Latest news with #RelyR08
7NEWS
5 days ago
- Automotive
- 7NEWS
Chery has multiple ute options on the cards for Australia
Chery Australia is gearing up to launch its first ute next year, but the Chinese brand says more models could follow with various body styles, powertrains, and use cases – if customers want them. Speaking with CarExpert, Chery Australia chief operating officer Lucas Harris said that while one ute is currently confirmed for Australia, the brand has many others that could also be brought here. 'What's confirmed at the moment is having a proper, ladder-frame chassis, off-road platform-style pickup, which will be second half of next year,' he said. 'Globally, there are lots of different options for pickups. It's not just a one-tonne ladder-frame chassis.' CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. ABOVE: Jetour F700 Chery chief engineer David Xianqiang Lu added the brand was exploring different types of utes, while also taking notes from the performance of similar models from other manufacturers. 'We do have pickup from body-on-frame design and then also unibody design, and we're exploring global markets for that,' he said. 'USA market used to be very good for body-on-frame, but recently Ford has the Maverick, which is a unibody vehicle that sold very well. So maybe we will see. We also have body-on-frame vehicles that we will introduce to this market as well.' As it stands, Chery has no current utes sold under its own name, though it did reveal the Himla at this year's Shanghai auto show. Its other utes come from its offshoot brands, including the Jetour F700 and Rely R08, though the latter is essentially a rebadged Himla. ABOVE: Chery Himla Mr Harris said a key focus for Chery Australia with its first ute would be getting the fundamentals sorted, which includes meeting segment-standard payload ratings, towing capacities, and off-road dimensions. 'It's very early days at the moment, I think the obvious things are payload, towing ability, off-roadability, and all those sorts of things are basically a given,' he said. 'We're still very much in the research phase to ensure that we get all of the spec and features, but certainly those core elements, like 3.5-tonne towing as an example, is a no-brainer.' For context, Australia's current best-selling ute is the Ford Ranger, which, in Sport bi-turbo-diesel guise, offers a 934kg payload, 3500kg braked towing capacity, a ground clearance of 234mm, and a wading depth of 800mm. ABOVE: Rely R08 In any case, it's understood Chery is exploring at least diesel and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrains for future utes. This puts it in contention with a range of vehicles from the perennially top-selling Ranger and Toyota HiLux to the new BYD Shark 6 PHEV. 'We're always looking at what competitors are doing in the market, but to be honest with you, we're much more driven by customers and what customers want and need, rather than what our competitors are doing,' Mr Harris told CarExpert. 'Because often the competitors don't always get it right, so I think our general philosophy is how we talk to customers and listen to customers about what they want and need, and then if we can deliver a product for that, it's usually a recipe for success.' ABOVE: Ford Ranger, BYD Shark 6 Further, Mr Lu boldly added that it wasn't a case of Chery competing with its compatriots, but rather the other way around. 'We do have global product portfolio, and we review that every season, and make decisions if we change it a little bit or not,' he told CarExpert. 'Definitely MG and BYD are in our global competitor list, but I believe Chery is probably a bigger competitor for them, because Chery is still the number one exporter in China's market for many, many years, even this year.' Chery claims it has been China's top vehicle exporter for 22 consecutive years, with 15 million global sales to date. In Australia, it trailed BYD on sales by nearly 10,000 units in the first half of 2025.
