Chinese brand Chery has trademarked its first model for Australia, and it’s anything but a cut-price offering.
Instead, the brand has registered the Exceed nameplate, reserved for its premium-feeling SUVs, with a host of models that could target everything from the Ford Bronco to the top-selling RAV4 Hybrid.
Chery has spent the past five months registering a number of trademarks with the Australian patent office, all of which focus on “Exceed” or “CheryExceed”.
It will mark the second time Chery has been offered Down Under, with the brand recently advertising to fill a number of positions in this market, pointing to a relaunch this year or next for the company.
Which models the brand might launch as part of its Australian reemergence are yet to be detailed, but one appealing option is the Chery Exeed LX ET-i Hybrid, which is a clever plug-in hybrid model with a complete driving range of more than 1000kms.
The model combines twin electric motors with a 1.5-litre petrol engine, ambitiously titled the “Starcore ET-i Full Engine Super Hybrid Technology”. Chery says it will deliver average fuel consumption of 4.8L/100km (just above Toytoa’s 4.7L/100km), and thanks to its 19.27kWh battery pack, a total 105kms in full EV range.
It’s a tech-heavy offering, too, with a 12.3-inch central screen, and a Smart Cloud Car system that allows for facial recognition and AR navigation.
Better yet, it’s no slouch. With some 580Nm of total torque on offer, Chery says its PHEV will clip 100km/h in just 6.8secs. The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, on the otther hand, completes the sprint in 8.8secs.
Keyword: Faster, better, stronger than Toyota? Chery Exceed registered for Australia with the RAV4 Hybrid in its sights