Chery sedan costs R$ 87.000, does 99 km/l and becomes a sales fever at launch in China

The promise is bold: 99 km/l. It was with this number — combined with an aggressive price and a strong technological appeal — that Chery turned the pre-sale of its new sedan into a phenomenon in China. The Fulwin A9, a mid-size model unveiled on July 9, added 18,173 firm orders in just 72 hours, a mark confirmed by the automaker’s executive vice president, Li Xueyong, on July 13. Sold from around R$ 87 thousand (115.900 yuan) in direct conversion, the car arrives on the local market in 100% electric and hybrid versions with autonomy extender.

It is precisely in the hybrid variant that the number with the greatest impact lives. According to the manufacturer, the configurations with a range extender — a combustion engine that acts as a generator to recharge the battery — deliver a combined consumption of 99 km/l, a figure that helps explain the uproar around the launch. In addition to this option, the Fulwin A9 offers purely electric versions and works with prices that reach around R$ 102 thousand (135.900 yuan) in the most expensive configuration, according to the values announced in the pre-sale.

Visually, Chery bet on seven color options for the bodywork, with pompous names such as Begonia Red and Mountain Smoke Purple, and recessed door handles, which clean the side profile and help reduce aerodynamic drag. This care with efficiency appears in the coefficient of 0.223 Cd — low for the category and one of the factors that support the announced energy performance — in a body of 4.84 m in length and 2.90 m in wheelbase.

In the electric versions, the sedan uses a 242 hp rear motor, powered by a 70.11 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, and promises to run up to 655 km on the Chinese CLTC cycle. The variants with a range extender, on the other hand, reinforce the economic vocation of the model: in addition to the 99 km/l of combined consumption disclosed by Chery, they deliver acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.9 seconds, combining the argument of efficiency with that of performance.

Embedded technology is another asset. The top-of-the-line version features the Falcon driving assistance package, which brings together 27 sensors — including a high-resolution LiDAR, three millimeter-wave radars, 11 cameras and 12 ultrasonic sensors. Inside, the 15.6″ multimedia center with 2.5K resolution and a 23-speaker sound system stand out. To allay safety fears, Chery also says it will replace any unit completely destroyed by battery thermal runaway.

The commercial boom in China, however, has not yet been confirmed here: Chery has not announced plans to bring the Fulwin A9 to Brazil. Still, the combination of consumption announced at 99 km/l, technological package and price positioning gives clues to the path that the brand intends to take to electrify its range around the world.