'New Energy, New Ecology, New Era' was Chery's theme at the massive 2024 Beijing Auto Show. The automotive industry as a whole is in a transitional, trans-formative state as the race for new energy while taking conservation into account is ever-tightening. With this, Chery had a strong showing with some new innovations in engine technology and even robotics, too.
Related: Chery showcases new OMODA and JAECOO models destined for South Africa.
Chery has indeed come quite far since its inception in 1997, and if the hybrid technology shown at this event has anything to say, they're set to make another leap. This applies to the whole Chery group, including JAECOO and OMODA. A few models debuted here that should catch your eye.
What can you look forward to for South Africa?
Tiggo 9
Making its global debut at this very show, the cutting-edge Tiggo 9. South Africans are familiar with the Tiggo range with the new wave of family-orientated SUVs setting local car buyers ablaze. Available in full ICE and PHEV variants, the Tiggo 9 will see dealer floors globally in the fourth quarter of 2024. Naturally, you can expect the latest in technology, modern design trends and people-moving capabilities; Chery describes the Tiggo 9 as forward-looking. The Tiggo 9 has 7 seats and is slightly larger than the Tiggo 8 Pro. The key variant here is the PHEV; this vehicle features a 1.5-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder engine paired with an 8-speed Automatic Transmission. In terms of power figures, you can expect 175kW and 385Nm while only consuming a meagre claimed 5.2l /100km of fuel, according to WLTC. This vehicle is capable of 20-minute (30% - 80%) 41kW charging even in extreme conditions. The total rated power output of the four-wheel-drive variant of the Tiggo 9 is a mammoth 450kW and 915Nm with a claimed fuel consumption of 5.1l /100km WLTC. This is linked to the DHT (Dedicated Hybrid Transmission) Such power in an aesthetically conservative body.
Robotics innovations
Chery recently proved the long-distance performance of its PHEV models in a real-world testing situation—a long-distance endurance test. Over 2 days, Chery used a Tiggo 9 and Arrizo 8 (Not available in South Africa.) in a mix of highway, city traffic and open road situations to test the fuel consumption of said vehicles. This was along a 1214km Beijing to Wuhu planned route. Key attention was paid to the vehicle's ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) to place the least amount of stress on the driver as possible. Take into account also that the claimed range of the the Tiggo 9 PHEV is 1400km. The Tiggo 9 is a vehicle that's something to be excited about in South Africa and will be the darling amongst long distance drivers.
Chery is collaborating with Aimoga and entering the robotics industry. Their maiden voyage, which was shown to the public, was the introduction of the Mornine, a bipedal robot. What makes Mornine different from other bipedal robots is the addition of embodied AI and other innovations. Driven by electric motors and powered by battery, while it doesn't compare to Boston Dynamic's Atlas bipedal robot explosive power, particularly on rough terrain; Mornine is geared more towards scalability and cost-effectiveness, which makes it ideal for large-scale production and commercialisation. In mimicking human emotes and even facial features, Mornine is capable of oral and facial muscle movements. Yes, the robot can speak and interpret verbal commands, too. Why does this matter, you may ask? One of this robot's applications would be more innovation in customer service, like at a car dealership. Such capabilities would include responding to customer queries, directing customers in car showrooms and the like. So, it seems you may be seeing an advanced robot assisting you on your car-buying journey in the near future.
