One of China’s fastest-growing brands has confirmed its plan to open a new research and development centre in the UK.
Chery Automobile will open a new R&D Centre of Excellence at the UTAC Millbrook proving ground in Bedfordshire later this year.
The new facility will be integrated into Chery’s global R&D network as it accelerates its long-term strategy for the UK.
Chery has quickly become one of the most recognisable car brands in the UK, despite only launching in recent years as a relative unknown.
So far this year, Chery has captured 1.64 per cent of the total market with 21,191 new car sales, according to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
Despite launching a little under 12 months ago, Chery is already outselling several prominent and long-established brands, including Alfa Romeo, Citroen, Honda, Jeep and Mazda.
Chery’s sister brands Jaecoo and Omoda have also taken the UK by storm, having combined for more than 100,000 sales in less than two years of being on the UK market.
The Jaecoo 7 in particular has become an instant hit with UK motorists, with 26,549 sales, making it the third-best-selling model in the country this year.
Chinese brand Chery has launched a new UK R&D Centre of Excellence at UTAC Millbrook
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CHERY
Chery’s latest facility in the UK is the next step in Chery International’s philosophy of “In somewhere, For somewhere, Be somewhere”.
The initial focus of the Millbrook facility will be to focus on chassis dynamics and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) tuning.
It will also work to calibrate vehicles to UK specifications, which has been a particular aim for Chinese brands when entering the UK market in recent years.
This will reflect the UK’s distinct driving conditions, including a higher concentration of roundabouts, narrow lanes and high traffic density.
Chery International will make use of the UTAC Millbrook site for its Chery, Jaecoo, Omoda and Lepas brands
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CHERY
Gary Lan, CEO of Chery International UK, acknowledged that the R&D Centre of Excellence was the “next step” in its lofty goals for the market.
Mr Lan, who is also vice president of the right-hand drive division at Chery International, said the brand had waited more than 20 years to enter the UK market.
He said: “UTAC Millbrook allows us to turn UK customer insight into product development, from ride and steering to active safety systems.
“It is another step in our long-term investment in the UK, and its work will become part of Chery Automobile’s wider global R&D activities.”
Chery International will launch a new sister brand called Lepas later this year | CHERY
Chery has a long-standing relationship with the UTAC Group, having established a homologation services joint venture in 2024, as well as using UTAC’s Linas-Montlhéry facility in France.
UTAC Millbrook contains more than 70km of purpose-built test tracks, Alpine Circuit and specialised roads for durability, noise, vibration and harshness.
Commenting on the new facility, Kirsty Andrew, vice president of UTAC UK, described it as a “significant commitment” to engineering and vehicle development.
“Creating a stand-alone engineering centre here means Chery Automobile can develop and validate vehicles against the particular demands of UK roads and UK drivers, with direct access to our engineering expertise and testing environments throughout that process,” Ms Andrew said.