Chery ute primed for Australia

Chery has pulled the covers off a new dual-cab ute concept that’s expected to make its way to Australia in late 2025.

The Chery pick-up truck currently takes the codename KP11 and is sized to take on the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux, and most likely from an advantageous price point.

Although we were told very little about the KP11 during its public debut in China, the photos we took provide plenty of ammo for water-cooler discussion – especially in the wake of the Kia Tasman’s polarising exterior design.

Overseas reports claim Chery’s first conventional dual-cab ute developed in-house will be offered in ‘urban’ and ‘off-road’ model-grades – the vehicle in the photos being the tough-truck off-road version.

Chery didn’t reveal any of the interior details but the exterior design of the KP11 makes it look like a meaty challenger, with slick daytime running lights protruding from either side of an enormous grille, featuring Chery emblazoned across it in huge font.

Chunky wheelarches, a heavily sculpted bonnet and rugged BF Goodrich all-terrain tyres suggest the KP11 should perform quite well in the rough stuff, while a large rear bed measuring between 1.2 and 1.5-metres in length would make it a viable workhorse.

Tradies will likely appreciate the built-in step aft of the rear wheels too.

The model displayed was a dual-cab set-up with a tent arrangement built onto the back so it may also find favour as a lifestyle vehicle with a raft of factory-spec accessories expected to materialise.

Motivation for the 2025 Chery ute could come from a choice of three powertrains – but diesel appears to be off the menu at this stage.

There’s talk of a 2.4-litre turbo-petrol engine being the mainstay of the KP11 and a plug-in hybrid powertrain comprising a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol mated to twin electric motors is also on the cards, not unlike the BYD Shark 6’s PHEV setup.

A fully electric version is understood to be in development too – something its rival the BYD Shark 6 will not be offering any time soon.

Pricing for the new ute will be dependent on the powertrain options and market positioning but it’s expected to be a budget-priced vehicle, which would see it lock horns with Chinese utes from rival brands like GWM and LDV.

We’ll keep an eye on this new challenger to see if Chery reveals more on the KP11 ute, though we’d expect a full reveal in March or April 2025, in line with Chery’s bi-annual global product showcases.

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