After previewing a rival for the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger late last year, Chery has taken the production version of its first dual-cab ute to the Shanghai motor show and confirmed its utes will wear the Himla nameplate.
Chery says Himla “delivers a full lineup spanning from compact to mid-size and large pickups”, which will be powered by petrol, diesel and electric powertrains.
Himla utes will also range from fleet-focused offerings to those aimed at off-road adventurers.
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They’ll be sold in markets such as Europe, the Middle East and Latin America, as Chery cites data showing the global pickup market is set to reach 5.67 million sales this year and is expected to surpass 6.3 million units by 2030.
It’s not yet confirmed, however, whether Himla utes will be sold in Australia.
“We’re always interested in reviewing the exciting product from our head office and we’d love to see a ute in our lineup, but there are no confirmed details at this stage,” said a Chery Australia spokesperson.
Should it come here, it’d join a growing herd of Chinese utes including rivals from BYD, GWM, JAC, LDV and, soon, MG and Foton.
The Himla name, which sounds an awful lot like Himalaya, is intended to evoke mountain peaks.
It’s unclear how Himla will relate to the recently announced revival of the Rely brand for utes.
The vehicle shown off at the Shanghai motor show appears identical to the KP11 prototype previewed last year.
Chery has promised Himla vehicles will “accelerate the evolution of the global pickup market toward four key trends: passenger-oriented design, intelligence, premiumization [sic] and new energy adoption”.
The ute shown off in Shanghai has a large free-standing infotainment touchscreen, and a two-tone black/tan colourway with lashings of leather or leatherette trim.
Details on this vehicle are scant, however, so it’s unclear if it’ll match key rivals with a braked towing capacity of 3500kg and a circa-one-tonne payload.
Chery has made promises of a “global five-star safety standard”, with a “high-strength body structure, intelligent driving assistance systems, and advanced battery safety technology”.
The company says Himla models will build upon the company’s 28 years of technical expertise “and will further leverage the company’s first-mover advantages in the three core components of NEVs, and intelligent connectivity to actively reshape the global pickup market’s value chain”.
The carmaker has sold traditional ladder-frame, dual-cab utes before, including the Higgo and Aika from its Karry commercial vehicle brand.
But as the huge ‘Chery’ wordmark on the front and rear of the new ute shows, Chery wants to leverage its own brand name for its latest ute models.
2024 marked Chery’s 22nd consecutive year as China’s top passenger car exporter, with its vehicles sold everywhere from Europe to Latin America, Africa and the Middle East.
In addition to its namesake brand, it also has a confusing web of spinoff brands which includes Exeed, Jaecoo, Jetour and Omoda, among others.