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New models - Jaecoo - J7Chery splits from Omoda and Jaecoo brandsOmoda, Jaecoo sub-brands spun off as premium J7 line-up confirmed and priced for Aus28 Mar 2025 THE seemingly never-ending influx of Chinese car brands entering the Australian market rolls on, as semi-recent entrant Chery splits off its Omoda nameplate as a standalone brand and introduces its luxury Jaecoo brand, all while keeping the Chery badge on its core ‘Tiggo’ range.
In parallel, the Jaecoo J7 medium SUV line-up has been fleshed out with three trim levels and drivelines – including a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) – opening from $34,990 drive-away and topping out at $47,990 d/a.
Chopping Chery up into three brands risks confusing customers but represents a growing trend towards sub-brand offerings by Chinese manufacturers to target specific segments in overseas markets.
Take for instance BYD, which is gearing up to launch its luxury sub-brand Denza in Australia, likely to offer the B5 4x4 wagon initially.
Known as the BYD Fangchengbao Baeo 5 in China, in export markets it wears the Denza badge. Another BYD sub-brand, Yangwang, is reportedly also being considered for Australia.
While Japanese and Korean manufacturers have done similar – Hyundai and Genesis, Toyota and Lexus, Nissan and Infiniti or Honda and Acura serving as examples – the breakaway Chinese brands tend to be based around a nameplate rather than a comprehensive model range and it's a tactic used for overseas markets only.
The spin-off Omoda brand will sit above Chery’s family-focused range in terms of luxury and performance and aims to target youthful buyers, while its incoming Jaecoo brand will sit at the top of the tree as more premium offering.
Making the whole brand breakup more convoluted, the current Chery Omoda 5 – the first Omoda model offered and first Chery model since the car-maker's local reboot – will become the Chery C5 here.
No, the first Omoda model will not remain an Omoda model moving forward and will share a name which Citroen used for many years before it exited the Aussie market.
The Omoda line-up overseas includes models like the S5, C9 and C5 GT – all rebadged Chery models – but it is unknown at this point which variants Australia is likely to receive moving forward.
Luxury brand Jaecoo, on the other hand, has confirmed that the full J7 range – sold as a Chery Tansuo 6 in China – will have arrived in Australia by May this year.
The Jaecoo J7, despite being a luxury mid-size SUV, is priced from a rather incredible $34,990 drive-away in base-spec Core trim.
Stepping up in the range, the two-wheel drive Track trim will be offered for $37,990 drive-away, the all-wheel drive Ridge will be sold for $42,990 drive-away, and the top-spec Summit PHEV will go for $47,990 drive-away.
The J7 Core, Track and Ridge trim grades will be powered by the same 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, producing 137kW/275Nm, mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.
Jaecoo’s SHS (short for Super Hybrid System) Summit model will be powered by a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine producing 105kW/215Nm coupled to an electric motor that adds 150kW/310Nm to the equation, bringing total outputs to 255kW/525Nm.
The hybrid system sends drive to the front wheels using single-speed hybrid transmission, with four drive modes offered; electric, series, parallel and energy recovery.
Jaecoo quotes an electric-only driving range of 106km (NEDC) and says the 18.3kWh battery can be DC fast-charged from 30 to 80 per cent in around 20 minutes.
All J7 models will receive an eight-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, which will include 12 months of complimentary roadside assistance, and Jaecoo also offers capped price servicing for the full eight years.
According to Chery Australia its Jaecoo and Omoda models will be sold alongside each other in dedicated dealerships, separate to the core Chery range – at least in theory, given there will be some dealerships offering all three brands.
A spokesperson for the brand outlined plans to have between 35 and 40 sites by the time sales kick off in May, but it is unknown how many of those will be existing Chery dealerships.  Read more20th of February 2025  Jaecoo J7 details firm for AustraliaPetrol-powered J7 mid-size SUV a toe in the water for Chery’s upmarket brand, JaecooMotor industry news GoAutoNews is Australia’s number one automotive industry journal covering the latest news, future and new model releases, market trends, industry personnel movements, and international events. |
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