Chery’s back, but with a smart(er) new name.
“Every model will be electrified.” That’s what was said by Dr. Anning Chen, the CEO of Chery, talking about how the Chinese company intends to make a strong comeback in the European market. The company’s offensive comes in the form of the Exceed TX, a ‘luxury’ SUV that shows off the new design direction they’re adopting as well as its new brand, as ‘Exceed’ is likely to succeed better in English-speaking (or English-aware) markets more than ‘Chery.’
The Exceed TX was first shown off at the Frankfurt motor show last month, where it displayed its petrol-electric hybrid powertrain for the first time. Marrying a 110kW turbo-petrol engine to a 84kW electric motor, the Exceed TX puts its power down to all-four wheels via a system developed jointly by Dana & BorgWarner, while transmission duties are fulfilled by six-speed manual and seven-speed double-clutch units by Getrag.
Strong tech and engineering are things that Chery knows is important for the European market, which is why they’ve gone to great lengths to talk about the technology and components offered by Continental and Bosch, which includes safety kit like blind-spot warning and collision avoidance, as well as a 10.1-inch infotainment display, 7-inch digital instrumentation, touchscreen climate controls, and so on. Thanks to a (purportedly) large battery pack, the Exceed TX will enjoy an all-electric range of 70km on a single charge in the PHEV models too according to an Autocar report, easily outdoing cars like the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and even the Volvo XC90 T8 PHEV, each offering just a little over 50km each.
Design can also make or break a car for discerning European customers, which is why the Exceed TX was penned by Canadian designed James Hope, who was previously under the employ of Ford. The sculpted body of the TX, crowned by the ornate ‘Waterfall’ grille, does appear reminiscent of its European contenders, but cannot be accused of being unattractive.
Engineered to conform to international safety and emissions standards, the Exceed TX will be the spearhead of Chery’s European assault, and will be joined by a bevy of cars that will feature the latest in electrified powertrains from the Chinese firm. To further their advances, Chery is looking to establish a design & engineering centre in Germany in the near future to help accelerate their plans to win lucrative marketshare in what’s described as a “mature” market.
“Europe is one of the most mature automotive marketplaces in the world, and is home to the most demanding and sophisticated customers. We are leaving nothing to chance to ensure our new model line is engineered to meet, and even exceed expectations.” — Ray Bierzynski, Vice President of Product Development, Chery Automotive
Weirdly, despite the Exceed TX being shown off in what appears to be pretty close to production form, no time window was offered regarding the models’ introduction, though we expect to see the car hit the market sometime late-2018 or early-2019. Whether or not it’ll make it to Australia is a question that hasn’t yet been answered, though we’re allowed to be hopeful.
For more information on Chery, check out our Showroom.
