Ford Ranger tech upgrade to see SYNC4 axed, hands-free driving added
SYNC4 will be used in the upcoming Ford Ranger PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) as well as the recently revealed 2026 Ranger Super Duty – but these may be the final Rangers with the system.
While timing of SYNC4's departure is yet to be revealed, a report from Ford Authority pointed to comments from Ford digital design boss, Doug Field, who said the SYNC4 system will make way for a version of Ford Digital Experience (FDE) – with the Toyota HiLux-rivalling Ranger top of the queue.
Also set to move to FDE are the F-150 and Mustang, with the latter set to join the Ranger in getting BlueCruise for the first time.
FDE was developed in collaboration with Google, with the roll-out beginning in the US on the 2025 Ford Explorer large SUV – and several models from Ford's luxury brand Lincoln – not sold in Australia.
Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. 2025 Ford Explorer with Ford Digital Experience Credit: CarExpert
'Software can sit in several types of electrical layouts, and in our plan, we'll innovate within a layout that draws from our existing platform instead of building a whole new one,' said Mr Field.
'For example, we will be able to take our very successful Ford and Lincoln Digital Experience that we've launched in the Ford Explorer, Lincoln Nautilus and Navigator to many more products like Mustang, Bronco, Ranger, and F-150.'
FDE brings a more smartphone-like experience centred around personalisation for vehicle owners, where preferred apps are displayed front-and-centre on the screen.
The ability to fit FDE in existing vehicles comes after Ford dropped development of its FNV4 (fully networked vehicle) software.
Instead, it will update existing platforms, enabling the use of its BlueCruise semi-autonomous driving system, while developing a separate electrical architecture for its upcoming low-cost electric vehicle (EV) platform.
BlueCruise, a Level 2 autonomous driving feature, allows for hands-free driving across over 209,000km of highways in North America.
As of July 2024, it can also be used across 132,000km of highways in Europe, as Ford continues to receive regulatory approval for the feature in different markets. It currently isn't supported in Australia. Supplied Credit: CarExpert
The Ranger's move to what Ford is calling the FNV3.X electrical architecture may see SYNC4 replaced in the Ranger in a model year update ahead of a new model on a fresh platform, with the current underpinnings having been introduced in 2011.
The next-generation Ranger is expected in 2028 after the Ford F-150 development was delayed 12 months, with the two vehicles previously planned to share the same platform for the first time.
It is not clear whether the planned shared platform strategy – which was intended to reduce the number of platforms globally to streamline manufacturing costs – will go ahead.
SYNC4 was announced in 2019 and brought capabilities including over-the-air (OTA) updates including cloud-based navigation and connected services.
The Ford Ranger was the first Ford Australia vehicle to gain the FordPass smartphone app when it was launched locally in 2020. Supplied Credit: CarExpert
MORE: Everything Ford Ranger
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26 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
Chery has multiple ute options on the cards for Australia
Chery Australia is gearing up to launch its first ute next year, but the Chinese brand says more models could follow with various body styles, powertrains, and use cases – if customers want them. Speaking with CarExpert, Chery Australia chief operating officer Lucas Harris said that while one ute is currently confirmed for Australia, the brand has many others that could also be brought here. "What's confirmed at the moment is having a proper, ladder-frame chassis, off-road platform-style pickup, which will be second half of next year," he said. "Globally, there are lots of different options for pickups. It's not just a one-tonne ladder-frame chassis." CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. ABOVE: Jetour F700 Chery chief engineer David Xianqiang Lu added the brand was exploring different types of utes, while also taking notes from the performance of similar models from other manufacturers. "We do have pickup from body-on-frame design and then also unibody design, and we're exploring global markets for that," he said. "USA market used to be very good for body-on-frame, but recently Ford has the Maverick, which is a unibody vehicle that sold very well. So maybe we will see. We also have body-on-frame vehicles that we will introduce to this market as well." As it stands, Chery has no current utes sold under its own name, though it did reveal the Himla at this year's Shanghai auto show. Its other utes come from its offshoot brands, including the Jetour F700 and Rely R08, though the latter is essentially a rebadged Himla. ABOVE: Chery Himla Mr Harris said a key focus for Chery Australia with its first ute would be getting the fundamentals sorted, which includes meeting segment-standard payload ratings, towing capacities, and off-road dimensions. "It's very early days at the moment, I think the obvious things are payload, towing ability, off-roadability, and all those sorts of things are basically a given," he said. "We're still very much in the research phase to ensure that we get all of the spec and features, but certainly those core elements, like 3.5-tonne towing as an example, is a no-brainer." For context, Australia's current best-selling ute is the Ford Ranger, which, in Sport bi-turbo-diesel guise, offers a 934kg payload, 3500kg braked towing capacity, a ground clearance of 234mm, and a wading depth of 800mm. ABOVE: Rely R08 In any case, it's