Latest news with #CheryHimla
7NEWS
6 days ago
- Automotive
- 7NEWS
Chery wants to Australianise its cars to make them appeal to Americans
Chery, in its current state, may have only been operating in Australia since 2023, but a global executive says the feedback of Australians could help the brand's cars see success in the United States down the line. Locally, Chery has enjoyed substantial growth in its first few years. To the end of June 2025, the brand had recorded a whopping 228.8 per cent increase in sales from the same period in 2024, the largest of any brand – even the hard-charging BYD. This success has provided Chery with a wealth of feedback and guidance on how to improve its vehicles, with brand chief engineer David Xianqiang Lu telling CarExpert that the lessons learned can also help prepare it for potential future efforts in countries like the US. 'From any point of view, the Australian market is very, very important, and that's a reason to come here and try and start in the market,' he said. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. ABOVE: Chery Himla 'We consider at least two directions right now. One is, in my opinion, that the user here, and the user conditions here, are very close to the USA market. 'That's our next target where we want to go, I don't know whether that's the right words or not, but that's our ambition.' The US market is uncharted territory for Chinese brands. Efforts to stop Chinese cars from infiltrating its market have led the US Government to impose substantial tariffs on vehicles from the country, which means there are currently no Chinese brands operating in the US, though there are Chinese-owned ones such as Volvo, Polestar and Lotus. A 100 per cent tariff was slugged on Chinese EVs in 2024, followed by reciprocal tariffs imposed on the US by China. Despite that, brands like Chery are planning for the US' stance to soften in the coming years, opening the door for expanded global operations. ABOVE: Chery E5 'I know there are a lot of issues there, but that's a different story. As a company and an engineer, we are looking for the markets where we want to go,' Mr Lu told CarExpert. 'I believe the Australian market can help us learn a lot about the USA market. We've mentioned about a [pickup], with important towing capacities, which are also very big in USA market, so we can learn a lot.' Indeed, Chery has been developing new utes for some time, after earlier efforts like the Karry Higgo and Aika were phased out. It revealed a new ute, the Himla, at this year's Shanghai auto show, and it's understood several others are waiting in the wings – including a yet-to-be-revealed plug-in hybrid (PHEV) expected to come to Australia. ABOVE: The F700 ute, from the Chery-owned Jetour brand. It seems Australia could serve as a test bed for these vehicles, which will undoubtedly vary in size, powertrains, and construction (i.e. body-on-frame or unibody), to prove their worth before being shipped elsewhere. 'The other thing is the geographical position, this off-season. For us, in China right now it's summer, very hot, here it's winter,' Mr Lu told CarExpert. 'Australia also has some mountain area with snow and these kinds of things; we can test a vehicle here. Working together, leveraging global resources, we can further speed up our development process.' Any local development undertaken by Chery would follow similar efforts from other Chinese brands, including GWM, which recently hired former Holden handling tuner Rob Trubiani to spearhead local development efforts. Non-Chinese brands like Ford, Kia and Mitsubishi are also heavily involved in Australian vehicle tuning. ABOVE: Chery Tiggo 8 Additionally, Mr Lu outlined feedback received from Australian customers and media was always relayed to Chery's head office in China, which has informed the development of new models and tech, as well as updates for its existing lineup. 'Also the user here is different. I remember the first article I saw was from [CarExpert], the gentleman wrote about Chery's vehicle, he mentioned that the vehicle tuning and handling was not that good, suspension not that good,' he told CarExpert. 'We really take a lot of comments, and try to [improve] that. That's another thing, we really let the local experts help us tune the vehicle, maybe even special versions.'
