Riich

Riich, also written as 瑞麒 and romanized as Ruìqí, was an upmarket automobile marque established by the Chinese automaker Chery Automobile. It formed part of Chery’s multi-brand strategy launched in 2009, when the company sought to move beyond its established budget-oriented image and address customers looking for more highly specified, more premium-positioned vehicles. Riich was introduced alongside Rely, another Chery marque aimed at a distinct market segment. The Riich range combined small urban vehicles with progressively larger sedans. Its early family of M-series vehicles included the M1 five-door hatchback, the M5 small sedan and the X1 small crossover or wagon-like utility model. The M1 also served as the basis for the Riich M1 EV, one of Chery’s early electric-car projects. The marque subsequently expanded upward with the G5 mid-size sedan and the larger G6 flagship sedan. A further compact sedan, the G3, joined the range during the brand’s later period. Several of these vehicles were developed as more luxurious or better-equipped alternatives to related Chery products. The G5 was an important image-building product for the marque. It was described as the first Chinese car to complete testing at Germany’s Nürburgring, a claim used to emphasize chassis development and performance ambition rather than merely low purchase price. The G6 occupied the top of the range and was available with larger-displacement and turbocharged powertrain options. Its design, like that of the G5, was associated with the Italian styling house Bertone, although the vehicles were developed within Chery’s broader engineering and product programs. Riich’s strategy ultimately failed to achieve sufficient market acceptance. The marque faced weak sales, limited consumer recognition and the difficulty of establishing a premium identity in a market where Chery was strongly associated with affordable vehicles. Chery announced in September 2012 that it would discontinue Riich and Rely and halt further development of the two brands. Riich vehicles were withdrawn from the market in April 2013, bringing the marque’s commercial life to an end. Some planned products never reached production, including the G2 compact hatchback, Z5 compact coupe and X6 mid-size SUV. A planned X3 crossover progressed furthest among the unlaunched projects and later appeared in production form under the Chery name as the Chery Tiggo 5. Riich is therefore best understood as a short-lived Chery sub-brand created during an attempted move upmarket, rather than as an independent automaker.

Riich emerged from Chery Automobile’s 2009 attempt to reorganize its passenger-car business around multiple brands. Chery had built much of its reputation in China through relatively affordable vehicles, but management also wanted to improve the company’s image and appeal to buyers interested in more substantial equipment, larger vehicles and a more refined presentation. Riich was created as the upmarket passenger-car arm of that strategy, while Rely was introduced in parallel for a separate positioning. The two marques were intended to give Chery more room to cover different price and customer segments without placing every product under the core Chery badge. The Riich product program began with a group of related small vehicles. The M1 five-door hatchback acted as the entry point, joined by the M5 small sedan and the X1 small crossover or utility vehicle. The M1 platform also supported the M1 EV, an early electric-car program associated with Chery. These vehicles gave Riich a broad initial presence in the small-car market, but the marque’s ambitions extended beyond compact urban transportation. The company wanted Riich to be perceived as a complete, more sophisticated passenger-car brand, not simply a renamed economy line. The range expanded in late 2009 with the G5 mid-size sedan and the X1. The G5 was particularly important for brand-building because it was associated with testing at Germany’s Nürburgring, a well-known reference point in automotive development. The model was presented as evidence that a Chinese manufacturer could pursue more serious chassis and performance engineering. The G5 and the larger G6 were also linked to styling work by the Italian design firm Bertone. The G6 became Riich’s flagship and was offered with powertrain choices including a 3.0-litre V6 and a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine, reflecting the marque’s attempt to compete above Chery’s traditional market position. In August 2011, Riich added the G6 and later completed its announced production portfolio with the G3 compact sedan. The G3 was positioned as a more luxurious counterpart to a less expensive Chery product. During the same period, Chery considered several additional vehicles, including the G2 compact hatchback, Z5 compact coupe, X6 mid-size SUV and a coupe derivative of the G6. A planned X3 crossover reached a relatively advanced design stage, but it did not enter production as a Riich. After the brand was abandoned, the project was developed into the Chery Tiggo 5 and launched under the parent marque instead. The brand’s expansion did not generate the expected level of demand. Riich struggled to establish recognition and credibility as a premium name while remaining associated with Chery, whose strongest market identity was value-oriented. The large number of planned derivatives could not overcome weak sales, and the cost of maintaining a separate badge and distribution proposition became difficult to justify. In September 2012, Chery announced that Riich and Rely would be discontinued. Riich sales ended in April 2013, and the marque ceased to operate as a commercial brand. Some reference listings extend certain model years into 2014, but the documented withdrawal from the market occurred in 2013. The brand’s short history illustrates the challenges faced by Chinese automakers attempting to create premium sub-brands before they had established sufficient independent brand equity.