understood Chery is exploring at least diesel and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrains for future utes. This puts it in contention with a range of vehicles from the perennially top-selling Ranger and Toyota HiLux to the new BYD Shark 6 PHEV. "We're always looking at what competitors are doing in the market, but to be honest with you, we're much more driven by customers and what customers want and need, rather than what our competitors are doing," Mr Harris told CarExpert. "Because often the competitors don't always get it right, so I think our general philosophy is how we talk to customers and listen to customers about what they want and need, and then if we can deliver a product for that, it's usually a recipe for success." ABOVE: Ford Ranger, BYD Shark 6 Further, Mr Lu boldly added that it wasn't a case of Chery competing with its compatriots, but rather the other way around. "We do have global product portfolio, and we review that every season, and make decisions if we change it a little bit or not," he told CarExpert. "Definitely MG and BYD are in our global competitor list, but I believe Chery is probably a bigger competitor for them, because Chery is still the number one exporter in China's market for many, many years, even this year." Chery claims it has been China's top vehicle exporter for 22 consecutive years, with 15 million global sales to date. In Australia, it trailed BYD on sales by nearly 10,000 units in the first half of 2025. MORE: Is this Chery's first ute for Australia? MORE: Chery Himla pickup revealed as China's latest HiLux, Ranger rival, more utes to come MORE: Everything Chery Content originally sourced from: Chery Australia is gearing up to launch its first ute next year, but the Chinese brand says more models could follow with various body styles, powertrains, and use cases – if customers want them. Speaking with CarExpert, Chery Australia chief operating officer Lucas Harris said that while one ute is currently confirmed for Australia, the brand has many others that could also be brought here. "What's confirmed at the moment is having a proper, ladder-frame chassis, off-road platform-style pickup, which will be second half of next year," he said. "Globally, there are lots of different options for pickups. It's not just a one-tonne ladder-frame chassis." CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. ABOVE: Jetour F700 Chery chief engineer David Xianqiang Lu added the brand was exploring different types of utes, while also taking notes from the performance of similar models from other manufacturers. "We do have pickup from body-on-frame design and then also unibody design, and we're exploring global markets for that," he said. "USA market used to be very good for body-on-frame, but recently Ford has the Maverick, which is a unibody vehicle that sold very well. So maybe we will see. We also have body-on-frame vehicles that we will introduce to this market as well." As it stands, Chery has no current utes sold under its own name, though it did reveal the Himla at this year's Shanghai auto show. Its other utes come from its offshoot brands, including the Jetour F700 and Rely R08, though the latter is essentially a rebadged Himla. ABOVE: Chery Himla Mr Harris said a key focus for Chery Australia with its first ute would be getting the fundamentals sorted, which includes meeting segment-standard payload ratings, towing capacities, and off-road dimensions. "It's very early days at the moment, I think the obvious things are payload, towing ability, off-roadability, and all those sorts of things are basically a given," he said. "We're still very much in the research phase to ensure that we get all of the spec and features, but certainly those core elements, like 3.5-tonne towing as an example, is a no-brainer." For context, Australia's current best-selling ute is the Ford Ranger, which, in Sport bi-turbo-diesel guise, offers a 934kg payload, 3500kg braked towing capacity, a ground clearance of 234mm, and a wading depth of 800mm. ABOVE: Rely R08 In any case, it's understood Chery is exploring at least diesel and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrains for future utes. This puts it in contention with a range of vehicles from the perennially top-selling Ranger and Toyota HiLux to the new BYD Shark 6 PHEV. "We're always looking at what competitors are doing in the market, but to be honest with you, we're much more driven by customers and what customers want and need, rather than what our competitors are doing," Mr Harris told CarExpert. "Because often the competitors don't always get it right, so I think our general philosophy is how we talk to customers and listen to customers about what they want and need, and then if we can deliver a product for that, it's usually a recipe for success." ABOVE: Ford Ranger, BYD Shark 6 Further, Mr Lu boldly added that it wasn't a case of Chery competing with its compatriots, but rather the other way around. "We do have global product portfolio, and we review that every season, and make decisions if we change it a little bit or not," he told CarExpert. "Definitely MG and BYD are in our global competitor list, but I believe Chery is probably a bigger competitor for them, because Chery is still the number one exporter in China's market for many, many years, even this year." Chery claims it has been China's top vehicle exporter for 22 consecutive years, with 15 million global sales to date. In Australia, it trailed BYD on sales by nearly 10,000 units in the first half of 2025. MORE: Is this Chery's first ute for Australia? MORE: Chery Himla pickup revealed as China's latest HiLux, Ranger rival, more utes to come MORE: Everything Chery Content originally sourced from: Chery Australia is gearing up to launch its first ute next year, but the Chinese