SHANGHAI, China — Chery Automobile is extending its domestic product range to four brands and launching more than a dozen new models at the 2009 Shanghai Auto Show next week. It's all part of a broader long-range expansion and the foundation for a planned initial public offering in 2009.
Currently, the company markets all its vehicles in China under the Chery brand. This year, it is adding three new brands — Riich, Rely and Karry — each with its own separate sales and marketing network.
Chery is seen as the core, mainstream brand. It will continue to sell a wide range of affordable vehicles in different sizes and body types, from the new QQ me minicar to the Tiggo3 hybrid crossover. It will also unveil the redesigned Fengyun 2 sedan and hatchback.
Karry (Kairui in Chinese) will be comprised mainly of small commercial vehicles aimed primarily at the rural market, beginning with the new Viewsonic microvan.
Riich (Ruiqi in Chinese) is the company's premium brand. Its four basic series include sedans, minicars, crossovers and minivans. Chery already has introduced the G6 sedan and the M1 minicar, and will present debuts of the G5 sedan, the M5 sedan and the X1 crossover at the Shanghai show next week.
Rely (Weilin in Chinese) is aimed more at business users. That brand will market a range of MPVs, crossovers and SUVs. Eventually, it may add pickups as well. Next week, the brand will unveil a variety of new models, including the X5 utility vehicle, the V5 and V8 crossovers and the H3 and H5 minivans. A Tiger3 pickup is also in the works.
Chery has designed new logos for each of the three new brands. The most distinctive — and derivative — is the Riich logo, which closely resembles Bentley's familiar winged B.
Inside Line says: Chery is spending more money and flexing its muscles in the local market. But its eye remains on more lucrative pastures overseas. — Hu Lei, Correspondent
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