Why iCAUR axed its ute

The technology chief of Chery’s incoming iCAUR SUV brand has admitted that a ute was part of its early product planning, before a decision was made to focus on higher-volume crossovers.

This meant the pick-up proposal was left off its future model roadmap.

The revelation comes as parent company Chery prepares to launch a diesel plug-in hybrid Stockman dual-cab ute for the Australian market in February 2027, raising questions about how the Chinese giant is devising its expanding off-road programs between brands.

Speaking with Australian media in Wuhu, China, iCAUR chief technical officer Ma Yongdong acknowledged that “at the beginning, we had a pick-up [in our] planning.”

But iCAUR chief executive Ronna Luo immediately shut down any expectation that a ute could return to the mix.

“We don’t have any pick-up or truck in the plan,” she said.

The iCAUR CTO’s admission followed a question about whether iCAUR might enter Australia’s enormous ute market, where lifestyle-orientated hybrid pick-ups like the BYD Shark 6 are increasingly mixing it with workhorse utes and even family SUVs.

iCAUR has explained that Chery Group has set down an instruction that its brands must prioritise products capable of generating sufficient sales volumes within their own specific niches.

Any idea of an iCAUR ute has been softened by the fact that the brand will pivot away from its present, distinct focus on boxy, soft-roading SUVs.

Luo said iCAUR’s customers are predominantly urban drivers who only occasionally seek out adventure, while identifying sister brand Jetour as more focussed on off-road toughness.

Tech boss Ma also said iCAUR ruled out adding a ladder-frame four-wheel drive or diesel to its line-up.

“I think we will not go in that direction,” he said.

While they look like off-roaders, iCAUR’s V23, V25 and V27 models instead use car-based monocoque construction instead of the body-on-frame or ladder-frame underpinnings of vehicles like the Toyota Prado.

Within the Chery Group, home brand Chery and more upmarket Jetour will host ladder-frame models.

The upcoming Stockman ute is known as the Rely P3X/Hi800 in China; that marque also sells the Rely R08 pick-up, while Jetour has developed a petrol plug-in hybrid Zongheng F700 ladder-frame ute model to sit alongside its G700 off-road SUV.

Jetour’s F700 and G700 make use of the GAIA platform which is understood to be un-interchangeable with the Stockman.

There’s no next to no chance that iCAUR will look to rebadge the Chery Stockman ute or adapt its platform for a pick-up in Australia…or anywhere else.

Instead, the brand will go in the other direction.

While it is planning to launch in Australia with the distinctly boxy and partially adventurous V25 and V27 SUVs, it’s now known that iCAUR will branch out into more aerodynamic and sporty models in future.

*AI generated lead image.

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