brand says more models could follow with various body styles, powertrains, and use cases – if customers want them. Speaking with CarExpert, Chery Australia chief operating officer Lucas Harris said that while one ute is currently confirmed for Australia, the brand has many others that could also be brought here. "What's confirmed at the moment is having a proper, ladder-frame chassis, off-road platform-style pickup, which will be second half of next year," he said. "Globally, there are lots of different options for pickups. It's not just a one-tonne ladder-frame chassis." CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. ABOVE: Jetour F700 Chery chief engineer David Xianqiang Lu added the brand was exploring different types of utes, while also taking notes from the performance of similar models from other manufacturers. "We do have pickup from body-on-frame design and then also unibody design, and we're exploring global markets for that," he said. "USA market used to be very good for body-on-frame, but recently Ford has the Maverick, which is a unibody vehicle that sold very well. So maybe we will see. We also have body-on-frame vehicles that we will introduce to this market as well." As it stands, Chery has no current utes sold under its own name, though it did reveal the Himla at this year's Shanghai auto show. Its other utes come from its offshoot brands, including the Jetour F700 and Rely R08, though the latter is essentially a rebadged Himla. ABOVE: Chery Himla Mr Harris said a key focus for Chery Australia with its first ute would be getting the fundamentals sorted, which includes meeting segment-standard payload ratings, towing capacities, and off-road dimensions. "It's very early days at the moment, I think the obvious things are payload, towing ability, off-roadability, and all those sorts of things are basically a given," he said. "We're still very much in the research phase to ensure that we get all of the spec and features, but certainly those core elements, like 3.5-tonne towing as an example, is a no-brainer." For context, Australia's current best-selling ute is the Ford Ranger, which, in Sport bi-turbo-diesel guise, offers a 934kg payload, 3500kg braked towing capacity, a ground clearance of 234mm, and a wading depth of 800mm. ABOVE: Rely R08 In any case, it's understood Chery is exploring at least diesel and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrains for future utes. This puts it in contention with a range of vehicles from the perennially top-selling Ranger and Toyota HiLux to the new BYD Shark 6 PHEV. "We're always looking at what competitors are doing in the market, but to be honest with you, we're much more driven by customers and what customers want and need, rather than what our competitors are doing," Mr Harris told CarExpert. "Because often the competitors don't always get it right, so I think our general philosophy is how we talk to customers and listen to customers about what they want and need, and then if we can deliver a product for that, it's usually a recipe for success." ABOVE: Ford Ranger, BYD Shark 6 Further, Mr Lu boldly added that it wasn't a case of Chery competing with its compatriots, but rather the other way around. "We do have global product portfolio, and we review that every season, and make decisions if we change it a little bit or not," he told CarExpert. "Definitely MG and BYD are in our global competitor list, but I believe Chery is probably a bigger competitor for them, because Chery is still the number one exporter in China's market for many, many years, even this year." Chery claims it has been China's top vehicle exporter for 22 consecutive years, with 15 million global sales to date. In Australia, it trailed BYD on sales by nearly 10,000 units in the first half of 2025. MORE: Is this Chery's first ute for Australia? MORE: Chery Himla pickup revealed as China's latest HiLux, Ranger rival, more utes to come MORE: Everything Chery Content originally sourced from: Chery Australia is gearing up to launch its first ute next year, but the Chinese brand says more models could follow with various body styles, powertrains, and use cases – if customers want them. Speaking with CarExpert, Chery Australia chief operating officer Lucas Harris said that while one ute is currently confirmed for Australia, the brand has many others that could also be brought here. "What's confirmed at the moment is having a proper, ladder-frame chassis, off-road platform-style pickup, which will be second half of next year," he said. "Globally, there are lots of different options for pickups. It's not just a one-tonne ladder-frame chassis." CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. ABOVE: Jetour F700 Chery chief engineer David Xianqiang Lu added the brand was exploring different types of utes, while also taking notes from the performance of similar models from other manufacturers. "We do have pickup from body-on-frame design and then also unibody design, and we're exploring global markets for that," he said. "USA market used to be very good for body-on-frame, but recently Ford has the Maverick, which is a unibody vehicle that sold very well. So maybe we will see. We also have body-on-frame vehicles that we will introduce to this market as well." As it stands, Chery has no current utes sold under its own name, though it did reveal the Himla at this year's Shanghai auto show. Its other utes come from its offshoot brands, including the Jetour F700 and Rely R08, though the latter is essentially a rebadged Himla. ABOVE: Chery Himla Mr Harris said a key focus for Chery Australia with its first ute would be getting the fundamentals sorted, which includes meeting segment-standard payload ratings, towing capacities, and off-road dimensions. "It's very early days at the moment, I think the