Chery Is Now a Top-Five Carmaker in Australia — Here's What That Means for WA

Chinese automotive group Chery is claiming a top-five position in the Australian new car market — though there's a footnote attached. The ranking combines sales from its two brands, Chery and the newer Omoda Jaecoo, rather than either brand standing alone. Still, the numbers are hard to argue with.

In May, the Chery Group moved 6,971 vehicles nationally — 4,401 under the Chery badge and 2,570 under Omoda Jaecoo. That puts the group behind only Toyota, Hyundai Motor Group, BYD and Ford. It's also the group's 23rd consecutive month of sales growth in Australia.

Year-to-date, the group sits sixth overall with 26,726 units sold and a 5.4 per cent market share. The Chery brand alone ranks ninth, beating MG (3,872) and Mitsubishi (3,307) in May. Omoda Jaecoo is currently 20th.

Why WA Buyers Are Paying Attention

For Perth and regional WA buyers, the appeal is straightforward: Chery and Omoda Jaecoo vehicles are well-equipped SUVs at prices that undercut plenty of the established brands. The Chery Tiggo 4 has been one of Australia's top-10 best-selling models, and the Jaecoo J5 recently joined it on that list.

With WA fuel prices consistently among the highest in the country and registration costs that sting at renewal time, buyers here have strong incentives to look beyond the usual suspects. An SUV that offers decent kit without a premium badge premium is a practical choice — whether you're commuting through Midland or heading out past Kalgoorlie.

What's Coming — and What the Fine Print Says

Chery has set a target of getting its namesake brand into the top five on its own by 2027, with an upcoming ute expected to carry a lot of that weight. A ute that can handle WA's long highway runs and rough station tracks while coming in under the price of a HiLux or Ranger will attract serious attention here.

The group also wants one of its other brands in the top 10 by the same date. Omoda Jaecoo is the most likely candidate, given several other Chery-owned brands — Lepas, iCaur, Freelander and Jetour — aren't arriving until 2026 or 2027.

That brand expansion is worth watching closely. Jetour is set to operate as a separate business with its own distribution, which means Chery's top-five claim gets murkier the more brands it adds. Rivals like GWM and MG fold everything under one roof; Chery is taking a different path.

Chery Group Australia CEO Lewis Lu framed the milestone this way: "Three years ago, Chery restarted its Australian operations as a challenger brand. Today our combined portfolio is competing alongside some of the most established automotive companies in the market."

For WA buyers, the practical takeaway is this: Chery and Omoda Jaecoo are no longer fringe options you stumble across online. They're mainstream contenders with growing dealer networks, and more models are on the way. Whether the brand expansion ends up diluting or strengthening the overall offer is the real question to track over the next two years.