Samlet Secures Franchise for Chery's iCAR Brand in Israel
Israeli importer Samlet has secured the franchise for Chery's iCAR brand, with the V27 model expected by late 2026. The launch intensifies Chery's expansion in Israel alongside Omoda and Jaecoo, raising questions about pricing strategies and the capacity of service networks to handle complex Chinese hybrid systems.
New Brand in the Israeli Market
Samlet, the Israeli automotive importer of Chery, announced on Sunday that it has secured the exclusive franchise to market another brand from the Chery Group in Israel: iCAR (branded by the importer as iCAUR). The first model under this brand to arrive in Israel toward the end of 2026 will be the V27.
Samlet's acquisition of the Chery sub-brand franchise is not surprising, given that the company already holds the brand's distribution rights in Europe. However, regulatory factors also played a significant role. Ongoing reviews by the Ministry of Transportation and the Competition Authority currently prevent major Israeli auto importers from acquiring additional Chinese franchises. This leaves "orphan" brands to be picked up by importers with smaller market shares, such as Samlet.
Chery Group has clearly targeted the Israeli automotive market for aggressive expansion. Currently, Colmobil markets Omoda and Jaecoo, Carasso Motors distributes Chery and Lepas, and now Samlet will handle iCAR. More brands are on the way, with industry sources indicating that Chery is actively seeking Israeli distributors for its Jetour and Freelander brands.
Marketing Rhetoric vs. Technical Reality
Visually, iCAR models closely resemble Land Rover products, much like Jaecoo's designs, which seem to have been heavily inspired by the British Range Rover.
Samlet's marketing materials describe the upcoming vehicle as belonging to the "BOX category" with an "off-road concept," combining "design, presence, independence, technology, and lifestyle." Similar high-flown language is used across all Chery sub-brands: Lepas emphasizes "user experience and comfort," while Omoda promises "a new dimension of driving experience with advanced PHEV technology."
Strip away the marketing jargon, and the reality is that Lepas, Omoda, Chery, Jaecoo, and now iCAR offer consumers substantially the same product. While their exterior designs differ, they share highly similar platforms and identical powertrains, often down to the engine displacement and plug-in hybrid components.
The critical question is whether iCAR will succeed in retail marketing based on its rugged look, or if the importer will resort to flooding corporate leasing fleets. In reality, these vehicles are unlikely to tackle harsh desert terrains, meaning their success will largely depend on attractive pricing.
Pricing Strategy and Service Challenges
Chery Group vehicles have flooded Israeli roads and corporate fleets, driven by heavy discounts and promotions. However, official retail list prices rarely drop, with manufacturers preferring to introduce cheaper sub-versions rather than officially lowering prices on existing models.
It remains to be seen how Samlet will position iCAR. If it aligns with Omoda and Jaecoo as an "accessible premium" product, it will have to justify the price tag to private buyers. Conversely, if Samlet opts for aggressive retail pricing, it could disrupt competitors who rely heavily on the fleet market.
Beyond sales, the Israeli auto industry is grappling with a quiet crisis regarding the servicing of Chinese vehicles. Leasing companies, attracted by tax benefits on plug-in hybrids, have found that their in-house garages cannot handle the technological complexity and frequent malfunctions of these cars.
Several leasing firms have recently raised serious complaints regarding the service networks of Chinese car importers, with some disputes escalating publicly. Since a major portion of Chery's sales in Israel goes to fleets, they are the first to suffer, but private customers will inevitably feel the impact as well.
For Samlet, which manages a diverse portfolio including Fiat, Hongqi, Leapmotor, Subaru, and Jeep, training mechanics to service Japanese, Chinese, Italian, and American technologies simultaneously represents a major operational hurdle. Furthermore, managing so many brands under one roof will test Samlet's management resources to avoid internal cannibalization.
