‘They're in a different world’: Why cut-price Chinese cars like the Chery Tiggo 4 don’t worry Toyota Australia

Australian new-automobile sales remain sturdy in an extra and extra trace-sensitive market, but sales giant Toyota isn’t unnerved about losing its grip on high plan in Australia any time soon.

Recent Chinese language manufacturers are offering extra aspects and know-how for prices that “so-called legacy manufacturers” aren’t ready to match, Toyota Australia vice president sales, marketing and marketing and franchise operations Sean Hanley told Chasing Cars.

“The reality is, we’re potentially now not going so that you just can compete on trace towards all these new gamers.

“They’re in a sure world to us, correct? Attempting varied things, attempting to inject themselves into the market, seeking their plan,” mentioned Hanley.

“Beautiful enough — that’s opponents. We’ve been going via that [for] 50 years, that’s now not new.”

What is new is the ferocity and sheer selection of most modern market entrants in 2025. Two better-known names, MG and GWM, were joined by Chery, Geely, GAC and heaps others within the last 24 months.

It is the spectacular sales result last month from the Chery Tiggo 4, a within the reduction of-trace dinky SUV that Chasing Cars attempting out has stumbled on to be short of enchancment, that caught the attention of the local industry.

In November, there were 2287 Chery Tiggo 4s registered within the nation in step with the Federal Chamber of Automobile Industries (FCAI) VFACTs represent, making it the most traditional dinky SUV and fifth most efficient-vendor overall.

When asked what contributed to the Tiggo 4’s success, a Chery spokesperson mighty an growing supplier community (extra than 86 areas) and trace awareness.

“We see to proceed this enhance into 2026 with the emblem additional persevering with to give a take to its local mannequin lineup,” the spokesperson mentioned.

Toyota sales in hazard?

Hanley isn’t lengthen by extra cheap new manufacturers making a main dent in Toyota’s local sales.

“There’s at all times trace sensitivity, that’s a reality of lifestyles. Is it the overarching consideration for the purchaser in that segment (…) the Toyota purchaser? I’m now not so definite of that.

“I don’t want to be complacent, or even boastful about it, because there is trace sensitivity — in particular in an economic system that apparently has growing trace of living issues,“ mentioned Hanley.

“However, it’s a actuality of the territory we’re in. So on account of this reality, While you occur to would perhaps well’t compete on trace because you don’t comprise it’s a sustainable mannequin in this market, you’ve got to present varied things.”

In Toyota’s case, it’s a put of values that Hanley described as “now not even strategically scientific”, including a proven song represent with over 50 years in this nation, a supplier community that extends beyond 250 areas, and most incessantly class-leading resale trace.

“They’re the things we offer. And those values, I comprise, are honest appropriate as significant to the younger era as they are for the older era. Because what’s worn has change into new all over again, you explore.”