Chinese auto marque Chery has created a visionary concept van meant to navigate out of the city and chase adventure with family and friends. The compact-but-expandable vessel combines the latest in automated driving tech with next-gen camper features like a slide-out glass pod and deployable frunk kitchen. It's what Chery calls "Travel 4.0."
While it's just a loose design study for now, the 519-cm-long (204-in) New Journeo Concept looks convincing enough to be the next electric MPV, a competitor to the Volkswagen ID. Buzz and freshly launched Kia PV5. Only this one isn't fully electric – it's powered by Chery's Kunpeng Super Performance Electric Hybrid C-DM system pairing a 2.0-liter turbo engine with an electric drive.
Chery imagines a future iteration of that hybrid system - the 7th generation, to be exact – will be good for up to 1,550 miles (2,500 km) of driving when coupled with a full battery and topped fuel tank. So if city life is feeling like a stuffy prison, you can get truly far away without ever stopping.
While not as hardcore an off-roader as some of the vehicles Chery has released under brands like iCar and Jetour, the Journeo concept is designed for both on- and off-road adventure. It features an adaptable air suspension that Chery imagines scanning both paved and unpaved roads to proactively adjust shock settings for impending conditions.
The Journeo measures just longer than Volkswagen's long-wheelbase Multivan but comes equipped with only four seats: independent swivel seats up front and a loveseat-like bench in back. Upon arrival, the rear bench expands into a cozy daybed after the seat backs swing to the sides. The door inserts remove for use as cushions.
Oddly, the lying surface looks too small for full-on overnight camping but designed more as a relaxation nook for taking in the views through the large glass roof and oversized rear windshield. It's essentially a next-gen iteration of the popular van life trend of throwing the rear van doors wide open to take in the views.
It's not hard to imagine that bed being extended into a proper camper double, especially considering that between the slide-out rear module and a retractable dashboard, the Journeo adds 150 cm (59 in) of internal length when set to lounge mode. If Chery won't do it, one could always install a drop-down bench/bed to the floor rails hidden under the green carpet.
Chery further supports day adventures and potential overnight camping with a front trunk that stores a mobile kitchen complete with grill. The grille panel at the vehicle's front-end also extends forward and drops down to serve as a curved loveseat for enjoying some fresh air.
The Journeo's near-2D-thin rooftop module isn't an ultra-slim cargo box capable of carrying virtually zero cargo but a solarized storage module for the deployable awning. The awning itself doesn't appear to provide near the coverage of a modern single-shade 180- or 270-degree awning, but it does look like three flower petals so ... there's that.
Chery's design team in Raunheim, Germany created the New Journeo, and the concept debuted as a show vehicle at the 2024 Guangzhou Auto Show in November. It was called the "Jinyun" for China and presented under Chery's Fulwin brand.
This month, Chery gave the design a more official introduction in Germany with the Journeo name. The debut comes ahead of the automaker's planned 2025 launch in Germany with its Omoda&Jaeco brand, and the company says some of the features previewed on the Journeo concept will find their way to Omoda&Jaeco vehicles.
Chery's Instagram video below gives a dramatized look at the Jinyun/Journeo design.
Source: Chery Automobile