DR Automobiles Groupe is an Italian automobile company established in 2006. It mainly sells rebadged vehicles from Chinese automakers BAIC Group, Chery Automobile, Dongfeng Motor Corporation, Changan Automobile (since end of 2025) and JAC Motors.
It produces vehicles under 8 brands: DR, EVO, Sportequipe, ICH-X, Tiger, Birba, Katay, and Stilnovo.
History The company was founded by Massimo Di Risio in 1985. In 2006 the DR brand was launched.Tribunale di Isernia (PDF; , retrieved 6 June 2020 As of 2008, the company had offices in Rome, Campobasso and Pescara.Marek Brzeżański, Robert Jabłoński: Cars of the World. 2008 · 2009. Moto Media Print, Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki 2008, , page 323.
Since November 2007, DR partners with Chery to assemble and distribute Chery vehicles in Italy under the DR brand. Some Chery vehicles are assembled at a facility in Macchia d'Isernia to be sold as DR vehicles. The original Chery Tiggo was marketed as the DR 5, while the Riich M1 became the DR 1.
The company had a network of 20 dealers in Italy at the end of 2018.
In 2020, DR launched their first subbrand called EVO, which at the same year, the company started rebranding vehicles from BAIC Group.
In 2022, DR added a more "premium" brand called Sportequipe, which are also rebranded Chery vehicles. It also introduced the ICKX brand (later renamed to ICH-X due to a legal dispute with former motorsport driver Jacky Ickx), initially with one model in offer, the ICH-X K2, based on the first-generation Beijing BJ40; at the same year, the company acquired the OSCA brand from the Maserati family.
In February 2023, DR started selling its first electric vehicle, the DR 1.0, a rebranded Chery eQ1.
Following the acquisition of Tiger Racing in 2023, in 2024 DR introduced the Tiger sub-brand, which at the same year, the company started rebranding vehicles from Dongfeng Motor Corporation.
In 2025, DR Automobiles presented at the Turin Auto Show, a new brand that is going to be part of DR Motor Company, which is the brand Stilnovo.
Brands Own brands The active own brand portfolio of DR Automobiles is shown below.
Brand Origin Established DR 2006 EVO 2020 Sportequipe 2022 Birba 2025 Katay 2025 Stilnovo 2026
Own brands retired
Brand Origin Established Retired ICKX†/ICH-X 2022 2024 † Brand subject to legal dispute with Jacky Ickx. Renamed ICH-X.
Historic English brands The active acquired brand portfolio of DR Automobiles is shown below. Brand Origin Established Tiger 1989
Historic Italian brands Brand Origin Established Itala 1904 OSCA 1947
Products
Current models
DR DR 1.0 (2023–present, based on the Chery eQ1) DR 3 / 3.0 (2016–present, based on the Chery Tiggo 3x) DR 5.0 (2020–present, based on the Chery Tiggo 5x) DR 5 (2026–present, based on the Changan CS35 Plus) DR 6.0 (2022–present, based on the second-generation Chery Tiggo 7) DR 7.0 (2023–present, based on the Chery Tiggo 8) DR PK8 (2023–present, based on the JAC Shuailing T8)
EVO EVO 3 (2020–present, based on the JAC Refine S2) EVO 4 (2020–present, based on the JAC Refine S3) EVO Cuatro (2025–present, Spanish model based on the Kaiyi Showjet) EVO 5 (2020–present, based on the Chery Tiggo 3 between 2020 and 2022, and later the second-generation Beijing X3 since 2023) EVO 6 (2020–present, based on the Chery Tiggo 5 between 2020 and 2021, and later the second-generation Forthing T5 EVO since 2024) EVO 7 (2023–present, based on the Sehol X8) EVO 7 Kairos (2025–present, based on the JAC QX) EVO 8 (2024–present, based on the Kaiyi Kunlun) EVO Cross 4 (2022–present, based on the JAC Shuailing T8) EVO Spazio (2024–present, based on the Forthing Yacht)
ICH-X Formerly known as ICKX between 2022 and 2024. ICH-X K2 (2023–present, based on the first-generation Beijing BJ40) ICH-X K3 (2024–present, based on the Jetour T2) ICH-X K4 (2024–present, based on the JAC Hunter)
Sportequipe Sportequipe 6 GT (2024–present, based on the Jetour Dashing) Sportequipe 7 GTW (2024–present, based on the Jetour X70) Sportequipe 8 GT (2025–present, based on the Kaiyi Kunlun)
Tiger Tiger Six (2024–present, based on the Beijing Mofang) Tiger Seven (2024–present, based on the Sehol QX) Tiger Eight (2024–present, based on the Beijing X7) Tiger Nine (2025–present, based on the Forthing Xinghai V9)
Birba Birba (2025–present, based on the Chery QQ Ice Cream), which is their first heavy quadricycle.
Katay Katay 35C (2025–present, based on the Karry X6) Katay 24C (2025–present, based on the Foton Xiangling Q) Katay 16 (2025–present, based on the Linxys G050p)
Stilnovo Stilnovo 5 (2026–present, based on the Changan CS35 Plus) Stilnovo 6 (2026–present, based on the Changan CS55 Plus)
Itala Itala 35 (2026 protoype, based on the GAC Emzoom)
OSCA OSCA MT6 (2026 prototype, based on the Changan UNI-T)
Former models
DR DR 1 (2009–2014, based on the Riich M1) DR 2 (2010–2014, based on the Chery A1) DR 4 (2016–2020, based on the JAC Refine S3) DR 5 (2007–2020, based on the Chery Tiggo 3) DR 6 (2016–2020, based on the Chery Tiggo 5) DR 4.0 (2022–2024, based on the Chery Tiggo 5x, continuation of the pre-facelift DR 5.0) DR CityCross / CityVan (2013–2016, based on the Riich X1) DR F35 (2020–2023, based on the first-generation Chery Tiggo 7) DR Zero (2015–2019, based on the second-generation Chery QQ3)
EVO EVO 5 first generation (2020–2023, based on the Chery Tiggo 3) EVO 6 first generation (2021, based on the Chery Tiggo 5)
Sportequipe Sportequipe 1 (2022 prototype, based on the Chery eQ1) Sportequipe 5 (2023–2025, based on the Chery Tiggo 5x) Sportequipe 6 (2023–2026, based on the second-generation Chery Tiggo 7) Sportequipe 7 (2023–2025, based on the Chery Tiggo 8) Sportequipe 8 (2023–2026, based on the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max) Sportequipe SK (2022 prototype, based on the JAC Shuailing T8)
Katay Katay 17 (2025–2026, based on the Reach T10)
References
External links