obvious things are payload, towing ability, off-roadability, and all those sorts of things are basically a given," he said. "We're still very much in the research phase to ensure that we get all of the spec and features, but certainly those core elements, like 3.5-tonne towing as an example, is a no-brainer." For context, Australia's current best-selling ute is the Ford Ranger, which, in Sport bi-turbo-diesel guise, offers a 934kg payload, 3500kg braked towing capacity, a ground clearance of 234mm, and a wading depth of 800mm. ABOVE: Rely R08 In any case, it's understood Chery is exploring at least diesel and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrains for future utes. This puts it in contention with a range of vehicles from the perennially top-selling Ranger and Toyota HiLux to the new BYD Shark 6 PHEV. "We're always looking at what competitors are doing in the market, but to be honest with you, we're much more driven by customers and what customers want and need, rather than what our competitors are doing," Mr Harris told CarExpert. "Because often the competitors don't always get it right, so I think our general philosophy is how we talk to customers and listen to customers about what they want and need, and then if we can deliver a product for that, it's usually a recipe for success." ABOVE: Ford Ranger, BYD Shark 6 Further, Mr Lu boldly added that it wasn't a case of Chery competing with its compatriots, but rather the other way around. "We do have global product portfolio, and we review that every season, and make decisions if we change it a little bit or not," he told CarExpert. "Definitely MG and BYD are in our global competitor list, but I believe Chery is probably a bigger competitor for them, because Chery is still the number one exporter in China's market for many, many years, even this year." Chery claims it has been China's top vehicle exporter for 22 consecutive years, with 15 million global sales to date. In Australia, it trailed BYD on sales by nearly 10,000 units in the first half of 2025. MORE: Is this Chery's first ute for Australia? MORE: Chery Himla pickup revealed as China's latest HiLux, Ranger rival, more utes to come MORE: Everything Chery Content originally sourced from:
The Advertiser
26 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
Chery wants to Australianise its cars to make them appeal to Americans
Chery, in its current state, may have only been operating in Australia since 2023, but a global executive says the feedback of Australians could help the brand's cars see success in the United States down the line. Locally, Chery has enjoyed substantial growth in its first few years. To the end of June 2025, the brand had recorded a whopping 228.8 per cent increase in sales from the same period in 2024, the largest of any brand – even the hard-charging BYD. This success has provided Chery with a wealth of feedback and guidance on how to improve its vehicles, with brand chief engineer David Xianqiang Lu telling CarExpert that the lessons learned can also help prepare it for potential future efforts in countries like the US. "From any point of view, the Australian market is very, very important, and that's a reason to come here and try and start in the market," he said. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. ABOVE: Chery Himla "We consider at least two directions right now. One is, in my opinion, that the user here, and the user conditions here, are very close to the USA market. "That's our next target where we want to go, I don't know whether that's the right words or not, but that's our ambition." The US market is uncharted territory for Chinese brands. Efforts to stop Chinese cars from infiltrating its market have led the US Government to impose substantial tariffs on vehicles from the country, which means there are currently no Chinese brands operating in the US, though there are Chinese-owned ones such as Volvo, Polestar and Lotus. A 100 per cent tariff was slugged on Chinese EVs in 2024, followed by reciprocal tariffs imposed on the US by China. Despite that, brands like Chery are planning for the US' stance to soften in the coming years, opening the door for expanded global operations. ABOVE: Chery E5 "I know there are a lot of issues there, but that's a different story. As a company and an engineer, we are looking for the markets where we want to go," Mr Lu told CarExpert. "I believe the Australian market can help us learn a lot about the USA market. We've mentioned about a [pickup], with important towing capacities, which are also very big in USA market, so we can learn a lot." Indeed, Chery has been developing new utes for some time, after earlier efforts like the Karry Higgo and Aika were phased out. It revealed a new ute, the Himla, at this year's Shanghai auto show, and it's understood several others are waiting in the wings – including a yet-to-be-revealed plug-in hybrid (PHEV) expected to come to Australia. ABOVE: The F700 ute, from the Chery-owned Jetour brand. It seems Australia could serve as a test bed for these vehicles, which will undoubtedly vary in size, powertrains, and construction (i.e. body-on-frame or unibody), to prove their worth before being shipped elsewhere. "The other thing is the geographical position, this off-season. For us, in China right now it's summer, very hot, here it's winter," Mr Lu told CarExpert. "Australia also has some mountain area with snow and these kinds of things; we can test a vehicle here. Working together, leveraging global resources, we can further speed up our development process." Any local development undertaken by Chery would follow similar efforts from other Chinese brands, including GWM, which recently hired former Holden handling tuner Rob Trubiani to spearhead local development efforts. Non-Chinese brands like Ford, Kia