While the entire industry is racing ahead in the wave of electrification, a calm voice rang out on the evening of September 27, 2025, at the Daming Palace National Heritage Park in Xi'an—Chery officially unveiled its "China New Fuel" strategy. This is not merely a strategic declaration by an automaker; it is more like a vindication and reinvention of half the auto market. Today, with new energy penetration exceeding half, Chery uses a "Tiggo Night" to tell the world that fuel vehicles are not a thing of the past—their next golden age is being opened by Chinese brands.
I. Rational Thinking in the Era of Oil-Electric Coexistence and Chery's "Four New" Breakthrough
In 2024, fuel vehicles still accounted for 55% of China's passenger car sales. This massive market seemed to become the silent majority amid the clamor of "electrification." Chery keenly captured this structural opportunity, but its insight goes far beyond market share. China has a vast territory and complex terrain; scenarios such as long-distance travel, extreme cold weather, and incomplete charging infrastructure make fuel vehicles still possess strong irreplaceability. However, users' desire for intelligence is universal. The lag of traditional fuel vehicles in smart driving and smart cabins has become the biggest user experience pain point.
Chery's "China New Fuel" strategy directly addresses this core contradiction. With four pillars—"New Technology, New Intelligence, New Safety, New Paradigm"—it redefines the value standards of fuel vehicles. This is not a resistance to electrification but a "technology democratization" based on users' real needs, aimed at achieving "equal intelligence between oil and electric," allowing fuel vehicle users to also enjoy the convenience and safety brought by intelligent technology.
New Technology is the foundation: Chery is the only automaker in China to achieve full-stack in-house development and manufacturing of the "three core components"—engine, transmission, and four-wheel-drive system. The KunpengPower engine achieves a thermal efficiency of 48%, leading the industry; the second-generation Kunpeng 8AT transmission is China's only and the world's fourth 8AT product, earning the title of "ceiling of combat power"; the AI magnetic levitation chassis and AWD Snow Leopard four-wheel-drive system provide driving quality comparable to luxury brands. This is the hardcore manifestation of Chery's 26 years of technological accumulation and the confidence behind "China New Fuel"'s bold challenge.
New Intelligence is the soul: Chery has overcome six major industry challenges in enabling advanced driver assistance for fuel vehicles, officially equipping the "Falcon Smart Driving" system on fuel vehicles. From the currently deployed Falcon 500 (supporting highway NOA, urban memory navigation, etc.) to the planned Falcon 700 (targeting end-to-end full-scenario), the clear technology roadmap demonstrates Chery's determination in the field of fuel vehicle smart driving. Meanwhile, the electric-sense smart cockpit deeply integrated with AI large models (even accessing DeepSeek) achieves cutting-edge features such as scenario modes, user habit learning, and cross-screen interaction, truly breaking the stereotype that "fuel cars are not intelligent."
New Safety and Paradigm are the extension: the "Bedrock Body" built to global five-star safety standards, rigorous manufacturing processes, and all-dimensional safety concepts constitute a solid barrier for user travel. The "New Paradigm" demonstrates Chery's global vision—leading the world in production and sales, with products sold in over 120 countries and regions worldwide. The Tiggo 9 in overseas markets dares to compete head-to-head with BBA, with pricing entering the 300,000–400,000 range. Behind this is the collaboration of 8 major global R&D centers, a worldwide validation system, and the strength of adhering to global standard development.
II. Twin Swords Combined: How Tiggo 9 and Tiggo 9X Interpret "New Fuel"
The implementation of a strategy requires product carriers. The Tiggo 9 and Tiggo 9X, as the inaugural twin stars of "China New Fuel," share the positioning of "wide-body ultra-comfort intelligent flagship" but achieve differentiated complementarity in product strength, precisely covering different user scenarios.
