Chery UK launches at London event with new benchmark-setting ICE and plug-in hybrid SUVs

I made my way to the Indigo at the O2 in London for the launch of Chery UK. The Chinese brand unveiled its first two models - Tiggo 7 and 8 - available for purchase, in an evening filled with canapes, cocktails, street dance troupes and plenty of good tunes.

Many could be forgiven for thinking Chery is an entirely new brand, when in reality, its UK launch is the culmination of a story that began back in 1997 in Wuhu, China. As China’s largest vehicle exporter for 22 consecutive years, and with over 5 million cars sold globally in 2025, Chery has chosen 2025 as the year to make its mark on British shores.

It also follows the impressive sales of cars from its Omoda & Jaecoo sister brands, which began trading in the UK in September 2024 and January 2025, respectively. The 25,000-unit milestone was recently surpassed and celebrated with a £25,000 cheque given to Chris Evans at last weekend’s CarFest 2025 as a contribution to the festival’s charitable causes.

But enough about Omoda & Jaecoo, because this event was all about Chery. What does the name Chery mean, I hear you ask? Well, it is derived from the word ‘cheery’, and this is hammered home by the brand’s slogan, ‘Find Your Happy’. Chery is very much targeting the family market, and its initial two-car lineup will be joined by two further models - the Tiggo 9 and Tiggo 4 - which will join the range within the next six months.

Before we get to them, however, let’s take a closer look at the Tiggo 7 and Tiggo 8, which will be on sale from the start of September through 25 dealerships. Chery’s ambitious targets in the UK will likely see this increase to 100 by the end of 2026.

Chery Tiggo 7

Starting at £24,995 OTR for the 1.6-litre TDGI and £29,995 OTR for the Super Hybrid version, the five-seater Tiggo 7 will become the “most affordable plug-in hybrid on the market”.

The 1.6 litre ICE version produces 145bhp and 275 Nm of torque, helping it accelerate from 0-62 mph in 9.4 seconds and reach a top speed of 112 mph. The plug-in hybrid variant is able to accelerate from 0-62mph in 8.5 seconds and has a top speed of 112mph. It also offers a range of 745 miles, including 56 miles in pure EV mode, with the 18.4kWh battery able to charge from 30-80% in 20 minutes.

Inside, there is a dual-screen setup with two 12.3-inch displays, one central and the other in the instrument panel. Drivers will be able to access three driving modes - Eco, Normal and Sport - and both vehicles will be offered in Aspire and Summit interior trims.

The base Aspire grade includes a multi-function synthetic leather steering wheel, dual-zone air-conditioning, adaptive cruise control, six-speaker SONY audio system, cooled wireless smartphone and front and rear parking sensors as standard. The Summit models add an eight-speaker SONY audio system, ventilated first row seats, hands-free tailgate access, heated steering wheel and side mirror ground illumination (puddle lamps).

Chery Tiggo 8

Setting a new benchmark as the cheapest seven-seater SUVs on the market, the Chery Tiggo 8 is priced from £28,545 OTR for the 1.6-litre ICE version and from £33,545 OTR for the Super Hybrid.

The 1.6 litre ICE version produces the same 145bhp and 275 Nm of torque as the Tiggo 7, helping it accelerate from 0-62mph in 9.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 118mph. Just like the Tiggo 7, it is the same story in terms of numbers with the plug-in hybrid variant.

Interior space is in abundance with the Tiggo 8 boasting an expanded load capacity of 1,930 litres with the rear seats folded.

Infotainment is accessed through the 15.6-inch Quad HD central console display, while an intuitive multi-function steering wheel, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility are also standard features.

Aspire comes with comfort seats, dual-zone air-conditioning, adaptive cruise control, eight-speaker SONY audio, parking sensors and a full synthetic leather interior as standard. The top of the range Summit spec adds 12-speaker SONY audio, heated and ventilated seats, hands-free tailgate, heated steering wheel and puddle lamps.

The views of Chery figureheads

Listening to Chery UK figureheads during media roundtable sit-downs, we were able to gauge the importance of launching the brand in the UK. Gary Lan, CEO of Chery UK and Farrell Hsu, Country Director of Chery UK, stated that the UK was “super important” for the overall brand and the realisation of “a dream” to finally have a presence here. While Chery has official links with Omoda & Jaecoo, Law stressed that he hoped each brand would “develop in their own way”, while stating that the opportunity in the market is “big for sub £40k cars” and that the UK was an “open market” compared to the rest of the world.

Such is China’s efficiency in engineering; developing a car from idea to reality can sometimes take as little as nine months, with some aspects of the product development even completed in around six to eight weeks. This was reiterated by Michael Duerr, Senior Designer at Chery International, who also confirmed the brand’s use of AI in helping aid that speed, without taking over the creative aspects.

However, while Chery and China in general are undoubtedly leading the way in terms of product development speed, Duerr acknowledged that success in Europe will “take patience”, something rarely afforded in the brand’s homeland due to the level of competition.

China’s desire for SUVs was a factor that Oliver Lowe, Head of Product at Chery UK, said was reflected in the brand’s initial UK lineup. While they won’t be competing with brands like Leapmotor in the small car segment anytime soon, Lowe spoke of his hope for Chery to one day develop a sports car or touring car; however, their lack of popularity in China may provide a big stumbling block there. A lot of Chary’s strategy is about timing, and Lowe confirmed that the brand has been making a conscious effort to drop cars at the “correct time”, while listening and adapting at speed to feedback from customers.

We made our way downstairs to the Indigo’s main auditorium, where we were treated to a presentation from Chery executives, hosted by Reggie Yates. Chery’s story was told, showing the journey that began with humble beginnings in China in the late 1990s to having a global SUV line driven by three million drivers in more than 80 countries. Last year, Chery Holding Group also entered the 2024 Fortune Global 500 list in 385th position with revenues of $39.1 billion.

As well as increasing the number of franchised dealers in the UK, there are also plans to create a British R&D centre in the UK, to add to the eight others around the world. All Chery UK cars are currently developed at Chery International’s Frankfurt-based centre, but could Chery eventually manufacture vehicles here in the future? Time will tell on that one.

Feedback

The audience seats were removed so Britain’s Got Talent finalists Flawless could do their thing, followed by an impressive orchestra that put a classical twist on modern dance songs. As the tunes continued into the night, we got the opportunity to look around, sit and play with the infotainment system in the Tiggo 7 and 8. When speaking to other motoring journalists and people from the automotive industry, the overwhelmingly common feedback centred around the price of both vehicles. While something like a Kia EV9 can cost as much as £80,000, the prices offered by Chery will be difficult to ignore, even for a brand that comes to the UK without decades of heritage to trade off compared to other well-known brands.

Speaking to one gentleman who worked for an automotive dealership, he suggested the possibility of Chinese brands potentially being responsible for around a third of sales in the UK by the end of the decade. Sitting inside both vehicles and seeing what you get for your money pound for pound, it’s difficult to argue with that theory. However, before I give my final opinion, I’ll be getting behind the wheel of both later this week.

words: Mike Booth
pictures: Chery