Chery is finally coming to Israel
Another Chinese brand is entering the Israeli car market within the next six months. Chery Automobile will bring us its Chery eQ5 electric SUV. In the global market, Israel will become the 22nd country where Chery Automobile will export its vehicles. The importer and price for the electric Chery are still unknown. But we are ready to share everything we know with you.
Chinese cars are steadily conquering the world, and, we must say, they are good at it. Over the past decade, the Chinese have made significant progress and learned to make quality vehicles instead of second-rate copies. And yet, their main advantage is the price. For relatively little money, the buyers can get a completely modern, appealing and almost completely ‘packed’ vehicle that will become a reliable companion for everyday driving. Such an aggressive pricing policy is just right for the Israeli car market.
By the way, Chery cars have become quite popular in Russia, a country of relatively cheap cars. Chery is one of the top 3 largest Chinese car brands in terms of sales in Russia. From January to July 2021, dealers of the brand sold 18,244 new cars in the country, which is 386 percent more than in the same period last year.
What do we know about Chery?
Chery is a Chinese automobile company founded in 1997 at the initiative of the Wuhu City Hall in Anhui Province. Several state-owned companies and holdings of the province, as well as small investors, became shareholders of the company. They purchased the equipment from the European Ford plant. Car production began in 1999 after the purchase of a license for Seat’s Toledo chassis. The company is currently part of the large CHERY Holding. The holding owns such brands as: Chery Jaguar Land Rover (50%), Qoros (50%), Rely, Chery, Cowin, DR Motor, Karry, Jetour, Rely, Riich. In 2020, the 300,000th vehicle rolled off the assembly line at the Chery Jaguar Land Rover joint venture. The brand has a total of 9.05 million fans, of which 1.7 million are outside of China (as of 2020).
By world standards, Chery is a fairly young automobile company, but by Chinese standards, it is the oldest in the industry. In just a few years, Chery has grown from a small company to one of the largest automakers in its country. Chery owes much of its success to the company’s promising collaboration with such renowned design and engineering studios as Bertone, Lotus, Mitsubishi and Pininfarina. Chery may be a veteran in the Chinese market, but it is relatively young in the field of electric vehicles, and most of its electric models are currently based on different gasoline models, with the exception of the Chery eQ1 city hatchback and the new Chery eQ5 SUV, which are built on the company’s own electric platform. There is also the Chery Tiggo e, the battery-powered version of the Tiggo 4. In China itself, Chery sells seven electric vehicles: Little Ant (eQ1), Big Ant (eQ5), eQ and eQ2, as well as battery modifications Arrizo 5, Tiggo 2 and Tiggo 4.
At the end of 2020, over 730,000 Chery models were sold worldwide. The Tiggo 8, New Tiggo 5x (Tiggo 4) and New Tiggo 7 (Tiggo 7 PRO) were especially popular. The most popular model in the range, Chery Tiggo 8 7-seater SUV, was chosen by more than 100,000 consumers. The SUV is built on the T1X modular platform, which was developed by Chery International. The vehicle is equipped with a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine with 147 hp or a 2-liter engine with 170 hp. The model is front-wheel drive only.
The manufacturer has recently introduced a new all-wheel drive Chery Tiggo 8 Pro 7-seater SUV, which is supposed to beat the Kia Sorento, Nissan X-Trail, Hyundai Santa Fe and other equally famous and popular SUVs. It is distinguished by high ground clearance, good cross-country ability, advanced equipment, high level of safety, comfort and ease of operation. The vehicle can be equipped with a 2-liter engine producing 170 hp, paired with a CVT, and a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine producing 186 hp, coupled with a 7-speed robotic gearbox.
What do we know about Chery electric vehicles?
