Chery evaluates taking Omoda & Jaecoo to the Chinese market to compete in the premium segment

Chery is considering bringing to China the Omoda & Jaecoo brands, created to sell exclusively outside the country, in an attempt to revive a declining domestic market. The information is from the Chinese website Leiphone, which cites several independent sources. The automaker has not confirmed the plan.

According to the publication, marketing teams are already being formed and the two brands would target the Chinese premium segment. Chery would have sought professionals with experience at BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi. There is no information on debut date, models or distribution structure.

Exports soar, China shrinks

The assessment comes amid an increasing detachment between the two ends of the business. In August, the group sold 280,128 vehicles, up 15.4% compared to the same month in 2025, according to data compiled by CnEVPost.

Exports rose 52.14% to 196,984 units, equivalent to 70.32% of the total. In China, there were 83,144 registrations in the month, down 26.59% year-on-year, despite the 11.92% increase over July.

From January to August, global sales totaled 1,914,481 units, an increase of 10.84%. Exports increased 68.16% to 1,343,334 vehicles, while the domestic market fell 38.48% to 571,147 cars.

The pressure also appears in other brands of the group: in the first eight months of the year, the volumes of Jetour and Exeed fell 10.64% and 37.79%, respectively. According to Leiphone, Exeed was recently transferred to Chery’s international operation, led by Zhang Guibing, executive vice president of the company.

Brazil’s weight in the account

Chery created Omoda in 2021, aimed at young consumers outside China, and launched Jaecoo the following year, with a premium positioning abroad. Jointly known as O&J, the two announced in April that they had surpassed 1 million vehicles sold globally.

Europe has become one of the showcases of this expansion. The company claims to have sold more than 208,000 cars in 24 European countries between January and July, up 201% year-on-year, with Jaecoo 7, Jaecoo 5 and Omoda 5 among the ten most licensed models in the United Kingdom in the year.

Brazil is another pillar of the strategy. The duo landed in the country in April 2025, with Jaecoo 7 and Omoda E5, under Chery International — a different structure from Caoa Chery, which is responsible for the Chery brand in the domestic market.

In August, O&J sold 5,902 vehicles, the seventh consecutive monthly record, and surpassed 28 thousand units in the year to date, according to the manufacturer. The brand is also studying the installation of a factory in the country.

If the Chinese project moves forward, Omoda and Jaecoo will become another attempt by Chery to break through the premium segment at home. How they will be differentiated from existing brands, how they will divide the portfolios and how the distribution network will be set up remain undefined.