New car dealers are queuing to join the Chinese gold rush to the extent that Sydney-based Ateco (also the Citroen and Fiat importer) plans to have up to 80 dealers in place when Chery vehicles go on sale by mid-2009.
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Dealer numbers will expand to about 130 once the brand is fully up and running and Ateco has confirmed it is holding talks with other Chinese carmakers keen to enter Australia, the local Daily Telegraph newspaper reported.
Chery will launch ‘down under’ with up to three models but the manufacturer’s goal is to be represented in all the major new vehicle segments: light, small, medium, people mover (aka MPV or minivan), SUV and light commercial, the report said.
Ateco spokesman Edward Rowe told the paper the Chery brand will be far removed from the misinformed but widely-held perception that ‘made in China’ means ‘cheap and nasty’.
“People forget just how many quality products they are buying today [are] made in China and many of those are high-end electronic goods such as computers,” Rowe told the Telegraph, which noted that Chery imports would have to meet Australia’s stringent safety standards and emission laws.
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By GlobalDataThe paper said the link with Chery would benefit Fiats sold in Australia as Chery is set to supply the Italian automaker with a range of 1.8 and two-litre petrol and diesel engines and automatic transmissions for small cars.
The paper said taxes on 1.8- to two-litre models mean most small cars sold in Europe are now one-or 1.4-litre, leaving Fiat without a source of the larger engines, a gap that would be filled by Chery supplying the Italians with engines under a joint venture.
The winner will be Australia, the Daily Telegraph added, as that meant Ateco would be able to import cars such as the Fiat Linea sedan and an automatic version of the Punto.
Rowe also told the paper Chery has a range of diesel-electric and petrol-electric hybrids that would be suitable for Australia. The Chinese carmaker plans to launch 38 new models within five years, the report added.
