Chinese Cars, Global Cars: Chery's Globalization Methodology

August 21, 2026, Hall 5 of Chengdu Auto Show, Chery showcased 38 models from its five major brands: Chery, Exeed, Zhongheng, Jetour, and iCAR, with the theme 'Chinese Cars, Global Champions'. Against the backdrop of the rapid reshaping of the global automotive industry landscape, Chinese automobiles are moving from 'product exporting' to the new stage of 'brand exporting'. The setting of this theme points to Chery's assessment of its own role—it is not only an automotive brand born in China but also a participant competing with multinational enterprises in the global market.

Li Xueyong, Executive Vice President of Chery Automobile Co., Ltd., said on site: 'A true global car is not developed domestically and then modified for export, but is anchored to the global market from the start of R&D.' This sentence highlights Chery's core logic of globalization: not building Chinese cars first and then selling them overseas, but from the first day of product definition, designing one car to face different market conditions simultaneously, such as high-speed roads in Europe, high temperatures in the Middle East, high humidity in Southeast Asia, and severe cold in Northern Europe.

Global Car Matrix: Four Models, Four Globalization Paths

This logic was specifically presented on the exhibition stand at the Chengdu Auto Show.

Fengyun T7, as the most representative product under the 'Born Global' concept, writes 'Global' into its genes across multiple dimensions. It pre-researched global regulations 2 years in advance, designed to directly benchmark the 2026 version E-NCAP standards, anchoring the strictest global safety requirements; conducted user research in 15 typical countries, wrote 80+ local habit adaptations into initial parameters rather than post-event remediation; 7 categories of extreme environment verification, cumulative vehicle testing mileage exceeded 6 million kilometers, covering 100+ extreme road conditions, allowing the same car to simultaneously adapt to complex conditions in different markets. Fengyun T7 will be launched in China and Indonesia in August, enter the EU in September, and land in Australia and New Zealand, UK, and Malaysia in October.

If Fengyun T7's globalization lies in standard synchronization and technical verification, then Fengyun A9 answers another question: Whether the aesthetics of Chinese cars can be recognized by the world. The acquisition of the 2026 German Red Dot Product Design Award allowed 'Lingfeng Aesthetics' to complete a modern translation of Eastern aesthetics, not deliberately catering to Western aesthetics, nor sticking rigidly to Eastern symbols. As the milestone model for Chery's 20 millionth vehicle off the line, Fengyun A9, from the first generation Fengyun in 2001 breaking the price monopoly of joint venture family sedans, to now possessing the ability to define products under the global standard system, has completed the role upgrade from market disruptor to global competitor.

Different from Fengyun A9's 'upward breakthrough', the all-new QQ3 takes another path, connecting with global users through emotion. QQ has cumulatively gained 1.6 million global users. The all-new QQ3 sales exceeded 10,000 in the first month of its overseas launch. It has already entered the Indonesia and Thailand markets, and will enter South Asia, South Africa, and other regions in the future. The modern version showcased this time was led by a domestic team that won four Red Dot Design Awards, integrating the Neo Retro concept based on the aesthetics of square and round design, blending classic elements with technology of the smart electric era, giving the world small car culture a place for Chinese automobiles.

Arrizo 7 made its global debut at the Chengdu Auto Show, positioned as a 'New Benchmark for Global Quality Family Sedans', anchoring the 80,000 to 100,000 level market. The design draws inspiration from the Eastern wisdom of 'Supreme goodness is like water', transforming the flow and inclusiveness of water into styling language. When stationary, it spreads out steadily; when moving, the surface flows with momentum, allowing global users to understand at a glance and fall in love at first sight. The new car is equipped with Kunpeng Fuel and Super Energy Hybrid electric forms, expected to be launched in the fourth quarter of 2026. Its value lies in: downgrading the global car standards to the mainstream price range, letting 'Global Cars' no longer be exclusive to the high-end market.

Beyond the four models, Chery's globalization product layout further expanded at the brand level. At this Auto Show, the iCAR brand brought three models: V23, V25, and V27, among which V25 was the global premiere. iCAR focuses on youthfulness and personalization, forming a brand hierarchy with Exeed's high-endization, Jetour's off-road travel, and Zhongheng's hardcore off-roading, jointly covering the market demand for different regions and different consumption levels globally. The five major brands with 38 models on the same stage is itself a concentrated presentation of globalized product combination capabilities.

