Chery's increasingly popular spin-off will branch into territory its master brand is yet to enter in Australia: a large, near-five-metre-long SUV to challenge Toyota and Hyundai.
Family Cars
Chery is likely to launch its largest family car yet in Australia, if a new J9 confirmed for its Jaecoo offshoot comes to local showrooms.
It is likely to be fitted with three rows of seats, something absent from the petrol, 4820mm-long J8 sold in Australia, but added for the plug-in hybrid due later this year.
The J9 is billed as a "premium" entry to the line-up, and will be one of the largest cars manufactured by the Chery group.
It may draw from the Chery Tiggo V – a multi-purpose SUV revealed by the master brand, capable of converting into a ute – which fits new, sixth-generation plug-in hybrid technology.
The J9 is one of a number of new models coming from the sleeker Omoda and boxier, outdoors-inspired Jaecoo sub-brands, which are sold alongside each other in a dealer network in Australia distinct from Chery.
A small, 4200mm-long Jaecoo J3 is confirmed to sit at the bottom of the model range, similar in size to a Mazda CX-3, and more compact than the current entry point to the Jaecoo line-up, the 4380mm J5.
If introduced to Australia, it is likely to undercut the $25,990 drive-away starting price of the recently-launched J5 Track petrol SUV, and compete with Chery's $23,990 Tiggo 4 as one of the country's cheapest new cars.
It will be joined by the even smaller Omoda 2, listed with a length of "3900/4160" millimetres. It's not clear why there is a variance, but one option is a choice of lengths, wheelbases or even body styles to appeal to different markets.
The smaller of the pair is similar to a Suzuki Swift in size, while the latter fits between a Volkswagen Polo and Golf, nose to tail.
Also planned for the Omoda division is a larger, Toyota RAV4-sized SUV referred to as an "off-road crossover", measuring 4600mm long.
Its length slots it between the Omoda 5 – sold in Australia as the Chery C5 – and upcoming Omoda 7, due in Australia sometime later this year.
Its codename of 'T1QC' indicates it is based on the same 'T1X' platform as most other Chery, Omoda and Jaecoo cars sold in Australia, meaning it sits on car-derived monocoque platform, rather than heavy-duty ladder-frame underpinnings.
It unlocks the comfort features and plug-in hybrid technology used in the brand's other models, but it is unlikely to be capable of serious off-roading or towing akin to a GWM Tank 300.
Family Cars Guide
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
