Chery is planning to establish an Australian research and development centre to support its incoming luxury brand Exlantix, which will compete with Zeekr in the premium market. The centre will focus on developing vehicles that are tailored to local conditions and competitive pricing strategies.
According to Chery International president Zhang Guibing, the local R&D program will cover any brand that the company plans to launch in Australia. This move marks a broadening of Chery’s efforts to adapt to the Australian market beyond the Stockman ute.
Chery has already partnered with Melbourne engineering company Premcar to conduct Australian validation of steering, suspension, and hybrid system calibration for the Stockman ute. The company is also preparing an Australian-developed suspension tune for the higher-output turbo hybrid variant of the Tiggo 4 hybrid SUV.
The interest in local tuning and testing creates an opportunity for Exlantix, which is scheduled to enter Australian showrooms around mid-2027 with the ET large SUV and ES GT shooting brake. The ET is larger than the Zeekr 7X, potentially supporting a price premium if its specification and refinement justify the difference.
Lilian Xiong, CEO of Exlantix International, highlighted premium Chinese electric vehicle brands as the main competitors and singled out Zeekr as the biggest threat to Chery’s luxury division in Australia. She noted that Chery’s global export experience allows it to tailor its lineup to local preferences rather than replicating its Chinese-market offerings.
In Australia, Exlantix will prioritize electrified models, including battery-electric and petrol-electric range-extender variants, while excluding combustion-only Exeed vehicles sold elsewhere. Further customization may extend to engineering adjustments, depending on how Chery leverages its growing Australian technical resources for the brand.
Both the ET and ES GT feature advanced suspension systems, such as air springs and adaptive dampers, meaning local engineers could refine settings for damper tuning, steering feel, body control, and driver-assistance behavior.
Exlantix’s pricing strategy will also play a key role in its Australian approach, as Zeekr’s updated MY27 7X remains priced between $57,900 and $72,900, despite added performance and features, setting a competitive benchmark for Exlantix to match.
Andrew Haurissa from Changan Australia pointed out that Zeekr has helped normalize spending between $70,000 and $80,000 on Chinese-made cars, creating an opening for other luxury entrants. Meanwhile, Xiong emphasized that Chery’s large-scale production capabilities allow it to deliver high-quality, cutting-edge technology at a reasonable cost.
