Rox Motor confirms Australian entry with Defender-inspired extended-range electric SUVs

Launch confirmation and open questions

Rox Motor, which describes itself as a "Chinese premium new-energy SUV brand", has confirmed it plans to enter the Australian market "around the end of this year or early next year", according to an email sent to CarExpert by a marketing agency representing the firm. The company describes Australia as a "strategically important market" and was founded by Chinese entrepreneur Chang Jing, having previously been known as Polestones. ¹

While the entry itself is confirmed, CarExpert reports that the local model line-up has not been confirmed, let alone pricing, specifications or how the brand's vehicles will be sold. The launch had been anticipated after CarExpert unearthed more than a dozen local trademark filings lodged by Rox Motor in February 2026, including for the Adamas name and other model names. Rox has been expanding out of its Chinese home market, launching across the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa. ¹

Rox 01: overseas specifications

Rox Motor sells just two models, the Rox 01 and a plusher version called the Adamas, both large SUVs with extended-range electric (EREV) powertrains and six- or seven-seat configurations. Both use car-like unibody construction rather than a ladder frame, in the manner of the current Land Rover Defender. ¹

As reported by CarExpert, the Rox 01 was revealed in 2023 and designed by Pininfarina, measuring 5295mm long, 1980mm wide and 1869mm tall on a 3010mm wheelbase — 100mm longer, 14mm narrower and 36mm lower than a Denza B8 on a wheelbase 90mm longer. It pairs a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that serves solely as a range-extender with dual electric motors driving the wheels, for total system outputs of 350kW and 740Nm. ¹

The Rox 01 uses a 56.01kWh ternary lithium battery and offers 235km of electric range plus 1115km of combined range, both under the WLTC cycle. It features double-wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension with adaptive dampers, along with a 15.7-inch touchscreen, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, 15.6-inch rear entertainment screen, heated steering wheel, heated, massage and power-adjustable first- and second-row seats with front ventilation, and a panoramic sunroof with power sunshade. ¹

Rox Adamas: plusher variant

The Adamas is incrementally longer, wider and lower than the 01 but shares the identical wheelbase, battery and powertrain, per CarExpert's reporting, with slightly more combined range at 1226km WLTC. It adds closed-chamber air suspension offering up to 140mm of travel. ¹

Both models carry a full suite of active safety and driver-assist technology, including front cross-traffic alert, lane-centring and semi-autonomous parking, according to CarExpert. The feature that drew Rox Motor the most global attention sits within the Adamas centre console: a removable lid that turns the compartment into an emergency toilet, designed for use with a specific plastic bag containing deodorising and absorbent gel. ¹

A crowded field of boxy arrivals

Rox Motor is entering a segment that has grown rapidly among Chinese manufacturers. CarExpert notes that while Defender-inspired SUVs are not as common in Australia as in China, their local ranks include the Denza B5 and the GWM Haval H7 due before the end of 2026, with the Geely Battleship 700, iCaur V25 and Jetour T2 due in 2027. In China the field is larger still, including the BAIC Xingtan 5X and Hongqi G919. ¹

Chery global design director Steve Eum told CarExpert the boxy format is no passing fad, calling it "an enduring, iconic shape that's going to keep going" and noting that a boxy body maximises space for a vehicle's footprint while visually conveying safety, storage, toughness and utility to off-road buyers. ³

Among the competing arrivals, Chery Group has confirmed the iCAUR V25 EREV for Australia with first deliveries scheduled for early 2027, following a public debut at Everything Electric Sydney in September 2026. Man of Many reports overseas versions use a 115kW 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol generator with a 33.68kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, delivering 145–150km of electric-only range and 1.52L/100km under WLTC testing, with final Australian pricing and specifications to come closer to launch. ²

Chery is also reviving the Freelander name — a joint venture with Jaguar Land Rover — with the three-row Freelander 8 SUV. CarSauce reports the model was announced at Auto China 2026, will be produced at the Chery Jaguar Land Rover plant in Changshu, and offers BEV, EREV and PHEV powertrains on the new iMax architecture with an i-ATS all-terrain system, though Australian launch timing, specifications and pricing are yet to be detailed. ⁶

Market context for a new entrant

Rox Motor's arrival comes as Chinese automakers pursue markedly different Australian strategies. Analysis by CarExpert, republished by 7NEWS, notes Chery is expanding to eight local brands by the end of 2027, while rivals such as GWM, GAC and BYD have largely consolidated around one or two brands — with BYD Australia's second-best-selling brand year-to-date as of September 2026, ahead of Chery's 53,478 deliveries. ⁵

There is also local debate about why so many Chinese models are arriving at once. Leapmotor Australia boss Andy Hoang told CarExpert that rival brands are bringing some models to Australia to clear excess volume elsewhere in the world, though he declined to name the brands concerned, adding that "customers here are smart, they can see through that". ⁴

For prospective buyers, the immediate picture for Rox Motor remains deliberately sparse: the brand's Australian entry timing is stated, but which models will be offered locally, their local specifications and pricing, and the retail model are all unconfirmed. Any overseas-specification figures above, including those for the Rox 01 and Adamas, relate to the company's existing markets and cannot be assumed to carry over unchanged to Australian-delivered vehicles. ¹