Almost two months after unveiling his upcoming ute, Chery has now opened the lid of the vehicle interior and revealed a lot about the positioning of the model.
Currently known as the KP31, the Chery ute is set to launch later this year, initially with a diesel plug-in hybrid powertrain. A petrol plug-in hybrid version is to be added to the product range in 2027 – with the aim BYD Shark 6.
The interior design features a mix of rugged off-roader and premium SUV design features, similar to the Kia Tasman.
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Surrounding a short, leather-wrapped automatic shifter is an electronic selector for low gear, another for off-road driving modes, and buttons for individually engaging the front, center and rear limited-slip differentials.
The previewed pre-production prototype also features crawl control buttons and a tight cornering feature that can pull the inside wheel to help the vehicle turn around hairpin turns on loose surfaces.
But there are also plenty of luxury features – expected to be available on the top variant – such as heated and ventilated power front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, wireless smartphone charging, adaptive cruise control, sunroof, ambient lighting and a premium sound system with stainless steel speaker grilles.
A leather-wrapped steering wheel, leather upholstery and stitched suede on the dashboard, upper door panels and headliner also adorn the prototype.
Leather also extends to the rear seat, the backrest of which appears to be slightly sloped to improve comfort.
The large infotainment screen shows the distance traveled, total distance traveled and the average speed of the vehicle.
All of this suggests that Chery will position the model at the top end of the double cab segment.
Aside from the 2.5-litre displacement of the turbodiesel engine, the exact details of what’s under the bonnet remain a mystery, but unconfirmed reports from China claim the ute could offer some great performance figures – as well as an electric range of up to 170km.
The off-road capability of the ute should be a priority for Chery’s development team. The rolling concept features front and rear approach plates, recovery points, a snorkel and all-terrain tires on six-stud alloy wheels.
Company officials have already confirmed that the model will offer a payload of up to 1,000 kg and a braked towing capacity of up to 3,500 kg.
While the vehicle is currently known by the internal name ‘KP31’, Chery Australia launched a naming competition and promised the winner the first ute to arrive in the country.
The competition lasted just two weeks and attracted more than 20,000 entries.
“We knew Australians would have a clear idea of what makes a great ute and the response to this competition absolutely reflected that,” Chery Australia Chief Operating Officer Lucas Harris said.
“Receiving so many entries is a great result, but just as importantly, the participants took the task seriously and explained why their name belonged on the ute, which made the selection process both exciting and difficult.”
Although not part of the competition, CarExperts In the comments section, “Chery Ripe” was helpfully suggested as a new name for the ute. However, given Cadbury’s historic efforts to trademark a shade of purple, we suspect the chocolate giant may not want to share the name.
MORE: Chery claims diesel PHEV ute will be more powerful than petrol PHEVs, even its own
