Chery has announced that its new R&D center will initially focus on chassis dynamics and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) tuning and calibration for UK-specification vehicles. The work will take into account the UK’s varied road conditions, including roundabouts, narrow lanes, sharp corners, high traffic density and changing road surfaces, as well as local preferences for responsive steering and suspension. The facility will open in late autumn 2026.
Gary Lan, CEO of Chery International UK and vice president of the right-hand-drive division at Chery International, 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.
“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.”
The selection of UTAC Millbrook builds on Chery Automobile’s existing relationship with UTAC Group, including a homologation joint venture established in 2024 and use of the Linas-Montlhéry facility in France for active and passive safety testing and homologation.
At UTAC Millbrook, Chery Automobile’s engineering teams will have access to more than 70km of purpose-built test tracks, including the Hill Route, Alpine Circuit and specialized durability and NVH surfaces, alongside battery testing laboratories, powertrain testing facilities, semi-anechoic chambers, and ADAS and autonomous vehicle testing capabilities.
Kirsty Andrew, vice president of 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 standalone engineering center 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 grow.”
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