Perth Now
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Perth Now
Chery wants to Australianise its cars to make them appeal to Americans
Chery, in its current state, may have only been operating in Australia since 2023, but a global executive says the feedback of Australians could help the brand's cars see success in the United States down the line. Locally, Chery has enjoyed substantial growth in its first few years. To the end of June 2025, the brand had recorded a whopping 228.8 per cent increase in sales from the same period in 2024, the largest of any brand – even the hard-charging BYD. This success has provided Chery with a wealth of feedback and guidance on how to improve its vehicles, with brand chief engineer David Xianqiang Lu telling CarExpert that the lessons learned can also help prepare it for potential future efforts in countries like the US. 'From any point of view, the Australian market is very, very important, and that's a reason to come here and try and start in the market,' he said. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. Supplied Credit: CarExpert ABOVE: Chery Himla 'We consider at least two directions right now. One is, in my opinion, that the user here, and the user conditions here, are very close to the USA market. 'That's our next target where we want to go, I don't know whether that's the right words or not, but that's our ambition.' The US market is uncharted territory for Chinese brands. Efforts to stop Chinese cars from infiltrating its market have led the US Government to impose substantial tariffs on vehicles from the country, which means there are currently no Chinese brands operating in the US, though there are Chinese-owned ones such as Volvo, Polestar and Lotus. A 100 per cent tariff was slugged on Chinese EVs in 2024, followed by reciprocal tariffs imposed on the US by China. Despite that, brands like Chery are planning for the US' stance to soften in the coming years, opening the door for expanded global operations. Supplied Credit: CarExpert ABOVE: Chery E5 'I know there are a lot of issues there, but that's a different story. As a company and an engineer, we are looking for the markets where we want to go,' Mr Lu told CarExpert. 'I believe the Australian market can help us learn a lot about the USA market. We've mentioned about a [pickup], with important towing capacities, which are also very big in USA market, so we can learn a lot.' Indeed, Chery has been developing new utes for some time, after earlier efforts like the Karry Higgo and Aika were phased out. It revealed a new ute, the Himla, at this year's Shanghai auto show, and it's understood several others are waiting in the wings – including a yet-to-be-revealed plug-in hybrid (PHEV) expected to come to Australia. Supplied Credit: CarExpert ABOVE: The F700 ute, from the Chery-owned Jetour brand. It seems Australia could serve as a test bed for these vehicles, which will undoubtedly vary in size, powertrains, and construction (i.e. body-on-frame or unibody), to prove their worth before being shipped elsewhere. 'The other thing is the geographical position, this off-season. For us, in China right now it's summer, very hot, here it's winter,' Mr Lu told CarExpert. 'Australia also has some mountain area with snow and these kinds of things; we can test a vehicle here. Working together, leveraging global resources, we can further speed up our development process.' Any local development undertaken by Chery would follow similar efforts from other Chinese brands, including GWM, which recently hired former Holden handling tuner Rob Trubiani to spearhead local development efforts. Non-Chinese brands like Ford, Kia and Mitsubishi are also heavily involved in Australian vehicle tuning. Supplied Credit: CarExpert ABOVE: Chery Tiggo 8 Additionally, Mr Lu outlined feedback received from Australian customers and media was always relayed to Chery's head office in China, which has informed the development of new models and tech, as well as updates for its existing lineup. 'Also the user here is different. I remember the first article I saw was from [CarExpert], the gentleman wrote about Chery's vehicle, he mentioned that the vehicle tuning and handling was not that good, suspension not that good,' he told CarExpert. 'We really take a lot of comments, and try to [improve] that. That's another thing, we really let the local experts help us tune the vehicle, maybe even special versions.' MORE: Everything Chery
The Advertiser
6 days ago
- Automotive
- The Advertiser
Chery wants to Australianise its cars to make them appeal to Americans
