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GWM is placing its Australian historical past within the highlight with an 18th anniversary marketing campaign and October provides throughout its SUV and ute vary, which made us take into consideration how easy it’s to deal with all Chinese automobile manufacturers as one group of newcomers.
Some have been promoting autos right here for the reason that early 2010s. Others have left and returned. Several have modified distributors, whereas the newest arrivals are nonetheless approaching their first Australian anniversaries.
GWM’s marketing campaign celebrates what it calls 18 years in Australia. Great Wall autos launched in Australia on June 24, 2009 – 17 years in the past, with the model now in its 18th 12 months.
The authentic Great Wall SA220 and Great Wall V240 utes have been launched via unbiased distributor Ateco. Today, GWM is a a lot bigger operation, having completed September as Australia’s sixth best-selling car model, however the street between these two factors wasn’t uninterrupted.
GWM’s historical past in Australia
GWM’s authentic Australian operation ran right into a distribution dispute, with new imports stopping through the Ateco period and remaining inventory persevering with to seek out patrons. Factory-controlled distribution adopted in 2016, with the Great Wall identify subsequently being phased out in favour of GWM.
That offers GWM two related milestones of 17 years for the reason that authentic Australian launch and 10 years for the reason that manufacturing facility took duty for native distribution.
Haval has its personal Australian historical past inside that broader story. It was launched in October 2015 with the Haval H2, Haval H8, and Haval H9, giving the SUV model 11 years of native historical past.
It’s now thought-about a sub-brand of GWM in Australia, very like Tank and Ora although all three are full-fledged manufacturers of their dwelling market.
The first Tank and Ora fashions reached Australian prospects in 2023.
Check our CarExpert Atlas if you wish to see the gross sales figures for any of those automobiles all through the years.
GWM household: Australian arrivals
| Badge | Australian timeline |
|---|---|
| Great Wall / GWM | Jun 2009 Ateco launch; manufacturing facility distribution from 2016 |
| Haval | Oct 2015 H2, H8 and H9 launch |
| Tank | 2023 Customer autos arrive; orders opened late 2022 |
| Ora | 2023 Customer autos arrive; orders opened early 2023 |
Chery and Geely are returnees, not first-timers
Chery’s present operation started in March 2023, however its first Australian launch befell in 2011 via Ateco.
The authentic enterprise was winding down in 2015, though residual registrations continued via 2018. Chery then returned underneath factory-owned distribution, initially with the Chery Omoda 5.
That makes Chery a model with a 15-year Australian historical past, however solely three years in its present incarnation. To think about a model changing into a considerable prime 10 participant in simply three years is fairly exceptional.
Geely’s historical past is analogous, though its first try was rather more geographically restricted.
The Geely MK went on sale in Western Australia in January 2011 via John Hughes’ Chinese Automotive Distributors. That operation ran between 2011 and 2014.
The factory-backed nationwide launch of the Geely EX5 in March 2025 was subsequently a return to Australia, not the model’s first look right here. Geely has 15 years of native historical past, however just one 12 months in its present nationwide operation which has seen it turn into the thirteenth best-selling model in 2026.
MG and LDV
MG’s Australian story is difficult by its British heritage, which predates the Chinese-owned operation.
For the fashionable Chinese-owned period, the related place to begin is April 2013, when the MG 6 was launched via Longwell Motor. SAIC’s factory-run Australian reboot adopted in October 2016.
It’s subsequently been 13 years for the reason that model’s trendy return, or 10 years for the reason that manufacturing facility took management.
LDV has the same distinction between its authentic launch and its better-known distributor. The LDV V80 went on sale via WMC in January 2013, after an earlier proposed 2012 introduction. Ateco took over in July 2014 and relaunched the vary later that 12 months.
LDV’s present Australian distribution historical past subsequently goes again 12 years, whereas its authentic native launch was 13 years in the past.
The ute market has seen multiple false begin
Foton’s newest Australian ute vary is new, however the identify isn’t.