and Mitsubishi are also heavily involved in Australian vehicle tuning. ABOVE: Chery Tiggo 8 Additionally, Mr Lu outlined feedback received from Australian customers and media was always relayed to Chery's head office in China, which has informed the development of new models and tech, as well as updates for its existing lineup. "Also the user here is different. I remember the first article I saw was from [CarExpert], the gentleman wrote about Chery's vehicle, he mentioned that the vehicle tuning and handling was not that good, suspension not that good," he told CarExpert. "We really take a lot of comments, and try to [improve] that. That's another thing, we really let the local experts help us tune the vehicle, maybe even special versions." MORE: Everything Chery Content originally sourced from: Chery, in its current state, may have only been operating in Australia since 2023, but a global executive says the feedback of Australians could help the brand's cars see success in the United States down the line. Locally, Chery has enjoyed substantial growth in its first few years. To the end of June 2025, the brand had recorded a whopping 228.8 per cent increase in sales from the same period in 2024, the largest of any brand – even the hard-charging BYD. This success has provided Chery with a wealth of feedback and guidance on how to improve its vehicles, with brand chief engineer David Xianqiang Lu telling CarExpert that the lessons learned can also help prepare it for potential future efforts in countries like the US. "From any point of view, the Australian market is very, very important, and that's a reason to come here and try and start in the market," he said. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. ABOVE: Chery Himla "We consider at least two directions right now. One is, in my opinion, that the user here, and the user conditions here, are very close to the USA market. "That's our next target where we want to go, I don't know whether that's the right words or not, but that's our ambition." The US market is uncharted territory for Chinese brands. Efforts to stop Chinese cars from infiltrating its market have led the US Government to impose substantial tariffs on vehicles from the country, which means there are currently no Chinese brands operating in the US, though there are Chinese-owned ones such as Volvo, Polestar and Lotus. A 100 per cent tariff was slugged on Chinese EVs in 2024, followed by reciprocal tariffs imposed on the US by China. Despite that, brands like Chery are planning for the US' stance to soften in the coming years, opening the door for expanded global operations. ABOVE: Chery E5 "I know there are a lot of issues there, but that's a different story. As a company and an engineer, we are looking for the markets where we want to go," Mr Lu told CarExpert. "I believe the Australian market can help us learn a lot about the USA market. We've mentioned about a [pickup], with important towing capacities, which are also very big in USA market, so we can learn a lot." Indeed, Chery has been developing new utes for some time, after earlier efforts like the Karry Higgo and Aika were phased out. It revealed a new ute, the Himla, at this year's Shanghai auto show, and it's understood several others are waiting in the wings – including a yet-to-be-revealed plug-in hybrid (PHEV) expected to come to Australia. ABOVE: The F700 ute, from the Chery-owned Jetour brand. It seems Australia could serve as a test bed for these vehicles, which will undoubtedly vary in size, powertrains, and construction (i.e. body-on-frame or unibody), to prove their worth before being shipped elsewhere. "The other thing is the geographical position, this off-season. For us, in China right now it's summer, very hot, here it's winter," Mr Lu told CarExpert. "Australia also has some mountain area with snow and these kinds of things; we can test a vehicle here. Working together, leveraging global resources, we can further speed up our development process." Any local development undertaken by Chery would follow similar efforts from other Chinese brands, including GWM, which recently hired former Holden handling tuner Rob Trubiani to spearhead local development efforts. Non-Chinese brands like Ford, Kia and Mitsubishi are also heavily involved in Australian vehicle tuning. ABOVE: Chery Tiggo 8 Additionally, Mr Lu outlined feedback received from Australian customers and media was always relayed to Chery's head office in China, which has informed the development of new models and tech, as well as updates for its existing lineup. "Also the user here is different. I remember the first article I saw was from [CarExpert], the gentleman wrote about Chery's vehicle, he mentioned that the vehicle tuning and handling was not that good, suspension not that good," he told CarExpert. "We really take a lot of comments, and try to [improve] that. That's another thing, we really let the local experts help us tune the vehicle, maybe even special versions." MORE: Everything Chery Content originally sourced from: Chery, in its current state, may have only been operating in Australia since 2023, but a global executive says the feedback of Australians could help the brand's cars see success in the United States down the line. Locally, Chery has enjoyed substantial growth in its first few years. To the end of June 2025, the brand had recorded a whopping 228.8 per cent increase in sales from the same period in 2024, the largest of any brand – even the hard-charging BYD. This success has provided Chery with a wealth of feedback and guidance on how to improve its vehicles, with brand chief engineer David Xianqiang Lu telling CarExpert that the lessons learned can also help prepare it for potential future efforts in countries like the US. "From any point of view, the Australian market is very, very important, and that's a reason to come here and try and start in the market," he said. