BYD Seal Sells Well In Indonesia, Will Chery Play In Sedan Segment?

The Exeed Exlantix ES (Sterra ES) electric sedan. (Photo: Carnewschina)

JAKARTA - The electric car market in Indonesia is getting excited. Based on wholesale data from Gaikindo, BYD Seal became the best-selling model until July 2024 with total sales reaching 1,290 units. In second place, Wuling Cloud EV recorded 550 units, followed by Chery Omoda E5 in third place with 394 units. The fourth position is occupied by BYD Atto 3 with a total of 388 units, and in fifth place is MG4 EV with 332 units.

Seeing the dominance of BYD Seal in the sedan segment, the question arises whether Chery will follow in that footsteps, considering that currently Chery is more focused on the SUV segment. In response to this, PT CSI's Head of Marketing, Mohamad Ilham Pratama, stated that currently Chery is not interested in entering the electric sedan market.

"We actually have a sub-brand, namely Exeed, but if we look at Gaikindo's data in recent years, the sedan segment is indeed declining," Ilham told the media during the launch of a new dealer in Fatmawati, Jakarta, Wednesday, August 21.

However, Chery actually already has an electric sedan called Sterra ES in the local Chinese market. Reporting from the Arenaev page, this sedan comes in two trim variants: the standard version with the 400V platform and the premium version with the 800V platform.

For the price, the lower trim of this sedan is priced at more than 225,800 yuan or around Rp490 million, with a range of 550 km according to CLTC calculations. Meanwhile, the premium version offers a range of up to 905 km.

Ilham also added that the presence of various new brands provides more choice for consumers and the electric vehicle market. According to him, electric sedans can be a new choice for consumers who really love the sedan segment.

"With the increasing number of brands entering the EV market in Indonesia, consumers have more choices. Maybe electric sedans can be an attractive alternative for those who love sedans," he concluded.