Nine more Chinese car brands are coming to Australia — here's who and when

Just five years ago the Chinese car scene in Australia was basically MG. Today the showroom floor is crowded with BYD, GWM, Chery, GWM spin-offs and newcomers like Deepal, Geely, Leapmotor, XPeng and Zeekr — and the wave is not slowing down. As of April 2026, at least nine more Chinese brands have officially announced Australian launches. Here is the full list, and when you can expect to see them.

Photo: iCaur V23 — S5A-0043, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Late 2026

• Lepas (Chery) — A third Chery brand, built for export markets like Australia and Europe. Small-to-medium SUVs from hybrid to fully electric, with bold colours inside and out and even designer fashion sold in showrooms. The small L6 and mid-size L8 land late 2026, with the smaller L4 to follow in 2027.
• Forthing (Dongfeng, via Ateco) — From June, Ateco sells the Taikon 5 mid-size SUV as an EV or an extended-range EV, aimed squarely at Toyota RAV4 buyers and rivals like the Leapmotor C10. More people movers, sedans and SUVs are promised.
• Jetour (Chery, separate company) — Treated as its own entity with its own distribution. Established in 2018, Jetour delivered 622,590 vehicles globally in 2025. Expect the Dashing compact SUV, T1/T2 mid-sizers and seven-seat X70 Plus, with the LandCruiser-sized G700 plug-in hybrid flagship to follow. Pre-launch events are already planned for June.

Photo: Jetour Dashing — Nikolai Bulykin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

2027 and beyond

• Freelander (Chery + Jaguar Land Rover) — Chery is dusting off the old Land Rover Freelander nameplate with JLR as a partner, previewed by the Concept 97 SUV. Production will happen at the Chery/JLR plant in Changshu, with the brand officially launching here in 2027.
• iCaur (Chery) — Boxy, Apple-esque SUVs led by the compact electric V23 and the LandCruiser-sized V27 extended-range EV. The iCaur trademark is disputed by a collision-repair body, so the local name is still up in the air. With Chery, Omoda Jaecoo, Lepas, Freelander and iCaur all arriving, Chery risks cannibalising its own sales — the company says the brands will be stacked by hierarchy instead.
• Firefly (Nio) — Nio''s small electric hatchback, slightly larger than a Toyota Yaris, has filed certification documents in Australia and is doing local testing. Who will import it — Nio itself or a local distributor — is still unannounced. It shapes as a smaller, more premium rival to the BYD Dolphin, MG4 and GWM Ora.

Photo: Firefly — Ssu, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

• JMC — The budget ute brand returns after an unsuccessful 2015–2018 run, this time with the Vigus ute running a 3.3-litre turbo-diesel four and eight-speed auto. A former JAC executive now runs JMC Motor Australia.
• 212 (BAW) — The Wrangler-style T01 off-roader has been spied testing in the Northern Territory, but a local launch is some way off as right-hand-drive production waits for the next-generation model.
• Dreame — Best known for robot vacuums, Dreame showed the 1,399kW Nebula Next 01 hypercar and 01X SUV concept in March, with claimed 0–100km/h times as quick as 1.8 seconds, solid-state batteries and customer deliveries planned for early 2027. Electric SUVs under its Star Motor brand are also earmarked for Australia.

Photo: Avatr 11 — Nikolai Bulykin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Still possible

Geely''s Ridarra (the RD6 electric and plug-in hybrid unibody ute) and Changan''s luxury Avatr brand have filed local trademarks but are not yet officially confirmed. BAIC and Dongfeng recently launched their namesake brands in New Zealand, which usually signals Australian intentions; Dongfeng-developed vehicles will also arrive here under Forthing and, likely, Nissan badges. ## What it means for drivers More brands means more competition in the segments rideshare and delivery drivers actually shop: affordable small SUVs, five-seat EVs and workhorse utes. That is great for prices and equipment lists — but count how much servicing support each distributor actually commits to before you sign up. Australia''s history is full of brands that launched big and vanished (JMC itself is proof), and a car is only a cheap rideshare tool while parts and service remain easy to find. *Source: CarExpert — All the Chinese auto brands coming to Australia in 2026 and beyond.*