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. ABOVE: Chery Himla "We consider at least two directions right now. One is, in my opinion, that the user here, and the user conditions here, are very close to the USA market. "That's our next target where we want to go, I don't know whether that's the right words or not, but that's our ambition." The US market is uncharted territory for Chinese brands. Efforts to stop Chinese cars from infiltrating its market have led the US Government to impose substantial tariffs on vehicles from the country, which means there are currently no Chinese brands operating in the US, though there are Chinese-owned ones such as Volvo, Polestar and Lotus. A 100 per cent tariff was slugged on Chinese EVs in 2024, followed by reciprocal tariffs imposed on the US by China. Despite that, brands like Chery are planning for the US' stance to soften in the coming years, opening the door for expanded global operations. ABOVE: Chery E5 "I know there are a lot of issues there, but that's a different story. As a company and an engineer, we are looking for the markets where we want to go," Mr Lu told CarExpert. "I believe the Australian market can help us learn a lot about the USA market. We've mentioned about a [pickup], with important towing capacities, which are also very big in USA market, so we can learn a lot." Indeed, Chery has been developing new utes for some time, after earlier efforts like the Karry Higgo and Aika were phased out. It revealed a new ute, the Himla, at this year's Shanghai auto show, and it's understood several others are waiting in the wings – including a yet-to-be-revealed plug-in hybrid (PHEV) expected to come to Australia. ABOVE: The F700 ute, from the Chery-owned Jetour brand. It seems Australia could serve as a test bed for these vehicles, which will undoubtedly vary in size, powertrains, and construction (i.e. body-on-frame or unibody), to prove their worth before being shipped elsewhere. "The other thing is the geographical position, this off-season. For us, in China right now it's summer, very hot, here it's winter," Mr Lu told CarExpert. "Australia also has some mountain area with snow and these kinds of things; we can test a vehicle here. Working together, leveraging global resources, we can further speed up our development process." Any local development undertaken by Chery would follow similar efforts from other Chinese brands, including GWM, which recently hired former Holden handling tuner Rob Trubiani to spearhead local development efforts. Non-Chinese brands like Ford, Kia and Mitsubishi are also heavily involved in Australian vehicle tuning. ABOVE: Chery Tiggo 8 Additionally, Mr Lu outlined feedback received from Australian customers and media was always relayed to Chery's head office in China, which has informed the development of new models and tech, as well as updates for its existing lineup. "Also the user here is different. I remember the first article I saw was from [CarExpert], the gentleman wrote about Chery's vehicle, he mentioned that the vehicle tuning and handling was not that good, suspension not that good," he told CarExpert. "We really take a lot of comments, and try to [improve] that. That's another thing, we really let the local experts help us tune the vehicle, maybe even special versions." MORE: Everything Chery Content originally sourced from: Chery, in its current state, may have only been operating in Australia since 2023, but a global executive says the feedback of Australians could help the brand's cars see success in the United States down the line. Locally, Chery has enjoyed substantial growth in its first few years. To the end of June 2025, the brand had recorded a whopping 228.8 per cent increase in sales from the same period in 2024, the largest of any brand – even the hard-charging BYD. This success has provided Chery with a wealth of feedback and guidance on how to improve its vehicles, with brand chief engineer David Xianqiang Lu telling CarExpert that the lessons learned can also help prepare it for potential future efforts in countries like the US. "From any point of view, the Australian market is very, very important, and that's a reason to come here and try and start in the market," he said. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. ABOVE: Chery Himla "We consider at least two directions right now. One is, in my opinion, that the user here, and the user conditions here, are very close to the USA market. "That's our next target where we want to go, I don't know whether that's the right words or not, but that's our ambition." The US market is uncharted territory for Chinese brands. Efforts to stop Chinese cars from infiltrating its market have led the US Government to impose substantial tariffs on vehicles from the country, which means there are currently no Chinese brands operating in the US, though there are Chinese-owned ones such as Volvo, Polestar and Lotus. A 100 per cent tariff was slugged on Chinese EVs in 2024, followed by reciprocal tariffs imposed on the US by China. Despite that, brands like Chery are planning for the US' stance to soften in the coming years, opening the door for expanded global operations. ABOVE: Chery E5 "I know there are a lot of issues there, but that's a different story. As a company and an engineer, we are looking for the markets where we want to go," Mr Lu told CarExpert. "I believe the Australian market can help us learn a lot about the USA market. We've mentioned about a [pickup], with important towing capacities, which are also very big in USA market, so we can learn a lot." Indeed, Chery has been developing new utes for some time, after earlier efforts like the Karry Higgo and Aika