China’s Chery Automobile announced the creation of a new brand aimed at the European market named Exeed, with the inaugural model of the series being the TX SUV.

The new Exeed TX debuted in pre-production form at the Frankfurt Motor Show and will become the first Chery model to be offered for sale in Europe.

“In just a few years we intend to start selling a family of vehicles in European markets across multiple segments, with power supplied by a range of electrified powertrains,” said Chery CEO Dr. Anning Chen.

“All Chery vehicles that are intended to be sold in Europe will feature class-leading connectivity, be fun to drive, offer flexible and spacious interiors and will provide comprehensive personalisation, all of which are aligned with our high standards of product quality and aftersales support,” Dr. Anning Chen adds.

The Exeed TX rides on an all-new platform, specifically developed for the new model line and designed to host electrified powertrains. That means hybrid, plug-in hybrid and all-electric. The first one to hit the market according to Chery will be the plug-in hybrid variant, which is powered by a combination of a 147hp 1.5-liter petrol unit with a 114hp electric motor. The Exeed TX PHEV will come with all-wheel drive and a seven-speed automatic transmission.

Chery claims that their upcoming compact SUV will be capable of a 0-62mph (100km/h) in six seconds and of a 124mph (200km/h) top speed. The new Exeed TX will also be capable of travelling as far as 70km (43 miles) in pure electric mode and at speeds up to 120km/h (75mph). Charging the battery to 80 percent through a fast charger will take 30 minutes while a full charge from a household 220V supply can be completed in four hours.

In order to convince the market of its serious intentions, Chery has partnered with some of the best suppliers on the market and has launched a “brutally rigorous international development programme” for the upcoming Exeed TX.

“Europe is one of the most mature automotive marketplaces in the world, and is home to the most demanding and sophisticated customers,” said Ray Briezinski, Executive VP of Product Development at Chery. “We are leaving nothing to chance to ensure our new model line is engineered to meet and even exceed expectations.”

For example, the all-wheel drive system has been co-engineered with Dana and BorgWarner, the manual and dual-clutch transmissions come from Getrag, Bosch is supplying the 10-inch infotainment system and the 7-inch cluster display and more.

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