• 2013

  Riich sales end

  [1]Riichen.wikipedia.org

  The brand is withdrawn from the market in April, ending its commercial operation.

• 2012

  Chery decides to discontinue Riich

  [1]Riichen.wikipedia.org

  Poor sales lead Chery to abandon further development of Riich and its parallel Rely marque.

• 2011

  G6 flagship sedan joins the lineup

  [1]Riichen.wikipedia.org

  Riich adds the larger G6 flagship sedan, positioned above the G5 and offered with V6 and turbocharged engine options.

• 2011

  G3 compact sedan is introduced

  [1]Riichen.wikipedia.org

  The G3 becomes the final additional production model associated with Riich’s expansion program.

• 2009

  Riich is launched

  [1]Riichen.wikipedia.org

  Chery Automobile introduces Riich as an upmarket marque within a new multi-brand strategy, alongside Rely.

• 2009

  M-series city-car family enters the range

  [1]Riichen.wikipedia.org

  The M1 hatchback, M5 small sedan and X1 small crossover form the initial core of the Riich portfolio.

• 2009

  G5 mid-size sedan is added

  [1]Riichen.wikipedia.org

  The G5 expands Riich into the mid-size sedan segment and is associated with Nürburgring testing.

A more premium and upscale alternative to Chery-branded vehicles, combining small urban models with larger sedans and selected electrified products.

• Subcompact hatchback · 2009

  Riich M1

  The M1 was a five-door subcompact hatchback and one of the first vehicles introduced under the Riich name. It formed the basis of the brand’s initial urban-car family and also provided the platform for the M1 EV electric variant. The model represented Riich’s entry point and was intended to combine city-car dimensions with a more upscale presentation than comparable core-brand Chery products.

• Subcompact sedan · 2009

  Riich M5

  The M5 was a small sedan related to the M-series urban-car program. It extended Riich’s entry range toward buyers who preferred a separate trunk and conventional sedan proportions while retaining the compact dimensions and relatively accessible positioning of the M1 family.

• Subcompact crossover · 2009

  Riich X1

  The X1 was a small crossover or utility-oriented model added to Riich’s initial family of compact vehicles. Its raised, more versatile format broadened the marque’s appeal beyond hatchback and small-sedan customers and anticipated the increasing importance of crossover body styles in the Chinese market.

• Electric hatchback

  Riich M1 EV

  The M1 EV was an electric version derived from the M1 hatchback. It was among Chery’s early electric-vehicle efforts and gave Riich an alternative-powertrain product during a period when Chinese manufacturers were beginning to experiment more visibly with battery-powered passenger cars.

• Mid-size sedan · 2009

  Riich G5

  The G5 was Riich’s mid-size sedan and a central image-building model. It was positioned above the small M-series cars and associated with testing at Germany’s Nürburgring. Its development and Bertone-linked styling supported Chery’s effort to present Riich as a more technically ambitious and refined marque.

• Full-size sedan · 2011

  Riich G6

  The G6 was the flagship Riich sedan and the largest production model in the marque’s range. It was developed as a higher-end Chery product and offered with substantial powertrains, including a 3.0-litre V6 and a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine. The vehicle represented the brand’s strongest attempt to compete in an upper-class sedan segment.

• Compact sedan · 2011

  Riich G3

  The G3 was a compact sedan introduced as a more luxurious alternative to a related lower-priced Chery model. It became the sixth and final model associated with Riich’s production range, arriving as the marque was already facing weak demand and limited prospects for continued expansion.

• 2012

  Chery decides to abandon RiichStrategy

  Background

  Poor sales made it difficult to justify continued development and operation of the separate marque.

  Action taken

  Chery announced that Riich would be discontinued and that planned further expansion would be stopped.

  Aftermath

  Sales ended in April 2013. Some projects were cancelled, while the advanced X3 crossover program was later brought to market under the Chery name as the Tiggo 5.

  Source

• 2009

  Chery adopts a multi-brand upmarket strategyStrategy

  Background

  Chery sought to reduce the limitations of its budget-oriented reputation and reach more premium customer segments.

  Action taken

  The company created Riich as an upscale passenger-car marque and introduced it alongside Rely.

  Aftermath

  The strategy produced a broad product plan but did not establish sufficient demand or independent brand strength.

  Source

1. 1Riichen.wikipedia.org