were phased out. It revealed a new ute, the Himla, at this year's Shanghai auto show, and it's understood several others are waiting in the wings – including a yet-to-be-revealed plug-in hybrid (PHEV) expected to come to Australia. ABOVE: The F700 ute, from the Chery-owned Jetour brand. It seems Australia could serve as a test bed for these vehicles, which will undoubtedly vary in size, powertrains, and construction (i.e. body-on-frame or unibody), to prove their worth before being shipped elsewhere. "The other thing is the geographical position, this off-season. For us, in China right now it's summer, very hot, here it's winter," Mr Lu told CarExpert. "Australia also has some mountain area with snow and these kinds of things; we can test a vehicle here. Working together, leveraging global resources, we can further speed up our development process." Any local development undertaken by Chery would follow similar efforts from other Chinese brands, including GWM, which recently hired former Holden handling tuner Rob Trubiani to spearhead local development efforts. Non-Chinese brands like Ford, Kia and Mitsubishi are also heavily involved in Australian vehicle tuning. ABOVE: Chery Tiggo 8 Additionally, Mr Lu outlined feedback received from Australian customers and media was always relayed to Chery's head office in China, which has informed the development of new models and tech, as well as updates for its existing lineup. "Also the user here is different. I remember the first article I saw was from [CarExpert], the gentleman wrote about Chery's vehicle, he mentioned that the vehicle tuning and handling was not that good, suspension not that good," he told CarExpert. "We really take a lot of comments, and try to [improve] that. That's another thing, we really let the local experts help us tune the vehicle, maybe even special versions." MORE: Everything Chery Content originally sourced from:
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Mercedes-Benz gives its smallest cars racy Edition R and Edition R+ specials
Mercedes-Benz has been rolling out sporty Edition Rs across its lineup, and now its smallest passenger cars have received the special-edition treatment. Not only that, but there are even hotter Edition R+ variants. All are available to order now. The special edition lineup is comprised of Edition R versions of the Mercedes-AMG A35 sedan and hatch and the CLA35 four-door 'coupe', and Edition R+ versions of the Mercedes-AMG A45 S hot hatch andCLA45 Ssports sedan. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. Over the standard A35 and CLA35, the Edition R adds: Power continues to come from a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine producing 225kW of power and 400Nm of torque, mated with an eight-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel drive system. The Edition R+ takes the A45 S and CLA45 S and adds AMG Performance Seats. The CLA45S Edition R+ also gains a fixed rear wing, a first for the flagship CLA. Edition R+ models, like the vehicles they're based on, use a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine producing 310kW of power and 500Nm of torque. It's mated with an eight-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel drive system. Despite the additional equipment, the Edition R and Edition R+ specials are no more expensive than the vehicles they're based on – and in most cases they're cheaper. Comparing list prices, the Edition R versions of the A35 are $3500 cheaper, while the special CLA is $4300 cheaper. The Edition R+ versions of the A45 and CLA45 are priced identically to the vehicles they're based on. Mercedes-Benz has previously offered Edition R versions of the AMG C43 and GLC43. While these special editions feature more aggressive styling than the vehicles they're based on, they're not the flashiest special editions to grace Mercedes' local showrooms. Late last year, the Mercedes-AMG A45 S Limited Edition was revealed for our market, featuring decals, extensive yellow accents and bright green paint, among other changes. The CLA is at the end of its lifecycle, with a new generation due in Australian showrooms next year – though hot AMG versions have yet to be revealed. The A-Class won't be replaced, but a report out of Europe has confirmed the end of production for the current model has been postponed from 2026 to 2028. MORE: Everything Mercedes-AMG A35 • A45 • CLA45 Content originally sourced from: Mercedes-Benz has been rolling out sporty Edition Rs across its lineup, and now its smallest passenger cars have received the special-edition treatment. Not only that, but there are even hotter Edition R+ variants. All are available to order now. The special edition lineup is comprised of Edition R versions of the Mercedes-AMG A35 sedan and hatch and the CLA35 four-door 'coupe', and Edition R+ versions of the Mercedes-AMG A45 S hot hatch andCLA45 Ssports sedan. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. Over the standard A35 and CLA35, the Edition R adds: Power continues to come from a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine producing 225kW of power and 400Nm of torque, mated with an eight-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel drive system. The Edition R+ takes the A45 S and CLA45 S and adds AMG Performance Seats. The CLA45S Edition R+ also gains a fixed rear wing, a first for the flagship CLA. Edition R+ models, like the vehicles they're based on, use a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine producing 310kW of power and 500Nm of torque. It's mated with an eight-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel drive system. Despite the additional equipment, the Edition R and Edition R+ specials are no more expensive than the vehicles they're based on – and in most cases they're cheaper. Comparing