Perth Now
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Perth Now
Chery has multiple ute options on the cards for Australia
Chery Australia is gearing up to launch its first ute next year, but the Chinese brand says more models could follow with various body styles, powertrains, and use cases – if customers want them. Speaking with CarExpert, Chery Australia chief operating officer Lucas Harris said that while one ute is currently confirmed for Australia, the brand has many others that could also be brought here. 'What's confirmed at the moment is having a proper, ladder-frame chassis, off-road platform-style pickup, which will be second half of next year,' he said. 'Globally, there are lots of different options for pickups. It's not just a one-tonne ladder-frame chassis.' CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. Supplied Credit: CarExpert ABOVE: Jetour F700 Chery chief engineer David Xianqiang Lu added the brand was exploring different types of utes, while also taking notes from the performance of similar models from other manufacturers. 'We do have pickup from body-on-frame design and then also unibody design, and we're exploring global markets for that,' he said. 'USA market used to be very good for body-on-frame, but recently Ford has the Maverick, which is a unibody vehicle that sold very well. So maybe we will see. We also have body-on-frame vehicles that we will introduce to this market as well.' As it stands, Chery has no current utes sold under its own name, though it did reveal the Himla at this year's Shanghai auto show. Its other utes come from its offshoot brands, including the Jetour F700 and Rely R08, though the latter is essentially a rebadged Himla. Supplied Credit: CarExpert Supplied Credit: CarExpert ABOVE: Chery Himla Mr Harris said a key focus for Chery Australia with its first ute would be getting the fundamentals sorted, which includes meeting segment-standard payload ratings, towing capacities, and off-road dimensions. 'It's very early days at the moment, I think the obvious things are payload, towing ability, off-roadability, and all those sorts of things are basically a given,' he said. 'We're still very much in the research phase to ensure that we get all of the spec and features, but certainly those core elements, like 3.5-tonne towing as an example, is a no-brainer.' For context, Australia's current best-selling ute is the Ford Ranger, which, in Sport bi-turbo-diesel guise, offers a 934kg payload, 3500kg braked towing capacity, a ground clearance of 234mm, and a wading depth of 800mm. Supplied Credit: CarExpert ABOVE: Rely R08 In any case, it's understood Chery is exploring at least diesel and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrains for future utes. This puts it in contention with a range of vehicles from the perennially top-selling Ranger and Toyota HiLux to the new BYD Shark 6 PHEV. 'We're always looking at what competitors are doing in the market, but to be honest with you, we're much more driven by customers and what customers want and need, rather than what our competitors are doing,' Mr Harris told CarExpert. 'Because often the competitors don't always get it right, so I think our general philosophy is how we talk to customers and listen to customers about what they want and need, and then if we can deliver a product for that, it's usually a recipe for success.' Supplied Credit: CarExpert Supplied Credit: CarExpert ABOVE: Ford Ranger, BYD Shark 6 Further, Mr Lu boldly added that it wasn't a case of Chery competing with its compatriots, but rather the other way around. 'We do have global product portfolio, and we review that every season, and make decisions if we change it a little bit or not,' he told CarExpert. 'Definitely MG and BYD are in our global competitor list, but I believe Chery is probably a bigger competitor for them, because Chery is still the number one exporter in China's market for many, many years, even this year.' Chery claims it has been China's top vehicle exporter for 22 consecutive years, with 15 million global sales to date. In Australia, it trailed BYD on sales by nearly 10,000 units in the first half of 2025. MORE: Is this Chery's first ute for Australia? MORE: Chery Himla pickup revealed as China's latest HiLux, Ranger rival, more utes to come MORE: Everything Chery
The Advertiser
5 days ago
- Automotive
- The Advertiser
Chery has multiple ute options on the cards for Australia
Chery Australia is gearing up to launch its first ute next year, but the Chinese brand says more models could follow with various body styles, powertrains, and use cases – if customers want them. Speaking with CarExpert, Chery Australia chief operating officer Lucas Harris said that while one ute is currently confirmed for Australia, the brand has many others that could also be brought here. "What's confirmed at the moment is having a proper, ladder-frame chassis, off-road platform-style pickup, which will be second half of next year," he said. "Globally, there are lots of different options for pickups. It's not just a one-tonne ladder-frame chassis." CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. ABOVE: Jetour F700 Chery chief engineer David Xianqiang Lu added the brand was exploring different types of utes, while also taking notes from the performance of similar models from other manufacturers. "We do have pickup from body-on-frame design and then also unibody design, and we're exploring global markets for that," he said. "USA market used to be very good for body-on-frame, but recently Ford has the Maverick, which is a unibody vehicle that sold very well. So maybe we will see. We also have body-on-frame vehicles that we will introduce to this market as well." As it stands, Chery has no current utes sold under its own name, though it did reveal the Himla at this year's Shanghai auto show. Its other utes come from its offshoot brands, including the Jetour F700 and Rely R08, though the latter is essentially a rebadged Himla. ABOVE: Chery