Chinese car brands are on the verge of flooding the European market – but in Austria the supply from the Middle Kingdom is still manageable. Now three more brands are preparing to compete against the established competition in this country – especially those from Korea.
In our German neighbors the density of Chinese suppliers is already significantly higher; in Austria we essentially have MG and BYD, apart from Volvo and Polestar, which are Chinese-owned but are still Swedish brands. Coming in spring 2024 The Chery Automobile group, founded in 1997, joins in and starts introducing the brands Omoda, Jaecoo and Exlantix. Strategy chief Zhu Shaodong describes the Korean brands Kia, Hyundai and Genesis as their declared competitors – in the appropriate order – first with combustion engines, then with electricity. The first Omoda model will be the 4.40 meter long compact crossover Omoda 5, which will be available from spring It will initially be available with a petrol engine in 2024. Its 1.6 liter four-cylinder turbo petrol engine produces 147 hp and delivers from 1750 rpm. a maximum torque of 210 Nm, which should be enough for a standard sprint value of 9.9 seconds. The power is transmitted via a CVT transmission. The average consumption is given as 7.1 l/100 km. An electric version will follow a little later. Prices have not yet been announced, but a good 30,000 euros for the combustion engine model and around 50,000 euros for the electric car seem realistic. Omoda is a portmanteau word that comes from “Oxygen” for oxygen and “Moda” for Fashion composed. The target customer is younger than that of the “Chery” brand, the group’s main Chinese brand. Land Rover is also in its sights. The sister brand Jaecoo, which offers more robust off-road vehicle-style models on the same platform as Omoda, is also targeting similar buyers. Chery’s export boss Charlie Zhan cites the vehicles from the Land Rover family as a design reference. Together, the two new Chery brands are expected to add eight different models to their range in the medium term. The plans for the electric premium brand Exlantix, which is scheduled to launch at the end of 2024, are similarly ambitious. Up to seven different models are planned. The luxury provider wants to score points with, among other things, interactivity, connectivity and an 800-volt battery system for short charging times.
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