A senior executive at Chery Automobile has sparked controversy after publicly criticising a newly launched vehicle from rival Chinese automaker Geely. According to reports, Yao Fei (also known as Yao Yuanfang), Vice General Manager of Chery Automobile’s Marketing Company, disparaged the Geely Galaxy Starshine 8 on social media.

The incident occurred in an “A9 Founder’s Edition Owners Group” on Douyin (China’s TikTok), where Yao described the Geely Galaxy Starshine 8 as a “terrible car” with “cramped second-row seating” and “poor audio quality.” His comments quickly drew backlash from netizens and Geely Galaxy Starshine 8 owners.

Industry observers note that Chery’s upcoming Fulwin A9, a new energy vehicle expected to launch between May and June with an estimated price in the 100,000 yuan (13,700 USD) range, will directly compete with the Geely Galaxy Starshine 8 in the same market segment.

Following the controversy, Yao has reportedly disbanded the “A9 Founder’s Edition Owners Group” and set his Douyin account to private.

The Geely Galaxy Starshine 8, which officially launched on May 9, 2025, is the Geely Galaxy brand’s first mid-to-high-end hybrid electric sedan. The vehicle comes in seven variants with promotional prices ranging from 115,800 to 155,800 yuan (16000 to 21600 USD).

At a media communication meeting for the new vehicle launch, Feng Junyi, General Manager of Geely Automobile Sales Company, revealed that as of April 30, 2025, Geely Galaxy’s cumulative sales had exceeded 930,000 units. The brand is expected to reach the milestone of one million vehicles sold this month, potentially becoming the fastest new energy brand to achieve this sales figure.

In the first four months of 2025, Geely Galaxy sales surpassed 356,000 units, putting the brand on track to meet its annual target of one million vehicles.

On March 3, Geely announced upgrading its Galaxy series to a full-fledged brand, covering all new energy market categories, including sedans, SUVS, and MPVS. The company also integrated LEVC Automobile into the Geely Galaxy as its high-end MPV series.

Public information about Yao Fei is limited, but reports indicate that he worked at another Chinese automaker, Great Wall Motors, where he served as Marketing Communications Director for the Ora brand before joining Chery.

Source: This news was deleted just a few minutes after its initial publication on Jiemian, it is accessible via web.archive.org.