The Chinese giant Chery made its debut in our country, presenting its two avant-garde sub-brands - Omoda and Jaecoo. Last night's premiere officially marked the beginning of a new stage in the Chinese invasion of Europe and our country, and the demand for quality is unprecedented: the amazing 1,000,000 km warranty for the internal combustion engine!
Founded in 2022 and heading headlong into global markets in 2023, the two brands are entering their homeland with their bold slogan: “Extra is Basic“ (extra is basic). Tiberiu Ioanovici, General Manager for Romania and Bulgaria at Genius Automotive Europe, emphasized during the event that everything that European consumers traditionally consider as additional equipment will be standard here. This is a direct attack on established market models and an unambiguous message to the competition.
For its first partner in Bulgaria, Chery chose a proven professional. The business started with “Auto France 3000“ – a powerful player, which has been an official Renault dealer since 2005 and has been successfully selling the Renault and Dacia brands. From now on, they will take over not only the distribution, but also the service of the two Chinese brands.
The ambitions to expand the network are more than serious and speak of a long-term plan. By the end of 2026, Genius Automotive Europe plans to open another sales center in the capital, as well as representative offices in Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna and Burgas. In 2027, this expansion campaign will continue with the inclusion of Stara Zagora, Veliko Tarnovo, Sevlievo and Pleven.
Back in November, when it was announced that the brands were coming to our country, it became clear that they would benefit from a seven-year factory warranty (up to 150,000 km) and 3 years of free roadside assistance throughout Europe. But now comes the big trump card: the engine warranty of one million kilometers (1,000,000 km) – a move that clearly demonstrates the manufacturer's colossal confidence in the quality of its units.
The Omoda range will be made up of five models, attracting attention with their futuristic design. The Omoda 5 crossover relies on a 1.6-liter T-GDI gasoline engine, paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission - a proven configuration also known from Hyundai/Kia. The fully electric Omoda 5 EV will provide an autonomous range of up to 450 km on the WLTP cycle, and charging the battery from 30% to 80% will take only 26 minutes. Additional variety will come in 2026 with the premiere of a self-charging hybrid of the “five“.
Also in focus is the compact urban crossover Omoda 7 SHS, which shares the same drivetrain as the “five“ and, like all models of both brands, boasts the maximum five stars for safety from EuroNCAP. At the top of the model line will be the impressive plug-in hybrid 9 SHS. It will feature a mind-blowing 530 hp, intelligent 4x4 drive, up to 145 km of electric-only range and an impressive combined range of up to 1,100 km.
The Jaecoo brand is entering with its 7 and 7 PHEV representatives. Here too, the heart of the drive is a 1.6-liter turbo engine with variable geometry. Next year we expect the premiere of the even larger and more powerful 8 SHS PHEV, which will complete Jaecoo's attack on our market.