Himla Mr Harris said a key focus for Chery Australia with its first ute would be getting the fundamentals sorted, which includes meeting segment-standard payload ratings, towing capacities, and off-road dimensions. "It's very early days at the moment, I think the obvious things are payload, towing ability, off-roadability, and all those sorts of things are basically a given," he said. "We're still very much in the research phase to ensure that we get all of the spec and features, but certainly those core elements, like 3.5-tonne towing as an example, is a no-brainer." For context, Australia's current best-selling ute is the Ford Ranger, which, in Sport bi-turbo-diesel guise, offers a 934kg payload, 3500kg braked towing capacity, a ground clearance of 234mm, and a wading depth of 800mm. ABOVE: Rely R08 In any case, it's understood Chery is exploring at least diesel and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrains for future utes. This puts it in contention with a range of vehicles from the perennially top-selling Ranger and Toyota HiLux to the new BYD Shark 6 PHEV. "We're always looking at what competitors are doing in the market, but to be honest with you, we're much more driven by customers and what customers want and need, rather than what our competitors are doing," Mr Harris told CarExpert. "Because often the competitors don't always get it right, so I think our general philosophy is how we talk to customers and listen to customers about what they want and need, and then if we can deliver a product for that, it's usually a recipe for success." ABOVE: Ford Ranger, BYD Shark 6 Further, Mr Lu boldly added that it wasn't a case of Chery competing with its compatriots, but rather the other way around. "We do have global product portfolio, and we review that every season, and make decisions if we change it a little bit or not," he told CarExpert. "Definitely MG and BYD are in our global competitor list, but I believe Chery is probably a bigger competitor for them, because Chery is still the number one exporter in China's market for many, many years, even this year." Chery claims it has been China's top vehicle exporter for 22 consecutive years, with 15 million global sales to date. In Australia, it trailed BYD on sales by nearly 10,000 units in the first half of 2025. MORE: Is this Chery's first ute for Australia? MORE: Chery Himla pickup revealed as China's latest HiLux, Ranger rival, more utes to come MORE: Everything Chery Content originally sourced from: Chery Australia is gearing up to launch its first ute next year, but the Chinese brand says more models could follow with various body styles, powertrains, and use cases – if customers want them. Speaking with CarExpert, Chery Australia chief operating officer Lucas Harris said that while one ute is currently confirmed for Australia, the brand has many others that could also be brought here. "What's confirmed at the moment is having a proper, ladder-frame chassis, off-road platform-style pickup, which will be second half of next year," he said. "Globally, there are lots of different options for pickups. It's not just a one-tonne ladder-frame chassis." CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. ABOVE: Jetour F700 Chery chief engineer David Xianqiang Lu added the brand was exploring different types of utes, while also taking notes from the performance of similar models from other manufacturers. "We do have pickup from body-on-frame design and then also unibody design, and we're exploring global markets for that," he said. "USA market used to be very good for body-on-frame, but recently Ford has the Maverick, which is a unibody vehicle that sold very well. So maybe we will see. We also have body-on-frame vehicles that we will introduce to this market as well." As it stands, Chery has no current utes sold under its own name, though it did reveal the Himla at this year's Shanghai auto show. Its other utes come from its offshoot brands, including the Jetour F700 and Rely R08, though the latter is essentially a rebadged Himla. ABOVE: Chery Himla Mr Harris said a key focus for Chery Australia with its first ute would be getting the fundamentals sorted, which includes meeting segment-standard payload ratings, towing capacities, and off-road dimensions. "It's very early days at the moment, I think the obvious things are payload, towing ability, off-roadability, and all those sorts of things are basically a given," he said. "We're still very much in the research phase to ensure that we get all of the spec and features, but certainly those core elements, like 3.5-tonne towing as an example, is a no-brainer." For context, Australia's current best-selling ute is the Ford Ranger, which, in Sport bi-turbo-diesel guise, offers a 934kg payload, 3500kg braked towing capacity, a ground clearance of 234mm, and a wading depth of 800mm. ABOVE: Rely R08 In any case, it's understood Chery is exploring at least diesel and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrains for future utes. This puts it in contention with a range of vehicles from the perennially top-selling Ranger and Toyota HiLux to the new BYD Shark 6 PHEV. "We're always looking at what competitors are doing in the market, but to be honest with you, we're much more driven by customers and what customers want and need, rather than what our competitors are doing," Mr Harris told CarExpert. "Because often the competitors don't always get it right, so I think our general philosophy is how we talk to customers and listen to customers about what they want and need, and then if we can deliver a product for that, it's usually a recipe for success." ABOVE: Ford Ranger, BYD Shark 6 Further, Mr Lu boldly added that it wasn't a case of Chery competing with its compatriots, but rather the other way around. "We do have global product portfolio, and we review that every season, and make decisions if we change it a little bit or not," he told CarExpert. "Definitely MG and BYD are in our global competitor