Month: October 2022

The wheels of the inaugural South African Auto Week – the premier business-to-business conference for the automotive industry – will be turning smoothly thanks to Chery.

Chery has signed up to support naamsa with a fleet of Chery Tiggo Pro vehicles to shuttle VIPs, delegates and media representatives to the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit’s conference facilities and between the various on-track experiences.

The SA Auto Week is the first conference of its kind to bring together all 48 vehicle brands in South Africa for a four-day conference under the theme: “Reimagining the Future Together – The rise of the African Auto Industry: Investing in new energy vehicles, infrastructure and people.”

Says Tony Liu, Executive Deputy General Manager of Chery South Africa: “The SA Auto Week will not only welcome representatives from Chery and all the other vehicle brands available in South Africa, but it will also host delegates from many different African countries and from across the world.

“As a global automotive brand and the most exported Chinese vehicle brand in the world, Chery is proud to be associated with the conference and to not only add their name, but also their vehicles to the conference.”

Driving the delegates, government representatives and other VIPs will be a fleet of no fewer than 13 Chery Tiggo 8 Pro luxury SUVs.

The Tiggo 8 Pro was the first model to announce Chery’s official entry into South Africa and it remains its South African flagship.

The Tiggo 8 Pro fleet driving the SA Auto Week feature the latest in Chery technology, including Adaptive Cruise Control, wireless phone charging, a digital instrument cluster and wireless charging. They are also equipped with a refrigerated centre armrest to cool drinks for all the occupants.

“The Chery Tiggo 8 Pro has set a new standard in technology and luxury for seven-seater SUVs and while it is equipped with all possible luxuries, it is the Voice Control system that attracts most of the attention from first-time Chery drivers.

“By simply saying ‘Hey Chery’ you can call the car to attention and instruct it to do virtually anything, from opening the panoramic glass sunroof to changing the climate control. We are sure this will provide endless entertainment for the Auto Week guests as they are shuttled around Kyalami.”

Chery has made waves in the South African industry by reaching a Top 10 sales position within just 10 months of entering South Africa. Its range of Tiggo 4 Pro, Tiggo 7 Pro and Tiggo 8 Pro are now sold through a network of more than 68 dedicated dealers, with more opening every month.

“Chery is wholly committed to South Africa, and it already counts as one of the most active corporate citizens in the automotive industry. We see South Africa as a pivotal market and a valuable entry point into the growing African vehicle market.

“With this in mind, we are very proud to be a key partner of naamsa at the 2022 SA Auto Week,” says Liu.

The group was ranked as one of the ten best-quality brands in China. It is one of only two Chinese brands to be counted among the top 10.

JD Power is the world’s leading authority on vehicle quality rankings. Its global offices interview thousands of customers shortly after their purchases and then later on their ownership journey, and then it compiles their feedback into various rankings.

Of the many JD Power rankings, the Initial Quality Survey (IQS) is perhaps one of the most authoritative. It evaluates a vehicle’s quality from the perspective of the owners of the vehicle. This is reported over time (to see a brand’s improvement) and against its main competitors (to allow customers to make an informed choice).

In the most recent JD Power report in China, the group evaluated models such as the Chery Arizzo Pro, the Tiggo 8 Pro and several others against its direct competitors from other Chinese brands and from European, American and Japanese brands.

The report ranked Chery in the Top 10 of best-quality brands and selected the Arizzo Pro, Chery’s mid-sized sedan, as its top performing mid-sized sedan.

In the highly competitive SUV segment, the Tiggo 8 Pro MAX was ranked number 2 and the Tiggo 4 Pro third in their respective size segments.

“China is arguably the most competitive vehicle market in the world, with every large vehicle manufacturer present. To rank among the top 10 overall and be one of the top best domestic brands with the highest quality are a singular achievement,” says Tony Liu, Executive Deputy General Manager of Chery South Africa.

“The feedback from our Chinese clients very much reflects the initial response from our South African owners. Most of our customers trade in their vehicles from well-known brands for a Chery and then compare their ownership experience with what they were used to in their previous vehicle. To get a thumbs up from these customers is the best endorsement that we could wish for at Chery South Africa,” says Liu.

In the run-up to the publication of the Chinese JD Power report, Chery achieved a sales volume of 107 013 in August, up 132.3% year-on-year. Add to that the sales from January, and it means that Chery sold 566 883 vehicles in 2022. This is a massive jump of 47.1% year-on-year.

A deeper analysis of Chery sales shows that the Tiggo 8 and Tiggo 7 series have become the two mainstays of Chery brand in sales, with a sales volume of 18 286 for the Tiggo 8 Pro in August, up 98.5% year-on-year, and a sales volume of 20 286 for Tiggo 7, up 628.1% year-on-year.

“The next step for Chery in the JD Power analysis would be to enter our new energy vehicles (NEVs). Products such as the Tiggo 8 Pro e+ and I CAR were on display at the Chengdu Auto Show, and soon we will start hearing from customers how they love these new Chery models,” says Liu.