Chery’s Australian expansion will see it add another luxury brand, with Luxeed expected to arrive in the second quarter (April to June) of 2027, led by a large people mover.
Shawn Xu, CEO of Omoda & Jaecoo International, confirmed the Australian plans to local media at Luxeed’s global launch in Wuhu, China, on October 21.
The first model will be the Luxeed LLounge people mover, followed by the Luxeed Stormax electric SUV. A local arrival date for the SUV has yet to be announced.
It comes just days after Chery confirmed another premium brand, Exlantix, for a local launch.
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Luxeed and Exlantix join Freelander, iCaur and Jetour on the list of Chery Group brands preparing to enter Australia, with Lepas due before the end of the year. These brands will join the existing Chery and Omoda Jaecoo brands.
Australian Luxeed pricing and final specifications remain unannounced, but the vehicles shown overseas put the brand into territory already occupied by Chinese luxury newcomers Denza and Zeekr.
The LLounge is the export counterpart to China’s Luxeed V9. In Chinese specification, the people mover measures 5359mm long and 2009mm wide, with a 3250mm wheelbase. That makes it 204mm longer than a Kia Carnival, with 160mm more distance between its axles.
Chinese V9s have seven seats in a 2+2+3 layout and a range-extended electric (EREV) powertrain, with a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine used as a generator for the 53.4kWh battery. The electric motors drive the wheels, while the petrol engine supplies electricity to extend driving range.
Rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive versions are offered there. Luxeed claims up to 305km of electric-only range and 1320km with a full battery and fuel tank for the rear-drive model, falling to 285km and 1230km respectively for the all-wheel drive versions.
Those are Chinese CLTC test-cycle figures, rather than Australian-certified ranges, and can't be directly compared with WLTP figures quoted for many local EVs.
The people mover features dual-chamber air suspension, adaptive dampers, and rear-wheel steering with up to seven degrees of movement, aiding manoeuvrability.
As expected of a luxury people mover, there's an emphasis on rear-seat comfort, with second-row reclining captain's chairs with massage, powered leg rests and separate electric footrests. Other luxury equipment includes Nappa leather upholstery and a 33-speaker sound system.
An extended-range electric (EREV) powertrain would give the LLounge a different proposition to the battery-electric Denza D9, which is sold here from $85,990 before on-road costs. The D9’s all-wheel drive version costs $95,990.
The electric Zeekr 009 starts at $115,900 before on-road costs for the seven-seat front-wheel drive model, rising to $135,900 for seven-seat all-wheel drive and $139,900 for the six-seat flagship.
The broader segment remains small. Australians bought around 15,000 people movers in 2025, with the more affordable Kia Carnival alone accounting for 10,948 sales.
Luxeed will therefore be joining a growing list of premium alternatives in a market where one mainstream model still takes most sales.
The Stormax, sold in China as the RX, will give Luxeed a more performance-focused second model.
It features an 800V electric architecture and dual-motor all-wheel drive, with total outputs of 460kW and 775Nm.
The company claims a 0-100km/h time of less than 3.9 seconds. For context, the Australian-market Zeekr 7X Performance produces 475kW and 710Nm and has a claimed 3.8-second sprint time.
Chery also quotes a top speed exceeding 250km/h and a 100-0km/h stopping distance of less than 34 metres for the Stormax, which has six-piston brakes.
Luxeed’s export push will involve significant technical changes from its Chinese range. The brand was developed through a partnership between Chery and Huawei, but its international vehicles won't carry the technology company’s hardware or software.
“For international, Luxeed is not related to Huawei. There is nothing, including the hardware and the software,” Mr Xu said in comments reported by Inside China Auto.
That distinction matters for buyers researching the Chinese models: their Huawei-branded infotainment and driver assistance systems aren't a guide to what Australia will receive.
Luxeed is also separate from Exlantix, despite the similar names and both brands’ luxury positioning. Exlantix is due here in 2027 with the ES GT shooting brake and new ET SUV, with right-hand drive examples shown to CarExpert in Shanghai earlier this week.
Freelander, developed through Chery’s partnership with JLR, is also being launched here in 2027, with the Freelander 8 to be its first model.
The fledgling brand has detailed a plug-in hybrid powertrain and five- and six-seat configurations for international markets, with Australia among its priority right-hand drive destinations.
Meanwhile, iCaur, known as iCar in China, has started recruiting Australian dealers ahead of its V25 SUV’s arrival. Jetour’s first local models, the T1 and T2 SUVs, have received Australian Design Rule approval ahead of an expected early-2027 release.
MORE: Chery’s luxury brand Exlantix confirmed for Australia in 2027