Until recently, the Chery eQ1 electric microcar was the only completely original model from Chery New Energy division, which was created specifically for the production of electric vehicles. The model received lukewarm support on the Chinese market. The remaining electric vehicles are built on the basis of production gasoline models. But now the company is entering a new era of electric vehicles with the new Chery eQ5 SUV, which will have no analogues with an internal combustion engine. The world sales began in August 2020, and the estimated prices range from 29 to 36 thousand dollars. An updated version of Chery eQ5 is expected to be released in 2022. We will review it separately. In our opinion, the Chery Big Ant (eQ5) and Chery Tiggo e are two most important Chery electric models for the Israeli market. So, let’s focus on them.
Chery eQ5
The Chery eQ5 or Chery Big Ant is an all-electric SUV, built on the original rear-wheel drive platform for electric vehicles (LFS). It has an unusual design, developed in collaboration with the Italian design studio Pininfarina. The model is similar in size to the Nissan X-Trail or Mitsubishi Outlander SUVs. It is 4,630 mm long, 1,910 mm wide and 1,655 mm high. But the wheelbase of the Chinese vehicle is much longer (2,830 mm), because it is based on the original electric platform.
The platform provides a modular design, independent suspension (McPherson strut front and multi-link rear suspension), and also provides extensive use of aluminum. Moreover, the manufacturer claims that the body is made of this metal. The SUV has a basic rear-wheel drive and a single electric motor with two boost options (163 and 178 hp), installed on the rear axle. The capacity of the traction battery installed under the floor is 70.1 kWh, and the declared driving range is 510 km according to the outdated NEDC cycle.
Thanks to a particular layout of the units, the electric vehicle has received a flat floor in the passenger compartment and a 60-liter front trunk where you can store the charger. The capacity of the main rear compartment ranges from 386 to 1,250 liters. In compliance with modern trends, the vehicle features two 12.3-inch screens on the front panel. The front seats are electric, heated and ventilated. The list of equipment also includes a panoramic roof, an all-round visibility system and adaptive cruise control with three radars and a camera under the glass. Moreover, the 2020/2021 Chery eQ5 is equipped with a 220V on-board inverter, to which you can connect not only household appliances, but also a small building.
The new Chery eQ5 has received advanced safety and comfort systems. The creators have provided a large number of electronic assistants, including even the second level autopilot. This system can fully control the vehicle, but driver control is still required. You need to keep your hands on the steering wheel all the time and be ready to intervene if the electronics begin to act incorrectly. 20 sensors ensure the operation of the system, including cameras, radars and ultrasonic devices.
Chery Tiggo e
The Chery Tiggo e is a compact electric SUV, which is a battery-powered version of the Tiggo 4 (Tiggo 5x in China). It was first introduced in 2019. The first electric Tiggo e looked quite similar to the gasoline version, and after restyling it became very similar to the 2020 Tiggo 4 Pro SUV. It is safe to say that this electric SUV is highly competitive. In China, its cost starts from 100 thousand yuan, which is approximately equal to 16 thousand dollars.
The new Chery Tiggo e has a number of unique features that distinguish it from the gasoline prototype. Thus, it has differently looking radiator grille and running lights. There are cameras along the perimeter. The model is 4,358 mm long, 1,830 mm wide and 1,670 mm high. The wheelbase is 2,630 mm.
The electric Chery is driven by an electric motor that produces 129 hp (95 kW) and 250 Nm of torque. It is powered by a 53.6 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery that provides a driving range of over 400 km according to the Chinese NEDC cycle or 250 km within the stricter EPA cycle. The vehicle is front-wheel drive only. It will take you 30 minutes to charge your battery up to 50% from the fast charging station or 6-8 hours from a household network. Acceleration from 0-50 km/h occurs in 3.9 seconds, while the top speed is 160 km/h.
The 2021 Chery Tiggo e is equipped with a variety of assistant systems, 6 airbags, and climate control. The interior is made of plastic and eco-leather. The driver’s seat is electrically adjustable. The top-end version offers an inverter, a 220 V output for domestic use, as well as 18-inch aluminum wheels. The electric vehicle has an automatic parking system, a collision avoidance system, and traffic sign recognition. In general, there are 4 trim level options that will allow you to choose the optimal set of equipment and cost.
