 8 Pro

The new Tiggo 8 Pro is a flagship of the range and South Africa is the first country on the continent to get it. It uses ‘Movement Design’, Chery’s next-generation design language which has a galaxy-inspired 3-dimensional grille flanked by automatic matrix-LED headlamps with dual daytime running lamps, establishing a strong visual signature. Satin chrome is used for the lower air intake (which doubles as a skidplate), foglamps, grille, window frames and lower doors.

Inside, all major controls have been digitised in 3 separate screens – a horizontal 12.3-inch instrument panel, an 8-inch climate control screen, and a 10.25-inch infotainment screen ‘floating’ in the centre of the dashboard. The centre screen, which also displays the rearview image from a camera, operates the infotainment system which is Apple CarPlay/Android Auto ready.

2022 Chery Tiggo 8 Pro

The fully automatic climate control system has dual-zone circulation and, in consideration of increased concerns about air quality today, there is an N95-grade air purifying system as standard. For the Executive variant, rear occupants receive more cool air with an additional air-conditioning system for the rearmost seats. All variants offer wireless charging, intelligent voice control and eight surround speakers by Sony. Leather upholstery is standard, with the driver’s seat having 6-way power-adjustment.

2022 Chery Tiggo 8 Pro

2022 Chery Tiggo 8 Pro

According to Chery Malaysia, the Tiggo range will be offered in Malaysia soon. There are also plans to do local assembly with a partner that has not been revealed. Chery first appeared in Malaysia in the early 2000s with the QQ minicar and then assembled a few models at the former Oriental Assemblers plant in Johor (now owned by Berjaya).

When Chery first came to Malaysia in the early 2000s, it offered models such as the QQ minicar (blue and green cars) and the A160, as well as the first generation of the Tiggo. 20 years later, the carmaker has greatly advanced its design and engineering capabilities and now offers models like the new OMODA 5 (below) which will soon be available in Malaysia along with the new Tiggo.

Chery Automobile to enter US market using newly-created VANTAS brand name

 

Chery has released further images of its upcoming compact SUV that will spearhead the Chinese automaker’s plans to penetrate the global market.

The design is a major departure from what we are used to seeing from the company. And the public will get to see it up close during the Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA) on 12 September 2017.

The silhouette is fairly elegant, featuring flared wheel arches and contours that seem to have a sense of fluidity to them. Then there’s the cascading front grille that is integrated with the projector headlamps and sophisticated trim pieces.

These subtle design elements though not groundbreaking, provide this compact SUV with a European-like presence. One could be fooled into thinking that the design was of from an established marque.

According to the automaker, the vehicle will still have a Chery badge despite carrying its own unique nameplate. This way, the company will get to incorporate a new evolution of the Chinese brand’s ‘Life In Motion’ design philosophy.

Ray Bierzynski, Executive Vice President of Chery R&D Center Shanghai, said, “The world premiere of our new compact SUV marks the start of our approach to European sales with a new model line.”

He later added, “Launching within a few years, all models in the line-up will feature characteristic styling, user-focused technology, electrified powertrains and advanced safety features.”

Chery plans to start sales of its passenger cars in Europe within the next few years led by the all-new model line for global markets. This new line will manly focus on SUV and crossover models, a segment of the market that has recorded significant growth.

Though relatively unknown outside its home country, Chery is the most successful exporter of vehicles in China. It has sold over 1.2 million units overseas since it was founded in 1997 – more than any other Chinese carmaker.

This means that the company is well able to mount a significant campaign to challenge the status quo in Europe. This, may ruffle more feathers at Kia rather than VW, due to similarities in strategy adopted by the Koreans several years ago.

Chery Automobiles Co., Ltd is planning on revealing a new compact SUV concept at the up coming Frankfurt Motor Show in September and under a new nameplate. It will mirror, in some form, the actual production vehicle that is aimed at the younger car buyer.

This nameplate, and the vehicles that bear its namesake will spearhead the Chinese automaker’s charge into the European passenger car market within the next few years. The adoption of a new brand name for the new line of vehicles may be a marketing ploy by Chery to ensure that it starts off with a clean slate instead of inheriting unwanted baggage.

“In just a few years we intend to start selling a family of vehicles in European markets across multiple segments, with power supplied by a range of electrified powertrains,” explains Chery CEO Dr. Anning Chen at Chery Automobile Co., Ltd.

Chery is also evaluating sales opportunities in key markets before it initializes the setting up European sales operations with its various import and distribution partners. This is probably toe ensure that it makes all the right moves in a market that is relatively unknown to the Chinese.

Chery has also stated that it hopes that the new design and R&D facilities in Europe accelerate its plans and efforts for global expansion. This news isn’t surprising considering that like Chery, Geely and its subsidiary, Volvo cars, recently agreed to technology sharing between the brands.

This in turn will allow Geely access to technology that should make its vehicles compelling alternatives to models offered by established European automakers. Chery, though lacking a such a treasure trove of sophisticated tech, may have the same goal in mind.

The Chinese automaker has also revealed its intentions of selling a range of hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (P-HEVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs). This should make it a formidable force in the EV segment in the next few years.

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