Chery Plays the "Global Card" at Chengdu Auto Show

On August 21, the 29th Chengdu International Automobile Exhibition kicked off. The Chery Group, taking "China Auto, Global Champion" as the theme, brought 38 models from its five sub-brands Chery, Exeed, Jetour, iCAR, and Zhengzong to Hall 5. Among them, the Chery brand presented 12 models, with the Fengyun A9 and Fengyun T7 "Design Twin Stars" appearing together, the Arrizo 7 making its global premiere, and the QQ3 Modern Edition launching pre-sales.

In the context of cumulative domestic passenger car retail sales dropping about 20% year-on-year in 2026, Chery's product offensive centered on the "Global Car" narrative points not only to exhibition booth heat, but also to a strategic logic for coping with the dual propositions of internal demand contraction and global expansion.

Sales Share Surges to 9th Globally, Exports Become Largest Variable

In the first half of 2026, Chery's global market sales share surged to the 9th position, with Chinese brands occupying three spots in the top 10. By the end of July, Chery's global cumulative car users exceeded 20.16 million, of which overseas cumulative users exceeded 6.99 million, ranking first in Chinese automobile brand exports for 23 consecutive years.

From January to July this year, Chery's cumulative car exports reached 1.146 million units, a year-on-year increase of 71.2%. July saw 202,533 units, making Chery China's first car enterprise to break 200,000 units in a single month in exports.

Li Xueyong, Executive Vice President of Chery Automobile Co., Ltd., stated at the auto show site: "Chery firmly believes that a true global car is not developed domestically and then modified for export, but anchored globally from the start of R&D." "The global automotive industry has entered 'China Time'."

This judgment is supported by data. In July, Chinese passenger car exports reached 918,000 units, up 87.8% year-on-year, with new energy passenger car exports at 540,000 units, up 147.8% year-on-year. As domestic demand continues to contract, overseas markets have changed from "icing on the cake" to a growth pole that many car enterprises must seize. Chery's July export contribution to total sales exceeded 70%.

The Strategic Value of "Native Global Cars", from "Modify and Export" to "Born Global"

At this Chengdu Auto Show, Chery pushed the core concept of "Native Global Cars"—developed for the global market from the beginning of product definition. Fengyun T7 is the first landing model of this strategy.

Fengyun T7 is positioned as a global quality pure electric SUV, equipped with a 65.05kWh Rhino Battery, CLTC range 600km, equipped with cockpit-driving integrated 8775 chip, Lingxi Smart Cockpit 2.0, and Falcon 500 driving assistance system. Pre-sale price 109,900 to 129,900 yuan, pre-sale orders in 9 days broke through 16,787 units.

According to official disclosure, Fengyun T7 has been launched in South Africa and Thailand, landed in China and Indonesia in August, entered the European Union market in September, and landed in the UK, Malaysia, Australia, etc. in October.

This "China Premiere + Global Synchronization" rhythm forms a sharp contrast with the traditional car enterprise model of "selling domestically for two years before modifying and exporting". In the current increasingly heated competition of the 100,000 to 150,000 yuan pure electric SUV market, Fengyun T7's differentiation does not lie in the leading of a single parameter, but in the system capability of "one set of products simultaneously meeting multiple national regulations, multiple terrain conditions, multiple climate conditions". Behind this is the concentrated output of Chery's global R&D, supply chain and testing systems—also the underlying assets accumulated by its 23 consecutive years of export first place.

Every Model is a Capable Competitor

Global quality family sedan Arrizo 7 made its first public appearance at this auto show. The new car draws inspiration from the dynamic changes of water, forming a "Dynamic Water" design language—steady and comfortable when stationary, dynamic flow when moving. It offers C-DM super-energy electric hybrid and Kunpeng fuel versions as two power choices.

In the trend where conventional sedans "die out" at auto shows, the appearance of Arrizo 7 is quite meaningful. The family sedan market is experiencing a drastic transition between new energy and traditional fuel, and a family sedan product providing both hybrid and fuel dual powertrains, aimed at the global market, is both Chery's defensive layout for the stock market and a precise response to the demand for fuel cars in emerging overseas markets. Its "Global Same Model" design logic attempts to use one aesthetic language to appeal to family users in different markets such as China, Southeast Asia, Middle East, and Latin America simultaneously.

Fengyun A9L ULTRA 4WD version is positioned as C-segment flagship, equipped with Snow Leopard 4WD, front double wishbone + rear multi-link suspension, Falcon 700 driving assistance, 88% high-strength steel aluminum ratio. QQ3 Modern Edition launched pre-orders with retro-futurism design.

The common feature of these two products is: no longer taking "practicality" as the only selling point, but placing looks, performance, and self-expression in equally important positions. In the industry trend where domestic brands seek incremental growth in the market above 300,000 yuan, Chery is using Fengyun A9L and QQ3 Modern Edition to test young users' acceptance of "Self-pleasing" products.

At this Chengdu Auto Show, Chery created a "Tech Eco Island" themed booth, converting technical parameters into perceptible experiences through extreme safety demonstrations such as battery puncture, cell squeezing and soaking. The booth also set up a "Chery Future Classroom" science popularization space, Ruixiang Life Eco Space's trendy modification block and wild interest camp. On August 22 "Stunning Looks Theme Day", Fengyun A9 Most Beautiful Photo Zone and QQ3 Supermodel Photo Zone, matching professional lighting sets, turned the booth into a trendy studio.

This play reflects the change in auto show functions—from product display to system display, from one-way output to two-way interaction. When the auto show's "selling cars" attribute is diverted by online channels, the brand needs to provide users with a reason "worth visiting specifically".

Final Words

What Chery presented at the Chengdu Auto Show is not only a group of new cars, but also a competitive logic of "feeding back local market with global capabilities". When the domestic car market enters stock competition and the marginal utility of price wars diminishes, Chery chooses to use the scale effect of global R&D to spread costs, use overseas market profits to support domestic investment, and use "Global Same Model" quality perception to establish brand premium.

Standing on the new starting point of 20.16 million global users, Chery continues to promote the all-round upward movement of brand, product, technology, and experience with global systems, forward-looking technology, and youthful expression. When "China Auto, Global Champion" changes from a booth slogan to market reality, this Chengdu Auto Show might just be the footnote to that turning point.