Chery is expanding its range of electrified models, and has debuted what it calls the Super Hybrid Power Platform.
It debuts this year in the Hyundai Santa Fe-sized Tiggo 9, which has yet to be confirmed for Australia. It launches in China in the second quarter of 2023.
“While timing on the Super Hybrid platform is still to be finalised, Chery is incredibly focused on the Australian market, with a comprehensive model rollout to come that will of course feature the latest models and the most advanced technologies,” said a spokesperson for Chery Australia.
Chery says it will offer two different plug-in hybrid powertrains using its turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine.
The first uses a one-speed DHT “special hybrid transmission” and produces 145kW of power, with the other featuring a three-speed DHT with peak power of 165kW.
In the Tiggo 9, the PHEV powertrains support 60kW fast charging.
Chery says the new platform “will facilitate the transformation of Chery into a global technology company at an accelerated pace”.
Chery Tiggo 9
It’s been designed to achieve five-star safety ratings in Europe and Australia, with models on the platform to offer 10 airbags.
There’s a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 CPU on board, along with an EEA4.0 electronic and electrical architecture that can support 5G connectivity and gigabit Ethernet.
Chery says models on the platform will offer what it calls “magnetic levitation suspension”, which can be flicked between different settings for a softer or firmer ride.
Featuring continuous damping control, it’s said to improve the level of comfort by 30 per cent, while the new platform’s all-wheel drive system is said to improve manoeuvrability by 20 per cent – presumably compared to one of the brand’s existing platforms.
The Chinese press release also makes note of a Chery Pilot L2.9 intelligent driving assistance system comprising 21 “basic” advanced driver assistance systems and 11 “advanced intelligent driving functions”.
The Tiggo 9 specifically will offer a 24.6-inch “silky curved screen” inside its cabin, as well as a 50-inch augmented reality head-up display.
Chery has just returned to Australia with the new Omoda 5, a new vehicle it says has been developed from the start as a global model. It will be followed later this year by the older Tiggo 7 Pro and Tiggo 8 Pro small and mid-sized SUVs, respectively.
Chery Omoda 5
The Omoda 5 range will expand later this year with a more powerful 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, and next year with an electric version.
Chery sees Australia as a priority market, and says it’s targeting a little over eight per cent of the total market in each category it competes in. That would peg it at around 10,000 sales annually in the small SUV segment alone.
“We’re getting priority shipment, we’re getting priority production; everyone is watching us. So it gives us a lot of confidence that the operations globally are geared and ready for us,” said Chery Australia marketing director James Curtis earlier this year.
“Australia really is a litmus test for the brand. If it’s successful [Chery] will rise to becoming a truly global company.”
MORE: 2023 Chery Omoda 5 review
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