Tiggo 9: Comfortable Mobile First Class, Demonstrating the Charm of an "Ultra-Comfort" Flagship
The core label of the Tiggo 9 is "ultra-comfort." Its biggest highlight is bringing the million-yuan luxury-car-level AI magnetic levitation chassis down to the 150,000-yuan class market. This system can scan road conditions via AI and achieve nearly a thousand suspension damping adjustments per second, significantly improving stability, comfort, and cornering performance—an experience akin to a "magic carpet." On this basis, configurations such as the zero-gravity queen passenger seat, spa-level massage driver seat, luxury-car-level NVH quietness (only 38 decibels at idle), and SONY 14-speaker surround sound system jointly create an ultimate cabin comfort atmosphere. In terms of power, the combination of the Kunpeng 2.0T GDI engine (192 kW, 400 N·m) and the second-generation 8AT transmission delivers strong and reliable performance. The Tiggo 9 aims to become a "comfortable mobile flagship that brings a premium tranquil space to the whole family," making every journey a pleasure.
Tiggo 9X: Fuel Intelligence Pioneer, Defining "Bigger and Smarter"
The Tiggo 9X emphasizes the "intelligence" attribute and is the vanguard of "equal intelligence between oil and electric." It is the first in its class to feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8255 chip and the Falcon 500 smart driving system, achieving a major breakthrough in intelligent driving for fuel vehicles. Its VIP personalized urban navigation (memory of routes up to 150 km), highway NOA, and 300+ scenario smart parking features allow fuel vehicle users to experience intelligent driving assistance on par with EVs for the first time. In terms of space, it features the segment's best 5+2 magic seating layout; with a 1930mm ultra-wide body, even with 7 passengers, it can still easily accommodate 10 carry-on suitcases, offering extremely strong practicality. The Tiggo 9X is committed to becoming a "fuel intelligence flagship better suited to diversified usage scenarios," meeting users' dual rigid demands for space and intelligence.
III. The Deeper Meaning of "China New Fuel": From Technological Self-Reliance to Standard Export
The far-reaching significance of Chery's "China New Fuel" strategy goes far beyond the two excellent products themselves.
First, it is a powerful demonstration of the Chinese auto industry's technological confidence. In the old fuel era, Chinese brands struggled to catch up. Today, Chery, with fully independent intellectual property rights in the core "three major components," has not only broken through technological barriers but also begun to define new standards for fuel vehicles, realizing the transformation from "trading market for technology" to "establishing standards through technology."
Second, it provides a new paradigm for the global competition of Chinese auto brands. When electric vehicles face many uncertainties in overseas markets, "new fuel" products with leading technology and intelligent features are better suited to the usage environment and consumer habits of current mainstream global markets. The success of the Tiggo 9 overseas has already proven that Chinese fuel vehicles can fully compete head-on with globally renowned brands in both price and value through outstanding product strength, achieving high-quality going global.
Ultimately, the beneficiaries are the vast number of users. Through the "China New Fuel" strategy, Chery has driven the value upgrade of the fuel vehicle market. Consumers no longer need to make a difficult choice between "the reliability of fuel vehicles" and "the intelligence of electric vehicles"—they can have a "want it all" product that retains the advantages of fuel vehicles while offering cutting-edge intelligent experiences. For the over ten million fuel vehicle consumers each year, this is undoubtedly tremendous good news.
Douzi's Commentary
"China New Fuel" is not just a slogan; it is Chery's answer on the future of fuel vehicles, based on deep market insight and long-term commitment to technology. In the era of oil-electric coexistence, it has precisely opened a brand-new track. The debut of the Tiggo 9 and Tiggo 9X declares that fuel vehicles have bid farewell to the old era of "dumb, big, and crude" and entered a "new fuel" epoch of intelligence, premiumization, and globalization. This is not only Chery's breakthrough but also a key step for China's auto industry on the global stage—from follower to leader. The future of fuel vehicles is being rewritten by Chery with Chinese technology and wisdom.
