Chery ute concept revealed with petrol, PHEV power

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Chery ute concept revealed with petrol, PHEV power

Chery ute concept revealed with petrol, PHEV power

Chery wants to get back into the ute game, and has revealed a concept that looks particularly production-ready.

Philippine-based outlet AutoIndustriya shared images and details of the Chery KP11 concept taken at an event in Wuhu, China.

It reports the production version is due sometime in 2025.

The KP11 appears to be a direct rival for the likes of Chinese utes such as the GWM Cannon Ute, LDV T60 and JAC T9, as well as more established players from Japanese and American brands.

While Chery hasn’t released any dimensions, AutoIndustriya reports the company will offer the ute with a choice of three powertrains, none of which feature a diesel engine.

The standard engine will reportedly be a turbocharged 2.4-litre petrol engine. While most utes sold in Australia are diesel, major players like the GWM Cannon Ute and Ford Ranger are offered with turbo-petrol four-cylinder engines overseas.

The outlet reports it’ll be followed by a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and a range-extender electric vehicle, the latter of which would see the combustion engine used purely as a generator instead of directly delivering power to the wheels.

These electrified options would give Chery a rival to the likes of the BYD Shark 6 and Ford Ranger PHEV.

Camera IconPhoto credit: AutoIndustriya.com Credit: CarExpert

The concept presented in Wuhu features various contemporary styling cues, like split-level lighting up front and an enormous Ford Ranger Raptor-style wordmark across the grille.

There will reportedly be both Urban and Off-Road versions of the production KP11, with the concept wearing Off-Road styling. In addition to its brash grille, it also features BFGoodrich all-terrain tyres.

The interior wasn’t previewed at the event.

Chery has previously flagged the Australian market as an important one for utes.

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera IconPhoto credit: AutoIndustriya.com Credit: CarExpert

“We are also working on the feasibility study of developing the pickups because the pickup market in Australia is something very, very important,” Chery International executive vice president Charlie Zhang told media in July 2022, shortly before the carmaker returned to Australia.

“So I believe in the next years, we will develop the pickup.”

Early in 2024, sources within Chery told Carscoops the company was developing a traditional body-on-frame ute for the Asia-Pacific region, South America and Europe.

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera IconKarry Aika Credit: CarExpertdata:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera IconKarry Higgo Credit: CarExpert

It’s also likely to be sold in China, where ute sales have been rising as restrictions on where these can be driven have been phased out.

Notably, this new concept wears Chery badging and not that of Karry, the company’s light commercial vehicle brand sold in the Chinese domestic market.

While Karry currently sells the Elephant X7 cab-chassis, this is based on one of its vans. It doesn’t offer a more traditional dual-cab ute like the GWM Cannon Ute.

However, in the 2010s Karry offered a pair: the Higgo and the Aika. These were understood to have been reverse-engineered Isuzu models.

MORE: Everything CheryMORE: Chery ute: China’s budget HiLux, Ranger rival getting closer – report

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