list, but I believe Chery is probably a bigger competitor for them, because Chery is still the number one exporter in China's market for many, many years, even this year." Chery claims it has been China's top vehicle exporter for 22 consecutive years, with 15 million global sales to date. In Australia, it trailed BYD on sales by nearly 10,000 units in the first half of 2025. MORE: Is this Chery's first ute for Australia? MORE: Chery Himla pickup revealed as China's latest HiLux, Ranger rival, more utes to come MORE: Everything Chery Content originally sourced from: Chery Australia is gearing up to launch its first ute next year, but the Chinese brand says more models could follow with various body styles, powertrains, and use cases – if customers want them. Speaking with CarExpert, Chery Australia chief operating officer Lucas Harris said that while one ute is currently confirmed for Australia, the brand has many others that could also be brought here. "What's confirmed at the moment is having a proper, ladder-frame chassis, off-road platform-style pickup, which will be second half of next year," he said. "Globally, there are lots of different options for pickups. It's not just a one-tonne ladder-frame chassis." CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. ABOVE: Jetour F700 Chery chief engineer David Xianqiang Lu added the brand was exploring different types of utes, while also taking notes from the performance of similar models from other manufacturers. "We do have pickup from body-on-frame design and then also unibody design, and we're exploring global markets for that," he said. "USA market used to be very good for body-on-frame, but recently Ford has the Maverick, which is a unibody vehicle that sold very well. So maybe we will see. We also have body-on-frame vehicles that we will introduce to this market as well." As it stands, Chery has no current utes sold under its own name, though it did reveal the Himla at this year's Shanghai auto show. Its other utes come from its offshoot brands, including the Jetour F700 and Rely R08, though the latter is essentially a rebadged Himla. ABOVE: Chery Himla Mr Harris said a key focus for Chery Australia with its first ute would be getting the fundamentals sorted, which includes meeting segment-standard payload ratings, towing capacities, and off-road dimensions. "It's very early days at the moment, I think the obvious things are payload, towing ability, off-roadability, and all those sorts of things are basically a given," he said. "We're still very much in the research phase to ensure that we get all of the spec and features, but certainly those core elements, like 3.5-tonne towing as an example, is a no-brainer." For context, Australia's current best-selling ute is the Ford Ranger, which, in Sport bi-turbo-diesel guise, offers a 934kg payload, 3500kg braked towing capacity, a ground clearance of 234mm, and a wading depth of 800mm. ABOVE: Rely R08 In any case, it's understood Chery is exploring at least diesel and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrains for future utes. This puts it in contention with a range of vehicles from the perennially top-selling Ranger and Toyota HiLux to the new BYD Shark 6 PHEV. "We're always looking at what competitors are doing in the market, but to be honest with you, we're much more driven by customers and what customers want and need, rather than what our competitors are doing," Mr Harris told CarExpert. "Because often the competitors don't always get it right, so I think our general philosophy is how we talk to customers and listen to customers about what they want and need, and then if we can deliver a product for that, it's usually a recipe for success." ABOVE: Ford Ranger, BYD Shark 6 Further, Mr Lu boldly added that it wasn't a case of Chery competing with its compatriots, but rather the other way around. "We do have global product portfolio, and we review that every season, and make decisions if we change it a little bit or not," he told CarExpert. "Definitely MG and BYD are in our global competitor list, but I believe Chery is probably a bigger competitor for them, because Chery is still the number one exporter in China's market for many, many years, even this year." Chery claims it has been China's top vehicle exporter for 22 consecutive years, with 15 million global sales to date. In Australia, it trailed BYD on sales by nearly 10,000 units in the first half of 2025. MORE: Is this Chery's first ute for Australia? MORE: Chery Himla pickup revealed as China's latest HiLux, Ranger rival, more utes to come MORE: Everything Chery Content originally sourced from: Chery Australia is gearing up to launch its first ute next year, but the Chinese brand says more models could follow with various body styles, powertrains, and use cases – if customers want them. Speaking with CarExpert, Chery Australia chief operating officer Lucas Harris said that while one ute is currently confirmed for Australia, the brand has many others that could also be brought here. "What's confirmed at the moment is having a proper, ladder-frame chassis, off-road platform-style pickup, which will be second half of next year," he said. "Globally, there are lots of different options for pickups. It's not just a one-tonne ladder-frame chassis." CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. ABOVE: Jetour F700 Chery chief engineer David Xianqiang Lu added the brand was exploring different types of utes, while also taking notes from the performance of similar models from other manufacturers. "We do have pickup from body-on-frame design and then also unibody design, and we're exploring global markets for that," he said. "USA market used to be very good for body-on-frame, but recently Ford has the Maverick, which is a unibody vehicle that sold very well. So maybe we will see. We also have body-on-frame vehicles that we will introduce to this market as well." As it stands, Chery has no current utes sold under its own name, though it did