The Exeed TX, by Chery, a brand
that came to Australia as one of China’s early salvos, but has been quickly
forgotten as newer offerings from the aforementioned brands begin to trickle
in. TX is the model name, and Exeed, courtesy of a new awareness that the Chery
name won’t cut it, is the brand.
Although not endowed with an entirely unique design,
the TX has the looks of an SUV that could do well in the west, thanks to the
pens of former GM designers James Hope, Steven Eum – and a team of around 100
designers of various specialty, working under their guidance.
Likewise, what little has been revealed of the TX
SUV’s tech suggests it could follow through on the promise of its styling.
There’s an all-new platform developed specifically for Europe and an eventual
broader range, with accommodations for hybrid, plug-in hybrid and full-electric
powertrains.
The TX will debut as a plug-in hybrid, with power
delivered by a 150 Hp 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine mated to an 85 kW electric
motor. Underneath, there’s an all-wheel drive system developed by Dana and
BorgWarner, with six-speed manual and seven-speed dual-clutch auto
transmissions from Getrag.
Parts from German component and tech giants
Continental and Bosch are also featured, including safety systems like
collision avoidance and lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring and
driver fatigue detection.
There’s also a 10.1-inch display in the cabin,
7-inch instrument display, touchscreen displays in the air-conditioning rotary
controllers, keyless start, a panoramic glass roof… all the usual mod-cons.
Chery claims, boldly, the Exeed TX will hit 100 km/h from a standing start in
six seconds, with a top speed of 200 km/h.
As a plug-in hybrid, the TX also claims an all-electric
driving range of 70 kilometres – neatly outdoing the Mitsubishi Outlander
PHEV’s claim of 54 km. Time will tell if the Exeed brand can stand up to the
demands of the western market, but Chery says it has put the TX SUV through
“brutally rigorous international development programme” to prove it.
Despite this, Chery has not actually confirmed a
launch window for the TX. Bierzynski told press in Frankfurt the new SUV will
be on sale in Europe “in a matter of years”, but a specific launch date was not
offered.
