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An influx of new car carmakers, with scores of models between them, are confirmed to arrive in Australia from China over the next 12 months – and others may yet join them.
Many will offer affordable options to give existing players such as BYD, Chery, GWM and MG some added competition, while others are targeting the higher end of the market, going up against established premium and luxury manufacturers including Mercedes-Benz.
Adding to the 25 or so existing Chinese carmakers already here (including some that were previously dormant brands from Europe, such as MG and Smart), it will cement China’s domination of the local new-vehicle market.
Since 2024 alone, Australia has seen the arrival of about a dozen newcomers, including Geely, GAC, Jaecoo, Leapmotor, JAC, Farizon, Deepal, Denza, IM, XPeng and Zeekr. GWM’s Wey luxury brand will be here by year’s end, too.
Here are new Chinese brands arriving here in 2027:
China’s fifth-largest carmaker has an inordinate number of fresh brands in its stable, having returned to Australia in 2023 with a successful assault on the cheaper end of the new-car market.
Along with style-led Omoda and adventure-chasing Jaecoo, it has just launched Lepas, a premium line of SUVs. The brands below will take the grand total to nine nameplates.
Known elsewhere as “iCar” in China (and pronounced that way) but with the “u” added to sidestep trademark issues overseas, this is Chery’s take on rugged, boxy 4WDs like the Land Rover Defender and GWM’s Tank series. It has only been around since 2023.
The first model will be the V25 mid-sized SUV, but more are also coming from early 2027. All will be electrified, as either electric vehicles (EVs) or range-extender EVs with a petrol engine for added range.
Set up in 2018 in China, Jetour (a portmanteau of jet and tour) is meant to occupy an “affordable premium” space.
The first to arrive early next year should be the mid-sized T1 SUV, which will compete with the Toyota RAV4. This will be followed by the larger T2 SUV plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and possibly the G700 big off-roader wagon, which will be aimed at the Toyota Prado.
A dual-cab ute dubbed F700 is also expected before 2028.
Launched globally just this year, Freelander is a joint venture between Indian-owned Land Rover for Chery to build in China, name-checking an early SUV from the BMW and Ford-ownership era.
Brandishing styling cues from the 1990s original, the Freelander 8 is coming soon as a large SUV PHEV, that will likely cost north of $100,000.
This is Chery’s luxury brand in China, founded in 2023.
Due in mid-2027, it will lead with the LLounge luxury people mover, while the Stormax large SUV models will follow on soon after.
This one’s hot off the press, although it is an offshoot of Chery’s Exeed luxury marque, which has been out in China since 2018.
Aimed directly at the market occupied by the highly successful Zeekr, this tongue-twister brand will adorn electric and PHEV premium SUVs and sports wagons, when it launches locally in the middle of next year.
Another state-owned corporation, Changan has been making vehicles on and off since 1959, starting with a copy of the original Jeep CJ5 for the Chinese military.
Changan has supplied vehicles to, or built them for, other brands such as Ford and most recently Mazda with the 6e sedan and CX-6e SUV – both of which surfaced in Australia recently.
Arriving in the middle of 2027, Nevo will be going after mainstream rivals such as MG and Haval, starting with the Q05 electrified mid-sized SUV.
Others will follow quickly, including the sleek Q06 EV SUV coupe.
Launched in Australia during 2025 by Subaru importer Inchcape, Deepal is Changan’s premium brand, taking on Zeekr and Polestar.
From April 2027, the distribution of all Deepal vehicles, including the existing mid-sized S07 mid-sized EV SUV as well as the oddball E07 Multitruck EV SUV/ute hybrid, will transition to Changan directly, joining a bunch of other models.
This will be Changan’s answer to BYD’s Denza luxury brand, and it will consist of the 07L mid-sized EV SUV first, followed by the 06T sports wagon by the end of next year.
Following that will be the T09 full-sized three-row electrified SUV.
Huge in China, value-brand Wuling is expected to debut in Australia next year on the back of the Eksion 560, yet another mid-sized EV SUV.
Others, including the Cloud hatch and the Darion people-mover, are also on the horizon.
Chinese software giants Huawei and Seres are preparing for their luxury brand Aito to arrive in Australia in 2027, though which models are scheduled to launch remains a secret.
