Chery to launch a Stockman-based SUV

Chery has confirmed that its new Stockman four-wheel drive ute platform was engineered from the outset to underpin a large, body-on-frame SUV model, opening the door to a Chery rival to the Ford Everest, Toyota LandCruiser Prado and Isuzu MU-X in Australia.

That means there is a live option for Chery to rapidly develop and launch a Stockman-based SUV with a plug-in hybrid diesel powertrain, as the hard work is already complete.

Speaking with carsales in China, Stockman chief engineer Mark Qi said the unique requirements of an SUV model were considered during the core development of the body-on-frame architecture and have been baked into the platform from the start.

“Yes, the platform has the capability to also be the same platform [underneath] an SUV, just like the Fortuner, and the Everest,” he confirmed.

The Stockman’s 3250mm wheelbase provides a substantial foundation, although an SUV would need new bodywork and an extended glasshouse, a different rear cabin, a potential third row, and enclosed luggage space packaging.

Chery would also need to consider a different rear axle configuration to better support rear-seat passengers and their luggage.

The Australian version of the Stockman ute uses heavy-duty leaf springs, but Chery’s planned petrol plug-in hybrid version adopts coil-sprung rear suspension, demonstrating that the architecture can accommodate both sets of hardware.

“We’ve already done some jobs. When we designed the platform we already considered the SUV,” Qi explained.

But there is a potential problem with packaging the 34kWh battery that underpins the Stockman’s new diesel PHEV drivetrain with a coil-sprung rear suspension setup and a third seating row.

Asked whether the battery would fit with those additional components, Qi said he was not sure yet.

One possible solution could be a five-seat PHEV offering a larger boot sold alongside a non-hybrid or mild-hybrid version of the diesel with seven seats.

A similar split is seen in the GWM Tank 500 SUV in which the petrol PHEV model is a two-row proposition.

Chery is undoubtedly tempted by the size of the large 4x4 SUV market and the opportunity for a Stockman-based SUV.

The Ford Everest added 26,161 additional sales to the Ranger ute’s 56,555 delivery tally in 2025.

Australia’s tightening New Vehicle Efficiency Standard sharpens the potential for Chery because sales of a diesel-based wagon can be balanced against the Group’s extensive EV sales to avoid penalties.

We know Chery can build a Stockman-based SUV, but two big questions remain.

The first outstanding question is what powertrain Chery would use, with Qi confirming that the platform can accept diesel PHEV, petrol PHEV and pure-diesel engines.

And the second question is which Chery Group brand would score the body-on-frame SUV.

“So many things [need to be resolved] – what’s the brand, what’s the price?” Qi posited.

But with the Chery Stockman ute arriving in Australia in early 2027, it would make the best sense to keep the two rugged models under one roof.

Watch this space.

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