Chery announces new hybrid SUVs, solid-state batteries with up to 1500km of range, and… a new ute?

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Chery has been making headlines this week as breaking news emerges from its International User Summit, held in Wuhu, China. But what information should Australian readers be excited about? We’ve trimmed the fat from Chery’s expo to give you the important facts. 

First are three new vehicles and an all-new powertrain from Chery luxury sub-brand Omoda. At present, these are unconfirmed for Australia, but they haven’t been ruled out for introduction, either.

Starting with the Omoda 4, a small SUV with futuristic styling which Chery calls “Cyber Mecha”. It evolves upon the Omoda 3 concept car, revealed earlier this year at the Shanghai Auto Show. 

The Omoda 4 somewhat resembles a shrunken Lamborghini Urus, with a two-tone roof, sharp body lines, and slender LED headlights. 

Concept images of the interior show what looks to be a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster borrowed from the Chery Tiggo 4, and a portrait-oriented infotainment screen which appears to be the 14.8-inch unit from the Jaecoo J7.

Much like the recently detailed Jaecoo J5, the Omoda 4 will reportedly offer three powertrains, combustion, hybrid and BEV, on a strictly front-driven platform.

Next up is the Omoda 7, which first debuted as the Omoda C7 in Shanghai. It appears to be a midsize SUV, with similar dimensions to the Jaecoo J8, and styling ‘inspired’ by the Honda HR-V. Previous reports suggest that the C7 will use Chery’s ‘Super Hybrid’ plug-in system.

Chery’s seven-seater ‘multi-SUV’ is next, not to be confused with the recently released Deepal E07 ‘multi-truck’. A welcome surprise, this large, boxy SUV from Chery has a length of 4.9-metres. That makes it similar in size and appearance to the LDV D90, until it performs its party trick.

The Chery Multi Truck debuts a detachable roof fixture, which transforms the vehicle from a large, seven-seat SUV into a dual-cab ute with a 600-litre tub tray. The tub has four tie-down points and movable dividers for transporting awkward items.

Another configuration is “camper mode”, which is designed to work with an array of accessories including side awnings, pop-up roof tents, and an external V2L plug. 

Chery says the multi-SUV has six unique configurations — only three have been detailed so far. 

Onto Chery’s all new powertrain, with the debut of the next-generation Omoda 5. This mid-size SUV features a new plugless series parallel hybrid, different to the system seen in the Chery Tiggo 4. 

Chery Omoda calls its new powertrain ‘SHS-H’, possibly meaning ‘Super Hybrid System Hybrid’. The system produces a combined output of 165kW, and a combined driving range of 1000km (WLTP). 

A sportier version of the aforementioned Omoda 4, known as the Omoda 4 Ultra, will also feature a ‘SHS-H’ series parallel hybrid. It gains a stark rear spoiler, larger 19-inch alloy wheels, and optional yellow paint over the yet to be released Omoda 4. 

Last off the list is Chery’s exciting new battery technology for electric vehicles. Developed in-house by Chery, the new tech is a solid state battery with a claimed cell energy density of 600 Wh/kg. For context, current Tesla EV batteries have a cell energy density of around 272-296 Wh/kg. 

Chery’s solid state battery is still a prototype, however, the Chinese-based company says it could be fit to next-generation EVs by as early as 2026. In theory, these batteries have the potential to produce a combined driving range between 1000 and 1500km.

Chasing Cars is excited to see Omoda-Jaecoo’s local product rollout for 2026 following the above news highlights.