The Falcon 500 is set to make a comeback. Known to Australian motoring enthusiasts from its use on Ford’s family car from 1966 until 1979, the badge was a mainstay of Ford Australia’s line-up from its first appearance on the XR Falcon until its final appearance on the XC Falcon.

Now the Falcon 500 name is returning, but this time without any input from Ford. In a move that’s sure to enrage more than a few fans of the Blue Oval, Chinese automaker Chery has chosen Chery Falcon 500 as the name for its latest generation of driver-assist and autonomous systems.

Front three-quarter view of a teal sedan with a large black honeycomb grille, sharp LED headlights, and sporty alloy wheels.
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The new moniker represents the car’s integrated system of self-parking, backtrack reversing (up to 50 metres), automated remote parking, autonomous lane changing, navigate-on-autopilot functionality, and driver-assist functions like autonomous braking, lane-keep assist and more.

As for the car it’s equipped on, the Chery Arrizo 8 Pro is positioned as the flagship sedan for the Chery brand, although the company offers more upscale models from its premium Luxeed brand in China. A recent update to the 8 Pro gives it revised styling and an overhauled interior.

From the outside, it looks a lot like the rear bodywork from the previous-generation Hyundai Sonata, with a face graft that bears some cues from the pre-update current-generation Sonata. 

The mid-size Arrizo 8 Pro measures 4800mm long with a 2790mm wheelbase, making it 120mm shorter than a Toyota Camry, but with a wheelbase that’s only 35mm shorter. Appointments are closer to Lexus than Toyota, however, with 14-speaker premium audio, powered front seats with heating, ventilation, and massage, 256-colour ambient interior lighting, and a 15.6-inch infotainment display.

 

Black sedan driving on a winding mountain road with blue sensor waves indicating autonomous driving capabilities.
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Buyers get a choice of a 147kW 1.6-litre or 187kW 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and front-wheel drive standard across the range.

An Australian appearance isn’t entirely out of the question. Chery’s list of priorities sees the new Stockman ute top the list, along with SUVs from its Chery, Omoda, Jaecoo, and Lepas brands, plus upcoming launches for divisions including Jetour and iCaur.

The Arrizo 8 Pro is, remarkably, still under evaluation. Chery has previously suggested it could be one of its future models down under, but has yet to commit to timing and is likely to place more popular SUVs ahead of a traditional sedan in its rollout hierarchy.