Its authentic native ute operation started in 2012 and handed via a number of distribution preparations earlier than ending in 2019. The new Foton Tunland vary reached dealerships via Inchcape in October 2025.
JAC is much more difficult. The JAC T9 arrived via LTS Auto in 2024, however JAC vehicles had already been represented in Australia by 2012. Its present ute enterprise is simply two years outdated.
Not each early entrant established an enduring retail presence. ZX Auto bought the GrandTiger throughout 2012–2015, whereas JMC’s authentic Vigus operation ran from 2015 to 2018. A JMC return has since been introduced.
BYD was right here earlier than the Atto 3
The BYD Atto 3 established BYD’s mass-market passenger-car presence in 2022, which was the launch of a model that has since turn into the second best-selling auto model in 2026 thus far, nevertheless it wasn’t the primary BYD car provided in Australia.
Limited retail choices of the BYD e6 and BYD T3 preceded it in 2021. Earlier nonetheless, e6 taxis have been already working in Sydney by October 2020.
BYD took over Australian distribution from EVDirect on July 1, 2025. It has subsequently been 5 years since BYD’s restricted retail introduction, 4 years for the reason that Atto 3 launch, and one 12 months underneath full manufacturing facility distribution.
BYD: from taxis to manufacturing facility distribution
| Date | Australian milestone |
|---|---|
| By Oct 2020 | e6 taxis working in Sydney |
| 2021 | Limited retail providing: e6 and T3 |
| Sep 2022 | Atto 3 deliveries start |
| 1 Jul 2025 | BYD takes over distribution from EVDirect |
Which manufacturers actually are latest arrivals?
The newest group of electric-vehicle manufacturers has a a lot shorter Australian historical past.
Zeekr launched right here in October 2024, initially with the Zeekr X. Leapmotor adopted in November with the Leapmotor C10, whereas Deepal opened orders for the Deepal S07 later that 12 months via Inchcape.
Xpeng additionally started its Australian retail operation in 2024 via TrueEV, opening pre-orders in June and delivering its first Xpeng G6 buyer autos later within the 12 months. The model moved to factory-run distribution earlier this 12 months, although the method wasn’t as easy as with BYD and EVDirect with Xpeng and TrueEV duking it out in Federal Court earlier than the matter was dismissed in August 2026.
The following 12 months introduced one other set of names.
Chery-owned model Jaecoo launched the Jaecoo J7 in May 2025. The Omoda 9 adopted in August via the Omoda Jaecoo operation. Although the Omoda identify had already appeared on a Chery mannequin in 2023, that isn’t the identical because the separate Omoda providing launched in 2025. Chery considers Omoda Jaecoo to be one model, albeit one which sells separate Omoda-badged and Jaecoo-badged autos.
MG launched its premium IM providing in 2025, saying Australian pricing and reservations for the IM5 and IM6 in June, forward of the broader supply rollout; its autos are bought via MG dealerships underneath the IM Presented By MG Motor banner.
Geely commercial-vehicle model Farizon was additionally launched regionally in April 2025 via Jameel Motors.
GAC’s Australian launch adopted in November 2025 with the Aion V, Emzoom, and M8. Aion is one other instance of one thing marketed as a model in China and different markets, however positioned as a sub-brand in Australia.
BYD-owned Denza opened its preliminary Australian dealerships in December 2025, with Denza B5 buyer deliveries following in January 2026 and Denza B8 deliveries in February.
Its native historical past is measured in months, no matter how lengthy dad or mum firm BYD has operated right here.
Forthing is newer once more, introducing the Taikon 5 via Ateco in June 2026.
European-origin manufacturers introduce one other complication. Smart was bought right here from 2003 to 2015 earlier than returning in September 2024 with its new electrical vary, whereas Polestar’s standalone Australian operation launched in November 2021.
It’s exceptional to see how rapidly a few of these Chinese manufacturers have gone from no-names to the highest 10, displacing manufacturers with 100+ years of historical past.
MORE: Chinese automobiles that flopped in Australia
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