► Chery follows Omoda and Jaecoo to the UK
► Tiggo 8 and 7 are the two launch SUVs
► Expect the 4 and 9 within six months
First there was Omoda, then Jaecoo – and now there’s Chery. Simply called Chery (short for cheery, apparently) it’s now the third brand from the parent group Chery Automotive to arrive in the UK. Its launch was marked by an extravagant event at the O2 which included a mixture of dealers, content creators and journalists – as well as some breakdancing and saxophones.
Two cars will appear in a matter of days; the Tiggo 7 and 8. Both are SUVs – for obvious reasons – both are inoffensively styled, and both make their muted Jaecoo and Omoda stablemates look positively striking. The Tiggo 7 and 8 also make use of the SHS hybrid system seen in Omoda and Jaecoo models, though here it’s called the Chery Super Hybrid System.
‘The UK is a crucial market for Chery, and today marks the beginning of an exciting journey for us here,’ said Gary Lan, the brand’s UK CEO. ‘We’re bringing a dynamic range of vehicles that combine advanced technology, safety, and innovative features – all at an accessible price point. With our full SUV line-up now confirmed, we’re ready to establish Chery as a clever, confident and happy choice for UK households.’
Later, the 7 and 8 will be flanked by the 4 and 9 – both also SUVs. The Chery Automotive mothership says both will come to the UK in six months, and both were on show at the launch event.
Ask Lan and he’ll tell you ‘Chery is for conventional family buyers,’ but a more useful, descriptive analogy can be borrowed from his German competition. While Jaecoo and Omoda represent the Audi or Skoda of the VW Group, Chery is the Volkswagen – the sensible, dependable volume brand that majors on practicality and price rather than style. A tough concept to get around, given how volume-driven and value-orientated Jaecoo and Omoda already seem.
But OJ (let’s call them this from now on) has done well so far, so Chery has big shoes to fill. In fact, the success of OJ has surprised even the Chery suits, with both achieving a combined market share of 2.71% in just 12 months. OJ also sold 8,815 and 10,314 cars respectively in the first seven months of 2025 alone.
That’s more than well-established mainstream car firms such as Fiat and Jeep sold in the same period, despite having a far smaller line-up of products.
So, what is Chery bringing to the table?
Chery’s worldwide best-seller makes the obvious leap to the UK, rivalling C-segment SUVs like the Nissan Qashqai and Kia Sportage. Whatever you go for you’ll get a front end that has hints of Audi or BMW, and a rear that does the same. This car isn’t memorable to look at, but that’s really not the point of this brand.
There is a choice of a standard petrol car and a ‘Super Hybrid’. The base model uses a 1.6-litre turbocharged engine putting out 145bhp and 203lb ft of torque.
But the Super Hybrid is likely to be the highlight. Using a 1.5-litre petrol engine as its base, it’s paired to an electric motor for a combined 201bhp and 269lb ft of torque.
There are two trims: base Aspire and pricier Summit. The Aspire ICE kicks off the range at £24,995 and rises to £29,995 for the SHS model, while the Summit kicks off at £27,995 for the ICE model and moves to £32,995 for the SHS model.
We’ve had a poke through the interior, and it’s of a similar level to the fit-and-finish of the OJs. There are also dual 12.3-inch displays, wireless charging and the boot has a capacity of 426-litres.
For those who need a touch more space, there’s the D-segment Tiggo 8, which measures 470cm in length, 186cm wide and 170cm tall. That makes the 8 around 15cm longer than the 7 and means it’s also capable of offering seven seats – though they looked difficult to get into when we poked around the car on the stand. It’s a 5+2 situation with the third row best left to kids.
Inside, the 8 steps things up again, with larger 15.6-inch screens and other features like massaging and ventilated front seats. Wireless charging is also available, and the boot is some 494-litres – a good step bigger than the 7.
Prices are a bit steeper for the larger car, but you get the same choice of trims and powertrains. The cheapest ICE model kicks off at £28,454 and rises to £33,545 for the Aspire SHS. The Summit begins at £31,545 and extends to £36,545 for the SHS model.
The Summit grade adds a heated steering wheel, those heated and ventilated front and rear seats, a head-up display and 12-speaker Sony sound system.
Chery is launching with 25 direct-to-consumer franchised dealerships (entirely separate from OJ) with an aim to hit 100 by 2026.
Curtis Moldrich is CAR magazine’s Digital Editor and has worked for the brand for the past five years. He’s responsible for online strategy, including CAR’s website, social media channels such as X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, and helps on wider platform strategy as CAR magazine branches out on to Apple News+ and more.
By Curtis Moldrich
CAR's Digital Editor, F1 and sim-racing enthusiast. Partial to clever tech and sports bikes
