Ahead of its local launch in the fourth quarter of 2026 (October to December), Chery Australia has announced a competition to name the first ute it will sell here – with the winner taking home the first Chery model to arrive in Australia.
Billed as the world’s first plug-in hybrid diesel ute and currently known by its internal model code, KP31, the dual-cab 4×4 ute is expected to offer up to 170km of electric-only driving range – with the additional benefit of a 2.5-litre turbo-diesel engine.
Chery is now asking for help to find an appropriate name for the all-new dual-cab.
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The move comes after Chery revealed an unrelated dual-cab ute for developing markets in 2025, called the Himla.
While the model name was innocently derived from the Himalayas – a rugged mountain range in Asia, home to Mount Everest – it raised some eyebrows at the time, given its phonetic similarities with an infamous German military leader from World War II.
For the completely different KP31, Chery is asking competition participants to provide a “short explanation outlining why [the name] is right for the vehicle” with their submission.
“[The ute] will be designed around Australia’s needs and wants – so long-distance driving, towing with payload, multi-terrain use, with an added emphasis on efficiency and, of course, capability,” Chery Australia’s chief operating officer Lucas Harris told media at the vehicle’s unveiling in February 2026.
“In Australia, one of the most important measures for a ute – and it is very simple – is ‘can it do the job?’. So that’s why our platform targets are very clear.
“We must have a 1000-kilo payload, and we must have a three-and-a-half-tonne towing [capacity], which is what we will deliver when we launch this ute,” Mr Harris said at the time.
The ground-breaking plug-in hybrid diesel ute – which is expected to offer triple locking differentials and other off-road features – will be joined by the option of a plug-in hybrid petrol powertrain in 2027, matching pioneering examples of the breed including the BYD Shark 6, GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV and Ford Ranger PHEV.
Entries for The Great Australian Chery Ute Naming Competition opened at 12:00pm AEDT today (Thursday, March 12), and will close at 11:50pm AEDT on Thursday, March 26, 2026.
For more details and to enter the competition, visit Chery Australia’s website by clicking here.
MORE: 2027 Chery’s off-road ute launching with diesel plug-in hybrid
