Chery's New Ute Aiming to Outperform the BYD Shark 6

Mr Zhang Guibing, President of Chery International, has confirmed the company is developing two new utes, with one set to launch in the first half of 2026 and the second arriving later that year.

The announcement follows the global reveal of the Chery Himla ute at the Shanghai Motor Show, which was initially expected to be a contender for Australia. However, Chery later confirmed to CarSauce that the Himla will not be sold locally, with new, larger ute models under development instead.

"Himla is not planned for right-hand drive markets, but we have more pickups to come," said Mr Zhang in a recent media interview with CarSauce.

A separate Chery spokesperson told CarSauce that future Chery utes are being designed to “outperform” the BYD Shark 6. This hints at plug-in hybrid technology being a core part of Chery's ute strategy, similar to the setups now seen in rivals like the BYD Shark 6 and GWM Cannon Alpha HI-4T.

Chery’s existing hybrid systems, used in models like the Tiggo 7 and Tiggo 8 PHEVs, feature a fifth-generation dedicated hybrid engine with 44.5% thermal efficiency, a stepless DHT transmission with 98.5% efficiency, and up to 95km of EV-only range. Higher-performance setups like the Tiggo 9 PHEV produce up to 280kW, suggesting strong power outputs are likely for Chery’s upcoming utes.

Further details on the new models are expected to be announced closer to their respective launches in 2026.