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Chery is gearing as much as enter one among Australia’s most fiercely contested car markets – the dual-cab ute section – within the second half of 2026, and all of the indicators level to one thing genuinely particular arriving right here by the tip of subsequent 12 months.
The Chinese language auto model’s first ute for Australia, probably being developed below the revived Rely sub-brand, is shaping as much as be bigger, extra succesful, and extra technically superior than the favored BYD Shark 6 dual-cab, which grew to become the primary plug-in hybrid (PHEV) ute obtainable in Australia when it launched right here early this 12 months.
Just like the Shark and all of Australia’s hottest utes, the upcoming Chery pickup rides on a rugged ladder-frame chassis. Codenamed the Kaitan platform, it’s been designed from day one to help the total spectrum of powertrains together with inside combustion, battery-electric (EV), and PHEV.
Australian Chery executives have already confirmed the ute will prioritise “work earlier than play”, which means it’s being engineered to tow as much as 3.5 tonnes, provide payloads approaching 1500kg, and ship the sort of toughness anticipated by commerce, fleet, and leisure consumers right here.
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The challenge is being co-developed by Chery’s international engineering groups, with Australia as a lead export market, guaranteeing right-hand drive (RHD) growth is baked in from the beginning moderately than transformed later.
Senior Chery product executives have confirmed the RHD model of the pickup remains to be in growth for a number of worldwide markets – together with Australia, which is prone to be among the many first to obtain it.
Powertrain choices below growth embrace an all-electric EV drivetrain, and one thing no different ute provides in Australia but – a diesel-electric plug-in hybrid system.
The plug-in diesel setup pairs a newly developed 2.0-litre or 2.5-litre twin-turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engine with an electrical motor and a big battery pack.
This was just lately confirmed by a senior product government in China, who instructed CarExpert the brand new Chery pickup could be powered by a diesel hybrid powertrain, alongside different electrified variants.
Chery’s powertrain division, RELY Energy Expertise, claims the diesel engine achieves a powerful 47 per cent thermal effectivity, making it one of the vital environment friendly diesel items on this planet.
Mixed outputs haven’t but been printed, however reviews out of China recommend round 210kW of energy and 650Nm of torque – matching the torque of the BYD Shark’s 1.5-litre petrol engine-based PHEV system, which might solely tow as much as 2500kg.
Nevertheless, a serious benefit of Chery’s diesel-hybrid system will likely be its torque supply and driving vary. Count on low-rev pulling energy that fits heavy towing, whereas the electrical motor provides silent operating in city site visitors.
And Cherv’s diesel PHEV ute is anticipated to ship round 170km of pure-electric vary, eclipsing BYD’s quoted 100km (WLTC) determine for the Shark.
Dimensionally, the Chery pickup is anticipated to stretch past 5.3 metres in size, making it barely bigger than the Shark and virtually an identical to the top-selling Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux.
Early prototypes proven below the Rely KP3X nameplate reveal a assured, blocky design with muscular wheel-arches, bead-lock-style wheels, tow hooks, and built-in steps within the tray.
The rear tub seems separate from the cab – an indicator of correct ladder-frame utes, permitting completely different trays and canopies to be fitted – whereas filler doorways on either side recommend twin entry for diesel refuelling and battery recharging.
Count on Chery to supply cab/chassis variants, giving it additional attraction to fleets and tradies who want customized tray configurations.
Whereas inside particulars are nonetheless below tight wraps, leaked design previews level to a digital instrument cluster, a big infotainment touchscreen with Chery’s newest ‘Lion AI’ interface, and the total suite of ADAS security tech already seen in Chery’s Omoda and Jaecoo fashions — together with adaptive cruise, lane-keep help, and 360-degree cameras.
Count on a premium bent in comparison with most finances rivals, bringing inside presentation and refinement nearer to mainstream utes from Ford and Toyota.
The pickup will likely be offered globally below the Rely model – a revived Chery marque devoted totally to pickups and industrial autos.
Rely sits alongside Omoda, Jaecoo, Exeed, and Jetour in Chery’s company lineup, however focuses solely on body-on-frame utility autos for international markets. Nevertheless, anticipate Australian-delivered autos to put on a Chery badge.
Curiously, the Rely KP3X diesel-hybrid and its electrical twin, the Rely KP2X, have been first unveiled on the 2025 Chengdu motor present, marking Rely’s return to the market after greater than a decade.
Chery Australia has confirmed it is going to launch an unnamed plug-in hybrid, ladder-frame ute in Australia by the tip of 2026, although it’s but to disclose any additional particulars.
Whereas Chery has not particularly confirmed both the KP2X or KP3X by identify for native showrooms, Chery Worldwide president Zhang Guibing beforehand instructed CarExpert that Chery was creating a pickup for the Australian market, which might eclipse the BYD Shark 6 in each method.
Native Chery boss Lucas Harris beforehand instructed CarExpert: “What’s confirmed in the intervening time is having a correct, ladder-frame chassis, off-road platform-style pickup, which will likely be [here] within the second half of subsequent 12 months (2026).”
Chery has additionally talked about beforehand that its Australian division is set to obtain a number of completely different utes, opening the door for autos of varied sizes and with completely different powertrains – together with totally electrical.
Mr Harris just lately instructed Fleet Information Group: “The diesel PHEV is the one I get actually enthusiastic about. It could possibly be a novel proposition, combining the low-end torque that diesel consumers anticipate with the effectivity and clean driving expertise of a plug-in hybrid.”
It’s not but clear whether or not the KP3X would even be obtainable right here with conventional combustion powertrains like these employed in a few of its Chery ute stablemates offered in China such because the Himla, which at present embrace 120kW/420Nm 2.3-litre turbo-diesel and 118kW/230Nm 2.4-litre petrol engines with a five-speed guide solely.
Extra particulars will likely be revealed nearer to the ute’s launch in late 2026, however given how intently Australian engineers are concerned, anticipate the local-spec model to be tuned for native situations and towing necessities.
The Chery ute’s mixture of diesel torque, lengthy EV vary, a full-size tray, and class-matching towing capability might make it essentially the most applicable work-focused PHEV ute in Australia – and a severe challenger not simply to BYD, however PHEV variations of the Ranger and the GWM Cannon Alpha.
Chery’s ute program is shaping up as one of the vital vital car launches within the firm’s international growth. If the diesel-hybrid KP3X arrives in Australia with 3.5-tonne towing, actual off-road capacity, and 170km of EV vary, it might redefine what Australians anticipate from a Chinese language-built workhorse.
The BYD Shark might need struck first, but when Chery delivers on the numbers it’s promising – and Chery Australia lands the brand new RHD diesel-hybrid ute right here subsequent 12 months as anticipated – this Rely-developed pickup might very nicely set a brand new benchmark for hybrid work utes Down Below, simply as different new petrol PHEV utes start arriving to satisfy the federal authorities’s New Automobile Effectivity Normal.
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