Chery Australia is gearing up for its entry into the nation’s enormous ute market, which will be joined by several other new Chinese models within the next year, and a recent report suggests that – unlike some of them – Chery’s first ute will be tailored towards Aussie tradespeople, businesses, and fleets.
Speaking with Fleet News Group, Chery Australia chief operating officer Lucas Harris outlined that the all-new, yet-to-be-named ute was being developed with strong input from Australia, which is expected to set it apart from compatriots like the BYD Shark 6.
“The platform is brand-new and developed with Australia as a primary market alongside China,” Mr Harris told the fleet-focused outlet.
“That means we’ve been able to provide direct input on how the ute should be designed for local needs.”
It has been previously confirmed that the new Chery ute will be a ladder-frame vehicle, sized similarly to the Shark 6 dual-cab.
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It’s therefore expected to offer greater flexibility for different accessories and equipment to suit individual use cases, while – importantly – offering the choice of multiple trim levels and body styles, including cab/chassis and pickups.
This is in stark contrast to the Shark 6, which is currently sold in Australia in one well-equipped, pickup body style. It does, however, offer a range of accessories developed by Australia-based company Ironman 4×4 – and Mr Harris also confirmed that Chery is in talks with local auto accessory companies.
“We’ve shown our R&D teams how Australian fleets use their vehicles – from small builders to large utilities,” Mr Harris told Fleet News Group.
“That’s shaped decisions like making cab/chassis and removable tray options available, ensuring aftermarket compatibility for bull bars, canopies and other equipment, and offering a range of trim levels from basic workhorse to premium variants.
“We’ve started discussions with Australian accessory makers… because we want our ute to be easy to adapt for different jobs. There’s no point launching a ute if the equipment fleets need isn’t available.”
Powertrains are yet to be confirmed, but Chery’s first ute is expected to prioritise plug-in hybrid (PHEV) power, a technology that BYD pioneered in Australia’s ute segment.
Notably, the model range is expected to include both petrol and diesel PHEV options, the latter being a combination that is exceedingly rare in any commercial vehicle, aside from a handful of plugless hybrid diesel trucks sold locally by Hino.
Chery has also mentioned previously that its Australian division is set to receive multiple different utes. While details remain scarce, this opens the door for vehicles of various sizes with different powertrains – including fully electric.
“The diesel PHEV is the one I get really excited about,” Mr Harris told Fleet News Group. “It could be a unique proposition, combining the low-end torque that diesel buyers expect with the efficiency and smooth driving experience of a plug-in hybrid.”
While Chery has revealed several utes overseas, it’s not yet known which will come to Australia. At this point, the most likely debutant appears to be the Rely KP3X, which has been confirmed to incorporate body-on-frame construction and will feature diesel hybrid power.
Noted during Chery’s reveal of the KP3X are several features that line up with Chery Australia’s statements so far, most notably the filler doors on each side of its tub – much like the Shark 6 has for PHEV charging and refuelling.
It’s not yet clear whether the KP3X will also come with traditional combustion powertrains like those employed in some of its Chery ute stablemates sold in China, which currently include 120kW/420Nm 2.3-litre turbo-diesel and 118kW/230Nm 2.4-litre petrol engines with a five-speed manual only.
More details will be revealed closer to the ute’s launch in late 2026.
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