reveal the Himla at this year's Shanghai auto show. Its other utes come from its offshoot brands, including the Jetour F700 and Rely R08, though the latter is essentially a rebadged Himla. ABOVE: Chery Himla Mr Harris said a key focus for Chery Australia with its first ute would be getting the fundamentals sorted, which includes meeting segment-standard payload ratings, towing capacities, and off-road dimensions. "It's very early days at the moment, I think the obvious things are payload, towing ability, off-roadability, and all those sorts of things are basically a given," he said. "We're still very much in the research phase to ensure that we get all of the spec and features, but certainly those core elements, like 3.5-tonne towing as an example, is a no-brainer." For context, Australia's current best-selling ute is the Ford Ranger, which, in Sport bi-turbo-diesel guise, offers a 934kg payload, 3500kg braked towing capacity, a ground clearance of 234mm, and a wading depth of 800mm. ABOVE: Rely R08 In any case, it's understood Chery is exploring at least diesel and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrains for future utes. This puts it in contention with a range of vehicles from the perennially top-selling Ranger and Toyota HiLux to the new BYD Shark 6 PHEV. "We're always looking at what competitors are doing in the market, but to be honest with you, we're much more driven by customers and what customers want and need, rather than what our competitors are doing," Mr Harris told CarExpert. "Because often the competitors don't always get it right, so I think our general philosophy is how we talk to customers and listen to customers about what they want and need, and then if we can deliver a product for that, it's usually a recipe for success." ABOVE: Ford Ranger, BYD Shark 6 Further, Mr Lu boldly added that it wasn't a case of Chery competing with its compatriots, but rather the other way around. "We do have global product portfolio, and we review that every season, and make decisions if we change it a little bit or not," he told CarExpert. "Definitely MG and BYD are in our global competitor list, but I believe Chery is probably a bigger competitor for them, because Chery is still the number one exporter in China's market for many, many years, even this year." Chery claims it has been China's top vehicle exporter for 22 consecutive years, with 15 million global sales to date. In Australia, it trailed BYD on sales by nearly 10,000 units in the first half of 2025. MORE: Is this Chery's first ute for Australia? MORE: Chery Himla pickup revealed as China's latest HiLux, Ranger rival, more utes to come MORE: Everything Chery Content originally sourced from:
The Citizen
10-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
Chery relaunches Himla bakkie under revived name for China
Rebadging of the Himla under the revived Rely marque will only be applicable in China as export markets will reportedly get a completely different model in 2026. Chery has revived the Rely name in China, with the first new model being the Himla bakkie, now called the Rely R08. Image: Unveiled as the much vaunted Himla at the Shanghai International Auto Show two months ago, Chery's first-ever bakkie as unofficially been outed in China, albeit under a marque not known outside of the People's Republic. Who is Rely? One of the Wuhu-based firm's original sub-brands, the Himla will be marketed as the R08 under the Rely marque, which between 2009 and 2013, served as a mostly commercial vehicle focused division selling copied version of the current Toyota HiAce as the Rely H-Series. ALSO READ: Chery gearing up to take South African bakkie market by storm Phased-out due dwindling sales, with the H-Series eventually becoming a Chery, the revival of Rely will reportedly involve other products than only the R08, which had been expected to launch the brand's bakkie programme in export markets. KP31 and KP11 Known internally as the KP11, the R08 will, however, be sold solely in China whereas international markets will get a completely different product known as the KP31 that is currently undergoing development. Based on a unibody platform instead of the traditional body-on-frame that will underpin the KP31, the R08 derives motivation from a 2.3-litre turbodiesel engine mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox. Interior is dominated by a two-tone leather finish and a 15.6-inch infotainment display. Image: According to information from China's AutoHome, the setup produces 120kW/420Nm and, as evident by the images, goes to the rear or all four wheels via a part-time four-wheel-drive system with the traditional 2H, 4H and 4L settings. Debuting at a later stage will be a petrol engine option, a rumoured 2.0-litre turbo, an EV and a plug-in hybrid combined with petrol and diesel engines. Chery badging has been removed from the tailgate. Image: While no further mechanical details were divulged, notable confirmed specification items consists of a 15.6-inch infotainment system, LED headlights, a wireless smartphone charger, leather seats, a digital instrument cluster and an array of driver assistance systems adhering to Level 2 autonomous driving. KP11 and KP31 for South Africa? Still be fully detailed, the R08 will go on-sale in China within the coming months at a still to be announced price. For export markets, including South Africa, patience will be required as the KP31 is only due to arrive in 2026. Chery International President, Zhang Guibing, has however hinted that two bakkies could becoming to market after telling the media post Shanghai, 'our initial products were only built in left-hand drive, but from next year we will have them in right-hand drive. From next year, we might bring two pick-ups to South Africa'. Suggesting the availability of both the KP11 and KP31, it remains to be seen whether both or only the latter will eventually become available in 2026. NOW READ: Chery Himla revealed as marque's long awaited first bakkie
