At the beginning of 2024, Chery's high-end brand Xingtu led the 2024 Dubai Marathon, once again attracting the attention of Chinese people to the topic of the rapid expansion of Chinese automobiles in the global market. The Dubai Marathon, which sponsors the World Athletics Gold Label event, is the largest and most attended brand event after the Xingtu brand entered the UAE market, and it is also another major brand internationalization and globalization action in the UAE market after the Burj Khalifa held a press conference, demonstrating the confidence of the Xingtu brand in the development prospects of the Middle East as an important global automobile market, and the determination of Xingtu to take root in this and concentrate on its operation.
Looking back at 2023, China's automobile exports will reach 5.221 million units, an increase of 57.4% year-on-year, surpassing Japan to become the world's largest automobile exporter, and Chinese automobiles have been exported to more than 200 countries and regions around the world. Chinese auto brands represented by Chery and Xingtu have blossomed in various markets around the world, and have also embarked on a unique path of "grasping with both hands and being hard" at home and abroad for China's auto industry.
Chery is called the king of the star journey blooming
Looking back at the beginning of 2024, the internationalization of Chinese automobiles cannot be said to be smooth sailing. Although as early as 1957, at the second China Export Commodities Fair, the chairman of Jordan's overseas trade, Bita, ordered 3 cars produced in the mainland, achieving a breakthrough of zero in China's automobile exports. However, for a long time after that, the overall export level of China's automobiles has always been low, which is reflected in the few vehicle exports, few parts and components, and low product quality. After the 90s, a number of new independent automobile brands emerged in China, and a large number of advanced technology and equipment were introduced, and product quality was improved, which laid the foundation for expanding the export of automobile products.
In 2001, Chery's first batch of 10 Fengyun cars were exported to Syria, which officially opened the prelude to the Chinese passenger cars going abroad. In the following 20 years, Chery has successively deployed in more than 80 countries and regions around the world, accumulated 1.95 million overseas users, and cultivated a mature and reliable international marketing system.
For example, Chery is the first Chinese passenger car company to invest in Brazil, and its 150,000-capacity Brazilian plant was completed and put into operation as early as 2014, and the best-selling model Chery Tiggo 8 almost monopolized the local police and official car market in Brazil. In Russia, Chery is closely following the local brand AvtoVAZ with 205 stores. In the Middle East market, the Tiggo 8 was listed in Saudi Arabia for less than a year, and it was on the list of best-selling models, and was rated as "the most technologically powerful SUV in 2021" by local Saudi media.
It is Chery's more than 20 years of international accumulation that has laid a solid foundation for the rapid expansion of the international market after the establishment of the high-end brand Xingtu. Taking the Middle East market as an example, in March 2022, Lanyue and Lingyun were unveiled in Saudi Arabia, and in less than 2 years, Xingtu has entered the markets of four Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait, with a rapid growth in market share. In particular, it is worth mentioning that with its excellent product strength and successful brand building, the average vehicle sales price in the Middle East market exceeded 300,000 yuan, and it successfully ranked among the high-end and luxury car brands.
Success is the result of technology
Yaoguang, as the timer of the 2024 Dubai Marathon, is actually a new model that Xingtu has just launched in China at the beginning of 2023. Soon after its launch in China, it quickly entered the Middle East market and became the best-selling model of Xingtu. With its strong competitiveness such as CDC suspension, Flying Fish chassis and Atlantis Light Aesthetics, Yaoguang has been praised by local media as "the most anticipated SUV model in the UAE market" by the local media, attracting the attention of local consumers. In the UAE market, Xingtu Yaoguang's sales account for more than 40%.
But behind this commercial success, there is clearly a message that deserves our attention. Because a model is exported overseas, it is obviously not a simple transaction of paying money with one hand and delivering goods with one hand. The laws and regulations and market demand of various countries are different, which is the real obstacle.
The reason why Xingtu Yaoguang can quickly enter the Middle East market and achieve market success proves that "international standard" is not an innocular public relations word here at Chery, but a complete set of product development system and introduction system composed of market research, technical standards, system processes, and personnel composition. Thanks to Chery's in-depth understanding of overseas markets for more than 20 years and Chery's efficient international product development system, Xingtu's new cars can meet the market needs and regulatory requirements of various countries from the product definition stage, and can also be quickly launched simultaneously at home and abroad.
In terms of what we can see, Chery always takes the lead in using the latest and most cutting-edge "black technology" that has accumulated more than 20 years on Xingtu. Therefore, Xingtu's models have surpassed many international brand competitors in terms of exterior design, interior texture, chassis handling, and product quality.
Obviously, Xingtu's excellent performance overseas is not accidental, but the result of Chery's accumulation of technology.
As the pearl of the tip of Chery's pyramid, Xingtu stands on the shoulders of giants and has played the slogan of "born to be global" from the beginning of the brand's establishment. Since its establishment in 2019, the brand has entered many key markets such as Eastern Europe, South America, and the Middle East, with a layout in 8 countries and more than 180,000 users worldwide. With the support of Chery, Xingtu will continue to develop the Middle East market, and will also strive to develop Europe, Central Asia, Latin America, Australia and other regions. Xingtu is expected to fully land in the European market by 2025, expanding its market territory to 25+ countries and regions, and continue to move forward on the road of building an international brand and expanding its global influence.