Chery turns to UTAC Millbrook for R&D
Chery Automobile will open a new UK R&D Centre of Excellence at UTAC Millbrook in Bedfordshire later this year.
The initial focus of the new centre will be chassis dynamics and ADAS tuning and calibration for UK-specification vehicles.
Chery brands in the UK include Omoda, Jaecoo, and Lepas, with global exports exceeding 1.1 million from January to July this year, an increase of 71% on the same period in 2025.
Gary Lan, CEO of Chery International UK and vice president, said: “The establishment of our UK R&D Centre of Excellence is the next step in our long-term plan for the UK. We waited over 20 years for the right time to enter this market, and our ambition has always gone much further than simply bringing vehicles here.
“Our approach is building a lasting presence, investing in local capability and developing products around the people who drive them.
“UTAC Millbrook allows us to turn UK customer insight into product development, from ride and steering to active safety systems. It is another step in our long-term investment in the UK, and its work will become part of Chery Automobile’s wider global R&D activities.”
Kirsty Andrew, vice president UTAC UK, said: “The decision by Chery Automobile to establish its UK R&D Centre of Excellence at UTAC Millbrook is a significant commitment to engineering and vehicle development in the UK.
“Creating a stand-alone engineering centre here means Chery Automobile can develop and validate vehicles against the particular demands of UK roads and UK drivers, with direct access to our engineering expertise and testing environments throughout that process.
“This is about much more than testing individual vehicles. We see this as the sustained momentum of a long-term engineering relationship with Chery Automobile, and we look forward to supporting the team as its capability and development activity at Millbrook grows.”
