VANTAS is a North American luxury car brand jointly established in 2020 through a cooperation between Chery Automobile and American HAAH Automotive Holdings. The brand adopts a "technology output plus local assembly" model, taking products from Chery's high-end brand EXEED as prototypes and conducting adaptive development for North American regulations. The target markets are the United States and Canada. It represents a pioneering exploration by a Chinese independent brand advancing into North America under its own brand identity.
On February 10, 2020, American HAAH Automotive Holdings announced a cooperation with Chery Automobile to register and operate a new car brand, VANTAS, in the U.S. Previously, in 2018, HAAH had reached a similar cooperation agreement with Zotye Automobile, planning to sell over 10,000 units annually and develop over 250 dealer outlets. Later, due to upheaval in Zotye's domestic market, that plan was suspended in May 2020. Chery then took over this initiative. According to the plan, VANTAS would initially use the SKD (Semi-Knocked Down) assembly method to test the waters in the U.S., later transition to the CKD (Completely Knocked Down) method based on sales performance, and consider building a factory in the U.S. The brand originally planned to launch two SUVs in the U.S. market from the end of 2021 to the beginning of 2022. However, as of 2026, the VANTAS brand has not achieved actual mass production or formal delivery, and has entered a state of substantial stagnation. No official brand operation updates or new vehicle launch information have been seen, and the cooperation plan remains stalled or in a re-evaluation phase.
VANTAS's planned product line was single and focused, initially planning to launch only one luxury SUV model—the VANTAS TX. This model is built based on the Chery high-end brand EXEED TX/TXL as a prototype. Its overall styling heavily inherits the EXEED TX's large grille design, sharp LED headlight clusters, and smooth body side lines. The emblems on the car logo, steering wheel, wheel covers, and elsewhere have all been replaced with VANTAS brand logos. In terms of configuration, drawing from the Exeed TX, the VANTAS TX planned to be equipped with all-LED headlights, a 10.25-inch LCD instrument cluster, a 10.25-inch multimedia touchscreen, push-button start, voice recognition, and various smart tech features, as well as comfort features such as a panoramic sunroof. In terms of power, it was expected to be equipped with Chery's third-generation 1.6TGDI turbo direct injection engine, paired with a Getrag 7-speed wet dual-clutch transmission, and offered with a 4WD system option. The brand originally planned to focus on the luxury car segment, with the vehicle positioned to benchmark against luxury SUVs in the North American market. In addition to its first SUV, VANTAS had planned to launch new energy vehicle models in the future.
As a brand that has never achieved substantive mass production, VANTAS's market performance is zero. The originally planned factory, had it become fully operational, was expected to create 1,000 to 1,500 jobs locally. The brand also planned to adopt HAAH's unique cloud-native digital retail system—a next-generation, full-link cloud service platform for the automotive industry integrating ERP and dealer management systems, providing an online sales process and a 360-degree customer view. However, this sales model was never actually implemented.
VANTAS's technical core relies on the new M3X modular platform jointly developed by Chery and Magna. This platform was specially designed for EXEED, adopting a four-module architecture covering safety, intelligence, comfort, and powertrain. It can flexibly cover the production of A- to C-class SUVs, MPVs, PHEVs, sedans, and other vehicle types. In terms of the powertrain, the 1.6TGDI engine uses in-cylinder direct injection, turbocharging, and other technologies, with a maximum power of 197 horsepower and a maximum torque of 290 N·m. The vehicle system integrates Chery's technical achievements in the field of smart connectivity and safety assisted driving.
VANTAS's very birth was a product of Chinese car brands' overseas expansion. According to the plan, the brand's global market was North America, with all production and sales to be completed locally in the U.S. Vehicles would be assembled at HAAH's U.S. factory, and the after-sales network would be laid out in the U.S. and Canada. The brand's parts system would come from global supply chain channels, achieving complete assembly manufacturing in the U.S., positioning itself as an "American brand assembled by Americans."
Since its high-profile announcement in 2020, VANTAS remained in a planning blueprint state for the following years, with mass production commitments repeatedly delayed. As of 2026, with drastic changes in the global geopolitical landscape and continued fluctuations in China-U.S. trade relations and tariff policies, this joint venture project has effectively entered a suspension or termination phase. VANTAS, as a pioneering project in which a Chinese independent brand attempted to bypass the OEM export model and directly knock on North America's door under its own brand identity, has, despite failing to bear fruit, accumulated valuable practical experience for the long-term overseas expansion of Chinese car brands. It has also provided highly valuable compliance and market access references for more mainstream independent brands seeking to land in mature markets in the future.
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