Chery Automobile wants to sell in Europe. The Chinese-based automaker hopes to launch new models from three of its brands on the continent by the end of 2025. The vehicles will come from its Omoda, Jaecoo, and Exlantix subsidiaries.
The Omoda 5 will launch in Spain later this year. We learned in February that the crossover will also arrive in the UK in early 2024 before going on sale in Germany next April as part of its rollout strategy in Europe. It plans to offer combustion, plug-in hybrid, and electric vehicles to serve different regions' needs better.
When the Omoda 5 lands in the UK, it'll come in the three aforementioned flavors. The EV will reportedly make 198 horsepower and go 280 miles on a single charge of its 64-kilowatt-hour battery based on the European WLTP cycle.
Chery will sell the combustion-powered version in Spain, while Germany will get the gas and electric models, starting at around 30,000 euros ($31,438 at today's exchange rate). Reuters says it'll launch Omoda and Jaecoo in all major European markets. Jochen Tueting, Chevy's European managing director, told the publication the crossover would be competitive in price.
The Omoda 5 going on sale in the UK will hit the market with Android Audio and Apple CarPlay as standard, with two 10.25-inch screens serving as the infotainment and driver's displays. It'll have luxuries such as ventilated seats, adaptive cruise control, and other modern amenities.
Chery will introduce the Exlantix, its all-electric brand, by early 2025. The automaker showcased the E03 sedan and E0Y SUV earlier this year, and it'll be interesting to see how these new brands and models fare in Europe's competitive market as the company's endeavors extend beyond just selling cars.
The automaker is considering buying or building an assembly plant in Europe, emphasizing local production. It could decide as soon as next year, but it's unclear when it could begin building vehicles. It might be a year before Chery decides how to further crack into the European market.
