As a flock of new Chinese brands gear up to stake their claim Down Under, a couple of the country’s more established brands locally are fighting for the title of Australia’s cheapest SUV.
Chery returned to Australia in 2023, and in October 2024 introduced the Tiggo 4 Pro – a small SUV wearing a similarly small price tag of $23,990 drive-away in entry-level Urban guise.
This allowed the Tiggo 4 Pro to undercut key segment players like the Kia Stonic, Mitsubishi ASX, MG ZS, and GWM Haval Jolion and take the crown of Australia’s cheapest SUV.
One month later, GWM Australia announced its GWM Plate Clearance campaign that saw the entry price of the Jolion small SUV drop by $3000 to $23,990 drive-away – matching the Tiggo 4 Pro, but only until December 31, 2024 initially.
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GWM Haval Jolion Premium
The offer – which includes discounts of up to $6000 across GWM’s range – has now been extended until at least January 31, 2025, meaning two cars will continue to share the distinction of Australia’s cheapest SUV for the time being.
The distinction here is that the GWM price is part of a campaign to clear 2024-plate vehicles, while the Chery’s price appears to be permanent.
A GWM Australia spokesperson told CarExpert the resulting uptick in sales from the campaign, plus a number of eligible models left over, led to its extension.
“The GWM Plate Clearance retail campaign is focused on selling through our remaining 2024-plated stock. It has worked extremely well thus far and resonated with our customers as our Q4 2024 sales prove,” the spokesperson said.
GWM Haval Jolion Lux pictured
“To continue that momentum and to clear any remaining 2024 models, we made the decision to extend the GWM Plate Clearance into Q1. This offer will continue until we clear 2024 stock.”
The Haval Jolion was the best-selling vehicle in the small SUV segment in December, with sales up 56.1 per cent on December 2023 with 1691 sold.
GWM sold 14,238 Haval Jolions in 2024, up 27 per cent on the previous year. Of these, 9910 were petrol-powered and 4328 were hybrids, up 20 per cent and 43 per cent respectively.
The Tiggo 4 Pro was Chery’s best-selling model in December, outselling even the Omoda 5 by more than 200 units in December with a total of 819 units.
Chery Tiggo 4 Urban
Chery sales were up by 114 per cent in 2024 compared to 2023, with 12,603 reaching customers. Of these, 1918 were Tiggo 4 Pros.
Speaking with CarExpert in May 2024, Chery Australia chief operating officer Lucas Harris described the sub-$30,000 category as a “massive opportunity”, and the Tiggo 4 Pro’s quick ramp up in sales appears to have backed up that sentiment.
The Tiggo 4 Pro is also set to get a hybrid version by mid-2025, which will give Chery a direct rival to the Haval Jolion Hybrid.
While GWM Australia’s website says the current offer will end on January 31, 2025, it’s currently unclear whether it could be extended. In contrast, Chery hasn’t changed the price of the base Tiggo 4 Pro Urban since it launched.
Chery Tiggo 4 Pro Ultimate pictured
It’s also unclear whether MG will be back in contention for the title of Australia’s cheapest SUV with its new-generation ZS.
It launched late last year with hybrid power and a $33,990 drive-away base price, but will get cheaper petrol-powered versions during the first quarter of this year.
However, the outgoing ZST range is currently being offered from $25,990 drive-away, not quite as cheap as its Chinese rivals.
The old price-leader ZS Excite was previously priced from $23,990 drive-away, but the new-generation model packs more safety equipment and therefore may carry a higher price.
Suzuki Ignis GL 
Mitsubishi ASX GS
Beyond the Chinese brands, there’s the stalwart Mitsubishi ASX (priced from $24,490 before on-road costs) and Kia Stonic ($25,460 before on-roads or $27,740 drive-away).
The quirky Suzuki Ignis is classified as an SUV as well, and is currently priced from $24,490 drive-away.
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