Chery and Geely to Launch Cars in Australia This Year

Chery and Geely are two of the Chinese carmakers that are looking to expand their business operations abroad and, as far as they are concerned, the first step will be made this year. Both companies will begin selling cars in Australia this year, media reports suggested in the last few days, with Great Wall also looking into ways to bring its models Down Under.

According to gasgoo.com, Chery will step into Australia in the upcoming months with the help of local distributor Ateco, while Geely will sell cars through Chinese Automotive Distributors.

Chery's first model to debut on Australian soil will be the A1, in both sedan and hatchback configuration, followed by the Tiggo3 compact SUV. Geely will introduce the MK, powered by a 1.5-liter engine, and then the Emgrand EC7 small car with a 1.8-liter powertrain. The Panda city car with a 1.0-liter unit will also make it to Australia.

Up until now, officials of the two companies haven't confirmed whether they intend to sell these cars in Australia under the same name or prepare other nameplates specifically for this market.

Geely's global expansion plans are also including Volvo, the Swedish unit that might be purchased as soon as this week. Voices familiar with the case are suggesting that Geely and Ford have already reached an agreement on most terms of the deal and there's only a matter of time until the two will step in front of the media and announce the deal. Geely and Ford signed a preliminary agreement in December 2009.