Chery is returning to SA

Its head office will be in Gauteng and 30 dealers are said to be preparing to start trading in quarter 4. “For Chery, the South African office holds a very special significance. The country welcomed our vehicles with open arms in 2007, and we have been supporting our customer base of over 15 000 owners with parts and servicing ever since. “Now we have the opportunity to enter the market directly, with a national network of dedicated Chery dealers and our completely new range of vehicles,” said Tony Liu, executive deputy general manager, Chery South Africa. Chery is recognised as a global leader on these fronts, with over 13 000 technology patents and 5 500 dedicated research and development specialists in five research and development centres spread across the globe and many awards bear testament to the brand’s prowess. “Chery’s 1.6 Actecto TGDI direct-injection engine was voted one of the 10 best engines in the China Heart Awards, along with five other engines from the group. Judges noted the Actecto engine’s high-power delivery (145kW and 290Nm) and incredible thermal efficiency of 37.1% as reasons for winning the award. For fuel power solutions, Chery unveiled its 2.0 TGDI engine with a maximum power of 192kW and peak torque of 400Nm, unleashing performance that is both robust and peerless in its competitor set. “Chery has a safety laboratory that covers over 32 000 square metres, making it one of the biggest of its kind in the automotive industry. In this laboratory, we can replicate the strictest China NCAP and Euro NCAP standards, ensuring that safety is built in from the ground up,” said Liu. “In 2010, our chairman, Yin Tongyue, shared with the world our change from a company that was focused on sales, speed and scale to one that is fanatical about quality, brand and long-term returns. This is most evident in our new range of products, and we cannot wait to show them to South African customers,” concluded Liu. Will Chery be able to convinced South Africans to buy into the brand in their numbers this time? Time will tell… Source: QuickPic