Veteran Chinese rally driver Lu Ningjun will make his seventh trip to the Dakar Rally in January as Chinese auto manufacturer Chery Automobile announced its drivers' list on Wednesday.

Lu, 53, who failed to complete the race in his maiden Dakar trip in 2003, will again be driving the China-made Chery Rely X5 when the world's most grueling rally roars off on Jan 1 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and ends there 16 days later.

Lu will be joined by teammate Jiang Yaohuan and reinforced by up-and-coming driver Liu Kun. All will be at the wheels of the Chery Rely X5, in which Lu and Jiang finished 28th and 29th at this year's Dakar.

Lu said the Dakar Rally is the most challenging race in the world. "It's extraordinary. For some people it's a dream to be there. But for me, it's a major challenge," Lu said.

Because of his rich experience in the Dakar Rally, Lu is the obvious leader among Chinese rally drivers.

On picking Liu as the third driver on the Rely-Double Star team, Lu said: "There is not much of a difference in skill when racers drive on standard roads. What makes a big difference is the desert part of the Dakar. From experience, you have to be real good in the desert before you can perform well in the Dakar."

For that reason, Lu picked Liu, who displayed his desert skill by finishing second in the Kubuqi Desert U2 and Tour of Takalamankan Desert races in China.

"Driving in the Dakar has been long-time dream. I didn't expect it to come so soon, and I am really excited about the chance to driving in the world's most grueling rally," Liu said.

The Dakar Rally moved from Africa to Argentina and Chile last year. Drivers must traverse dunes, gravel, rocks, swamps and canyons during the South American race. The vehicles are modified in every respect to cope with the tough terrain.

Statistics show only about 40 percent of the vehicles finish the race. Top brands such as BMW, Toyota, Volkswagen, Nissan and Mitsubishi regard the Dakar a testing ground for quality and a platform for enhancing brand awareness.

Chery Rely X5 is the first China-made automobile to take part in the Dakar rally, and it achieved great success this year through Lu and Jiang.

"Through Dakar, we will win respect for our company," said Ma Deji, deputy general manager of Chery Automobile.

Lu, nicknamed "King of Racing" in China, said: "We represent a Chinese brand, and I feel so proud about it. China hopes to promote the concept of 'Made in China'. Our participation at the wheels of the China-made cars in the rally showcases the current condition of the Chinese auto industry to the world."

Lu said he always looks forward to taking part in the Dakar.

"Dakar is a spirit that runs through my blood, making me brave, cooperative and complete," he said.

For this third edition in South America, the riders, drivers and crews will be returning to some places that have already written themselves into the rally's legend - such as the white dunes of Fiambala, the vast Atacama Desert and the dizzying descent to Iquique.

This year's competitors will get the opportunity to discover five new Argentinean provinces, come close to Bolivia and encounter the very northern tip of Chile - in Arica, at the gateway to Peru.