Chery Auto plans to come up with its own pickup model, to expand its current lineup of Tiggo crossovers and Arrizo sedans. The possibility was raised as the Chinese automaker is set on making a comeback in the Australian market, where pickups reign supreme.
Chery is looking to expand its crossover and sedan lineup with a pickup model
“We are also working on the feasibility study of developing the pickups because the pickup market in Australia is something very, very important. So I believe in the next years, we will develop the pickup,” said Chery International executive vice president Charlie Zhang.
This would not be the first time that Chery will be making a model with a rear cargo bed. The carmaker previously marketed the Aika and Higgo under its Karry commercial vehicle line, with the models based on reverse engineered Isuzu pickups.
Great Wall Motor was the first Chinese carmaker to sell pickups to Australian customers
Nor will Chery be the first Chinese marque to sell pickups Down Under. Great Wall Motor Co., Ltd. (GWM) blazed the trail in that market back in 2009 with the SA220 and V-Series models, which were competitive in terms of price but fell short in build quality and refinement.
Two other automakers from the mainland, ZX Auto and JMC, followed suit with their own offerings but were not very successful. The GWM Cannon, along with the LDV T60 (known in the Philippines as the Maxus T60) are currently the two Chinese models going up against more established pickup nameplates in Australia such as the Ford Ranger, Isuzu D-Max, and Toyota Hilux.
Pickups still enjoy robust sales in the country
Meanwhile, there are a slew of Chinese car brands in the Philippines, yet only Foton and JMC have a pickup in their respective model ranges with the Thunder and Vigus, respectively. Toyota’s Hilux is the second best-selling car in the country with 18,969 units sold in 2021, so there is still a strong market for pickups here. Will a Chery pickup model be something that you’ll be looking forward to?
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