The Chinese automotive industry has successfully weathered the storm of the past two years and none more so than Chery.
According to industry sales data, Chery manufactured 961 926 vehicles in 2021, despite disruptions such as a shortage of electronic components, shipping delays and restrictions on sales in many international markets.
Of its total production, Chery exported 269 154 vehicles or nearly 30% of its production volume to international markets. This makes Chery China’s largest vehicle exporter, a position that it has held for the past 19 years in a row.
“As China’s largest vehicle exporter and one of its best known vehicle brands, Chery is now comfortable in many of the largest automotive markets in the world. In fact, two million of our ten million current customers are in markets outside China,” says Tony Liu Executive Deputy General Manager of Chery South Africa.
Liu says that Chery has not only found new customers, but also many more fans in its major export markets.
For instance, in Russia, the Tiggo 8 Pro was voted the Most Popular Chinese SUV, Most Technologically Advanced SUV and it earned the award as the automotive media’s Most Popular Medium-sized SUV.
In Qatar, the Tiggo 7 Pro was voted the country’s best selling SUV after it became the top-selling SUV a mere three months after its introduction in the country.
In similar fashion, the Chery Arrizo 6 was voted Brazil’s Best Car by one of the largest automotive publications in the country.
“And in South Africa, the SA Guild of Motoring Journalists has selected the Chery Tiggo 4 Pro – our first model ¬– as one of the semi-finalists for the 2022 SA Car of the Year competition. We are truly honoured to be on the shortlist after such a brief time in the country,” says Liu.
Technological Innovation – Chery’s passport to new markets
Known informally across the world as Technological Chery, Chery has always considered technology as its passport to new markets.
This is true of its range of proprietary technologies and its next-generation petrol, diesel, hybrid, electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles and also of its investment in durability and reliability as a cornerstone of all new innovation.
In China, these investments in technology, durability and reliability have earned Chery nine awards in the Chinese Heart Engine Awards since 2006. Most recently, the Chery TGDI-range of engines and particularly its 2.0 litre turbo-petrol engine was singled out as one of the best and most energy efficient engines in the country.
“Much has been said about our range of new engines and alternative energy powertrains. Less is known about our Chery 4.0 Global Architecture. This platform is not only one of the safest and most structurally rigid platforms in the world, but it can easily be adapted to carry any of our new powertrains, allowing Chery to rapidly and easily adapt to any market’s power needs and regulatory environment.
Quality – The stepping stone to growth
Chery considered quality as its second major growth pillar – both the quality of the product and of its customer service.
“In today’s highly competitive market, quality is the table stakes that merely ensure your entry into the market. That is why Chery South Africa has completely changed the rules of the game with a one million, ten-year mechanical warranty,” says Liu.
“We were able to offer this unmatched warranty thanks to the incredible effort of our engineering and testing departments in China. Each new Chery is designed according to the Chery Production System (CPS) to the highest standards and the models are tested to destruction in some of the world’s most extreme conditions, such as in the Russian ice fields, the Saudi Arabian deserts and of course in South Africa.”
In its endeavour to build vehicles to the highest possible quality standards, Chery has partnered with many of the world’s largest component manufacturers. These include Bosh, Continental and Siemens with which it shares vehicle testing and development programmes.
The results of this focus on quality and global partnerships were evident in the recent 46th International Convention on Quality Control Circles (ICQCC) which was held in India. At this important conference, Chery won its fifth Gold Medal for quality and innovation.
“This means that Chery can rightly claim its place alongside some of South Africa’s most-loved vehicles as a brand that won’t let you or your family down, no matter how long and far you drive it,” says Liu.
Going Up – Chery to accelerate its globalisation drive
The third and final pillar in Chery’s drive to becoming one of the world’s most successful and most loved automotive brands is to speed up its globalisation drive, which it calls Going Up.
This, explains Liu, counter intuitively means that Chery has increased its local focus on every market in which it operates.
“To become part of a country and be a well-loved brand, you must care about the things that your host country cares about.
“This is why we have carte blanche to support the pleasures and help with the problems of our fellow countrymen. In Chile, Ecuador and other South American countries this meant a comprehensive sponsorship of the biggest soccer teams.
“In other markets, it includes support for earthquake relief, large public welfare programmes and support for education initiatives and poverty relief. As we find our feet in South Africa and Africa, we will make it our goal to support similar projects here,” says Liu.
Tiggo 8 Pro – Coming Soon
Chery will take the next step in its local growth strategy with the imminent introduction of the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro. As the flagship of the highly popular Tiggo Pro range, the Tiggo 8 Pro will showcase the best that Chery has to offer in terms of fuel-efficient performance, comfort and luxury.
“The Pro range has been our most successful model range to date and with the success of the Tiggo 4 Pro in South Africa, we have no reason do doubt that it will be the same in South Africa. We believe that the Tiggo 8 Pro is the best personification of our drive for Technological Innovation, Quality and of Going Up, and we cannot wait to show it to South Africans in the coming weeks,” says Liu.