list prices, the Edition R versions of the A35 are $3500 cheaper, while the special CLA is $4300 cheaper. The Edition R+ versions of the A45 and CLA45 are priced identically to the vehicles they're based on. Mercedes-Benz has previously offered Edition R versions of the AMG C43 and GLC43. While these special editions feature more aggressive styling than the vehicles they're based on, they're not the flashiest special editions to grace Mercedes' local showrooms. Late last year, the Mercedes-AMG A45 S Limited Edition was revealed for our market, featuring decals, extensive yellow accents and bright green paint, among other changes. The CLA is at the end of its lifecycle, with a new generation due in Australian showrooms next year – though hot AMG versions have yet to be revealed. The A-Class won't be replaced, but a report out of Europe has confirmed the end of production for the current model has been postponed from 2026 to 2028. MORE: Everything Mercedes-AMG A35 • A45 • CLA45 Content originally sourced from: Mercedes-Benz has been rolling out sporty Edition Rs across its lineup, and now its smallest passenger cars have received the special-edition treatment. Not only that, but there are even hotter Edition R+ variants. All are available to order now. The special edition lineup is comprised of Edition R versions of the Mercedes-AMG A35 sedan and hatch and the CLA35 four-door 'coupe', and Edition R+ versions of the Mercedes-AMG A45 S hot hatch andCLA45 Ssports sedan. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. Over the standard A35 and CLA35, the Edition R adds: Power continues to come from a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine producing 225kW of power and 400Nm of torque, mated with an eight-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel drive system. The Edition R+ takes the A45 S and CLA45 S and adds AMG Performance Seats. The CLA45S Edition R+ also gains a fixed rear wing, a first for the flagship CLA. Edition R+ models, like the vehicles they're based on, use a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine producing 310kW of power and 500Nm of torque. It's mated with an eight-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel drive system. Despite the additional equipment, the Edition R and Edition R+ specials are no more expensive than the vehicles they're based on – and in most cases they're cheaper. Comparing list prices, the Edition R versions of the A35 are $3500 cheaper, while the special CLA is $4300 cheaper. The Edition R+ versions of the A45 and CLA45 are priced identically to the vehicles they're based on. Mercedes-Benz has previously offered Edition R versions of the AMG C43 and GLC43. While these special editions feature more aggressive styling than the vehicles they're based on, they're not the flashiest special editions to grace Mercedes' local showrooms. Late last year, the Mercedes-AMG A45 S Limited Edition was revealed for our market, featuring decals, extensive yellow accents and bright green paint, among other changes. The CLA is at the end of its lifecycle, with a new generation due in Australian showrooms next year – though hot AMG versions have yet to be revealed. The A-Class won't be replaced, but a report out of Europe has confirmed the end of production for the current model has been postponed from 2026 to 2028. MORE: Everything Mercedes-AMG A35 • A45 • CLA45 Content originally sourced from: Mercedes-Benz has been rolling out sporty Edition Rs across its lineup, and now its smallest passenger cars have received the special-edition treatment. Not only that, but there are even hotter Edition R+ variants. All are available to order now. The special edition lineup is comprised of Edition R versions of the Mercedes-AMG A35 sedan and hatch and the CLA35 four-door 'coupe', and Edition R+ versions of the Mercedes-AMG A45 S hot hatch andCLA45 Ssports sedan. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. Over the standard A35 and CLA35, the Edition R adds: Power continues to come from a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine producing 225kW of power and 400Nm of torque, mated with an eight-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel drive system. The Edition R+ takes the A45 S and CLA45 S and adds AMG Performance Seats. The CLA45S Edition R+ also gains a fixed rear wing, a first for the flagship CLA. Edition R+ models, like the vehicles they're based on, use a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine producing 310kW of power and 500Nm of torque. It's mated with an eight-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel drive system. Despite the additional equipment, the Edition R and Edition R+ specials are no more expensive than the vehicles they're based on – and in most cases they're cheaper. Comparing list prices, the Edition R versions of the A35 are $3500 cheaper, while the special CLA is $4300 cheaper. The Edition R+ versions of the A45 and CLA45 are priced identically to the vehicles they're based on. Mercedes-Benz has previously offered Edition R versions of the AMG C43 and GLC43. While these special editions feature more aggressive styling than the vehicles they're based on, they're not the flashiest special editions to grace Mercedes' local showrooms. Late last year, the Mercedes-AMG A45 S Limited Edition was revealed for our market, featuring decals, extensive yellow accents and bright green paint, among other changes. The CLA is at the end of its lifecycle, with a new generation due in Australian showrooms next year – though hot AMG versions have yet to be revealed. The A-Class won't be replaced, but a report out of Europe has confirmed the end of production for the current model has been postponed from 2026 to 2028. MORE: Everything Mercedes-AMG A35 • A45 • CLA45 Content originally sourced from:
