Chery Expands European Market With Serious Italian Exploration

Jaecool 7. (Doc. Chery)

Chery, an automotive brand from China, plans to expand its market coverage to Europe with a move towards Italy. The company plans to bring in Omoda and Jaecoo branded vehicles in the third quarter of this year.

Not only that, but Chery also plans to introduce three SUV models from these two sub-brands with various types of fuel for the European market.

Reported by Reuters on Monday, March 25, Chery plans to start sales in Italy with Omoda 5 and Jaecool 7 on a gasoline engine, followed by EV-based Omoda 5 variants and Jaecool 7 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) by the end of 2024.

Chery is one of a number of Chinese companies wishing to introduce affordable vehicles to the European market, focusing on electric vehicles. While the price of its vehicles in Italy has not been announced, Omoda 5 is already available for purchases in Spain for 29,900 euros (around Rp510.7 million).

The company started sales in Spain earlier this year, and will enter the UK and Poland markets before the end of 2024, followed by several other countries in Europe. Chery, based in Wuhu, China, is also considering building an assembly plant in Europe, and has been in talks with authorities in Italy over the investment plan.

Italy's Chery Automobile director, Allen Jean, revealed that they will also expand service networks in Europe, including dealers and full-sale services, to build their brand reputation.

"Ensuring efficient after-sales services is our priority," Jean said.

The company is also in talks to open 40 new dealers in Italy, with a target of reaching 60 services by the end of this year.