Four models, four paths, plus the hierarchical coverage of five major brands, point to the same conclusion: Chery's globalization is not a single-point breakthrough, but a complete product matrix covering standards, aesthetics, emotion, and the market. Every Chery heading towards the world is proving to users in different ways — Chinese cars, but even more so global cars.

Technical Foundation: Triple Support of Safety, Energy Efficiency, and Intelligence

Behind the globalization of products is the globalization capability of the technical system. At this Chengdu Auto Show, Chery built a 'Tech Ecosystem Island' themed space, focusing on two technical scenarios — batteries and intelligence.

The Rhino Battery exhibition area displayed three layers of technical defense for battery safety. At the material level, high enthalpy change separator, active defense electrolyte, and composite current collector improve cell stability from the source; at the cell level, cells after puncture and extrusion are directly placed in a fish tank for soaking; at the system level, 400Wh/kg solid-state batteries and solid-state modules represent the next-generation technology route. The exhibition site set up a 'Stepping Challenge', where audiences can transform into battery safety verifiers, sensing technical strength through fun experiments.

At the intelligence level, Chery Lingxi Smart Cockpit is equipped with the Carmind large model, integrating billion-parameter central dispatch and agent ecology. It debuted the Doubao End-to-End Voice Model 'Xiao Qi Chat', possessing accurate understanding of fuzzy intent, 550ms ultra-fast semantic response, 3 seconds patient listening without interruption, interacting with users with human-like tone, logic, and emotion, supporting multi-dialect, multi-language, multi-style dialogue. At the function level, Lingxi Smart Cockpit can call over 2000 types of in-vehicle tools, covering audio-video entertainment, car book interpretation, nearby recommendations, navigation, etc., full-scenario car use closed loop. AI Agent 'Xiao Qi Classmate' understands your needs, making every trip have a telepathic connection — this consistency of experience is exactly the core expectation of global users for smart cockpits.

The Flyfish Digital Intelligence Chassis, through the integration of AI algorithms and chassis control, actively adapts to different road conditions. From gravel roads in Brazil to cobblestone roads in Mexico, from European highways to bumpy roads in Southeast Asia, the chassis' adaptability determines the driving and riding quality of vehicles in different markets.

The meaning of the 'Tech Ecosystem Island' lies in: the essence of globalization competition is the competition of technical standards. Whoever can simultaneously meet the strictest global requirements in the three dimensions of safety, energy efficiency, and handling will have the qualification to compete with any opponent in the global market.

Market and Ecosystem: User Choices, Extension of Life

The final tester of technology, aesthetics, and product combinations is the market.

In terms of sales, Chery ranked in the top ten global sales in the first half of 2026. By the end of July, global cumulative users broke through 20 million, with overseas users approaching 7 million. July single-month exports broke through 200,000 vehicles, setting a new record for Chinese automobile brand monthly exports. European market performance was particularly outstanding, selling 174,000 vehicles in the first half of the year, up 212% year-on-year, with new energy vehicle models growing by 385%. In markets such as the UK, Spain, and Australia, Chery ranks among the top Chinese brands. In May 2026, Chery officially entered the Canadian market, and the North American market also achieved a breakthrough.

Behind the user's choice is the continuous recognition by third-party institutions. From June to July 2026, in J.D. Power's five core studies on New Car Quality, Product Appeal, Purchase Experience and After-sales Service, and Vehicle Reliability, Chery won first place in all categories among independent brands. 71 model types received global five-star safety certification, ranking first among Chinese brands. This set of market performance indicates that Chery's globalization is not a self-declared label by the enterprise, but a trust vote cast by users and institutions with their choices.

When automobiles evolve from travel tools to lifestyle carriers, Chery's globalization capabilities also extended beyond products. The 'Ruixiang Life Ecosystem Zone' at the Chengdu Auto Show, with 'Home' as the core, constructs a 'Human · Car · Home · Life' full chain, from modified premium products to outdoor camping, from smart technology to IP culture, covering 418 products. What the auto show presents is not just a set of products, but a brand arena that can dialogue with global users.

Summary

When Chery hung 'Chinese Cars Global Champions' on the top of the Hall 5 exhibition stand at the Chengdu Auto Show, it was actually saying one thing: this automotive enterprise that started in Wuhu, Anhui, has found its position on the global industrial map. The trust of 20 million users, the accumulation of 71 five-star safety models, the recognition of J.D. Power 'Five Grand Slams' — these are not the end point, but a footnote for Chinese automobiles going from 'going out' to 'going in'.