Chery, in its current state, may have only been operating in Australia since 2023, but a global executive says the feedback of Australians could help the brand's cars see success in the United States down the line. Locally, Chery has enjoyed substantial growth in its first few years. To the end of June 2025, the brand had recorded a whopping 228.8 per cent increase in sales from the same period in 2024, the largest of any brand – even the hard-charging BYD. This success has provided Chery with a wealth of feedback and guidance on how to improve its vehicles, with brand chief engineer David Xianqiang Lu telling CarExpert that the lessons learned can also help prepare it for potential future efforts in countries like the US. "From any point of view, the Australian market is very, very important, and that's a reason to come here and try and start in the market," he said. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. ABOVE: Chery Himla "We consider at least two directions right now. One is, in my opinion, that the user here, and the user conditions here, are very close to the USA market. "That's our next target where we want to go, I don't know whether that's the right words or not, but that's our ambition." The US market is uncharted territory for Chinese brands. Efforts to stop Chinese cars from infiltrating its market have led the US Government to impose substantial tariffs on vehicles from the country, which means there are currently no Chinese brands operating in the US, though there are Chinese-owned ones such as Volvo, Polestar and Lotus. A 100 per cent tariff was slugged on Chinese EVs in 2024, followed by reciprocal tariffs imposed on the US by China. Despite that, brands like Chery are planning for the US' stance to soften in the coming years, opening the door for expanded global operations. ABOVE: Chery E5 "I know there are a lot of issues there, but that's a different story. As a company and an engineer, we are looking for the markets where we want to go," Mr Lu told CarExpert. "I believe the Australian market can help us learn a lot about the USA market. We've mentioned about a [pickup], with important towing capacities, which are also very big in USA market, so we can learn a lot." Indeed, Chery has been developing new utes for some time, after earlier efforts like the Karry Higgo and Aika were phased out. It revealed a new ute, the Himla, at this year's Shanghai auto show, and it's understood several others are waiting in the wings – including a yet-to-be-revealed plug-in hybrid (PHEV) expected to come to Australia. ABOVE: The F700 ute, from the Chery-owned Jetour brand. It seems Australia could serve as a test bed for these vehicles, which will undoubtedly vary in size, powertrains, and construction (i.e. body-on-frame or unibody), to prove their worth before being shipped elsewhere. "The other thing is the geographical position, this off-season. For us, in China right now it's summer, very hot, here it's winter," Mr Lu told CarExpert. "Australia also has some mountain area with snow and these kinds of things; we can test a vehicle here. Working together, leveraging global resources, we can further speed up our development process." Any local development undertaken by Chery would follow similar efforts from other Chinese brands, including GWM, which recently hired former Holden handling tuner Rob Trubiani to spearhead local development efforts. Non-Chinese brands like Ford, Kia and Mitsubishi are also heavily involved in Australian vehicle tuning. ABOVE: Chery Tiggo 8 Additionally, Mr Lu outlined feedback received from Australian customers and media was always relayed to Chery's head office in China, which has informed the development of new models and tech, as well as updates for its existing lineup. "Also the user here is different. I remember the first article I saw was from [CarExpert], the gentleman wrote about Chery's vehicle, he mentioned that the vehicle tuning and handling was not that good, suspension not that good," he told CarExpert. "We really take a lot of comments, and try to [improve] that. That's another thing, we really let the local experts help us tune the vehicle, maybe even special versions." MORE: Everything Chery Content originally sourced from: Chery, in its current state, may have only been operating in Australia since 2023, but a global executive says the feedback of Australians could help the brand's cars see success in the United States down the line. Locally, Chery has enjoyed substantial growth in its first few years. To the end of June 2025, the brand had recorded a whopping 228.8 per cent increase in sales from the same period in 2024, the largest of any brand – even the hard-charging BYD. This success has provided Chery with a wealth of feedback and guidance on how to improve its vehicles, with brand chief engineer David Xianqiang Lu telling CarExpert that the lessons learned can also help prepare it for potential future efforts in countries like the US. "From any point of view, the Australian market is very, very important, and that's a reason to come here and try and start in the market," he said. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. ABOVE: Chery Himla "We consider at least two directions right now. One is, in my opinion, that the user here, and the user conditions here, are very close to the USA market. "That's our next target where we want to go, I don't know whether that's the right words or not, but that's our ambition." The US market is uncharted territory for Chinese brands. Efforts to stop Chinese cars from infiltrating its market have led the US Government to impose substantial tariffs on vehicles from the country, which means there are currently no Chinese brands operating in the US, though there are Chinese-owned ones such as Volvo, Polestar and Lotus. A 100 per cent tariff was slugged on Chinese EVs in 2024, followed by reciprocal tariffs imposed on the US by China. Despite that, brands like Chery are planning for the US' stance to soften in the coming years, opening the door for expanded global operations. ABOVE: Chery E5 "I know there are a lot of issues there, but that's a different story. As a company and an engineer, we are looking for the markets where we want to go," Mr Lu told CarExpert. "I believe the Australian market can help us learn a lot about the USA market. We've mentioned about a [pickup], with important towing capacities, which are also very big in USA market, so we can learn a lot." Indeed, Chery has been developing new utes for some time, after earlier efforts like the Karry Higgo and Aika were phased out. It revealed a new ute, the Himla, at this year's Shanghai auto show, and it's understood several others are waiting in the wings – including a yet-to-be-revealed plug-in hybrid (PHEV) expected to come to Australia. ABOVE: The F700 ute, from the Chery-owned Jetour brand. It seems Australia could serve as a test bed for these vehicles, which will undoubtedly vary in size, powertrains, and construction (i.e. body-on-frame or unibody), to prove their worth before being shipped elsewhere. "The other thing is the geographical position, this off-season. For us, in China right now it's summer, very hot, here it's winter," Mr Lu told CarExpert. "Australia also has some mountain area with snow and these kinds of things; we can test a vehicle here. Working together, leveraging global resources, we can further speed up our development process." Any local development undertaken by Chery would follow similar efforts from other Chinese brands, including GWM, which recently hired former Holden handling tuner Rob Trubiani to spearhead local development efforts. Non-Chinese brands like Ford, Kia and Mitsubishi are also heavily involved in Australian vehicle tuning. ABOVE: Chery Tiggo 8 Additionally, Mr Lu outlined feedback received from Australian customers and media was always relayed to Chery's head office in China, which has informed the development of new models and tech, as well as updates for its existing lineup. "Also the user here is different. I remember the first article I saw was from [CarExpert], the gentleman wrote about Chery's vehicle, he mentioned that the vehicle tuning and handling was not that good, suspension not that good," he told CarExpert. "We really take a lot of comments, and try to [improve] that. That's another thing, we really let the local experts help us tune the vehicle, maybe even special versions." MORE: Everything Chery Content originally sourced from: Chery, in its current state, may have only been operating in Australia since 2023, but a global executive says the feedback of Australians could help the brand's cars see success in the United States down the line. Locally, Chery has enjoyed substantial growth in its first few years. To the end of June 2025, the brand had recorded a whopping 228.8 per cent increase in sales from the same period in 2024, the largest of any brand – even the hard-charging BYD. This success has provided Chery with a wealth of feedback and guidance on how to improve its vehicles, with brand chief engineer David Xianqiang Lu telling CarExpert that the lessons learned can also help prepare it for potential future efforts in countries like the US. "From any point of view, the Australian market is very, very important, and that's a reason to come here and try and start in the market," he said. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. ABOVE: Chery Himla "We consider at least two directions right now. One is, in my opinion, that the user here, and the user conditions here, are very close to the USA market. "That's our next target where we want to go, I don't know whether that's the right words or not, but that's our ambition." The US market is uncharted territory for Chinese brands. Efforts to stop Chinese cars from infiltrating its market have led the US Government to impose substantial tariffs on vehicles from the country, which means there are currently no Chinese brands operating in the US, though there are Chinese-owned ones such as Volvo, Polestar and Lotus. A 100 per cent tariff was slugged on Chinese EVs in 2024, followed by reciprocal tariffs imposed on the US by China. Despite that, brands like Chery are planning for the US' stance to soften in the coming years, opening the door for expanded global operations. ABOVE: Chery E5 "I know there are a lot of issues there, but that's a different story. As a company and an engineer, we are looking for the markets where we want to go," Mr Lu told CarExpert. "I believe the Australian market can help us learn a lot about the USA market. We've mentioned about a [pickup], with important towing capacities, which are also very big in USA market, so we can learn a lot." Indeed, Chery has been developing new utes for some time, after earlier efforts like the Karry Higgo and Aika were phased out. It revealed a new ute, the Himla, at this year's Shanghai auto show, and it's understood several others are waiting in the wings – including a yet-to-be-revealed plug-in hybrid (PHEV) expected to come to Australia. ABOVE: The F700 ute, from the Chery-owned Jetour brand. It seems Australia could serve as a test bed for these vehicles, which will undoubtedly vary in size, powertrains, and construction (i.e. body-on-frame or unibody), to prove their worth before being shipped elsewhere. "The other thing is the geographical position, this off-season. For us, in China right now it's summer, very hot, here it's winter," Mr Lu told CarExpert. "Australia also has some mountain area with snow and these kinds of things; we can test a vehicle here. Working together, leveraging global resources, we can further speed up our development process." Any local development undertaken by Chery would follow similar efforts from other Chinese brands, including GWM, which recently hired former Holden handling tuner Rob Trubiani to spearhead local development efforts. Non-Chinese brands like Ford, Kia and Mitsubishi are also heavily involved in Australian vehicle tuning. ABOVE: Chery Tiggo 8 Additionally, Mr Lu outlined feedback received from Australian customers and media was always relayed to Chery's head office in China, which has informed the development of new models and tech, as well as updates for its existing lineup. "Also the user here is different. I remember the first article I saw was from [CarExpert], the gentleman wrote about Chery's vehicle, he mentioned that the vehicle tuning and handling was not that good, suspension not that good," he told CarExpert. "We really take a lot of comments, and try to [improve] that. That's another thing, we really let the local experts help us tune the vehicle, maybe even special versions." MORE: Everything Chery Content originally sourced from: Chery, in its current state, may have only been operating in Australia since 2023, but a global executive says the feedback of Australians could help the brand's cars see success in the United States down the line. Locally, Chery has enjoyed substantial growth in its first few years. To the end of June 2025, the brand had recorded a whopping 228.8 per cent increase in sales from the same period in 2024, the largest of any brand – even the hard-charging BYD. This success has provided Chery with a wealth of feedback and guidance on how to improve its vehicles, with brand chief engineer David Xianqiang Lu telling CarExpert that the lessons learned can also help prepare it for potential future efforts in countries like the US. "From any point of view, the Australian market is very, very important, and that's a reason to come here and try and start in the market," he said. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. ABOVE: Chery Himla "We consider at least two directions right now. One is, in my opinion, that the user here, and the user conditions here, are very close to the USA market. "That's our next target where we want to go, I don't know whether that's the right words or not, but that's our ambition." The US market is uncharted territory for Chinese brands. Efforts to stop Chinese cars from infiltrating its market have led the US Government to impose substantial tariffs on vehicles from the country, which means there are currently no Chinese brands operating in the US, though there are Chinese-owned ones such as Volvo, Polestar and Lotus. A 100 per cent tariff was slugged on Chinese EVs in 2024, followed by reciprocal tariffs imposed on the US by China. Despite that, brands like Chery are planning for the US' stance to soften in the coming years, opening the door for expanded global operations. ABOVE: Chery E5 "I know there are a lot of issues there, but that's a different story. As a company and an engineer, we are looking for the markets where we want to go," Mr Lu told CarExpert. "I believe the Australian market can help us learn a lot about the USA market. We've mentioned about a [pickup], with important towing capacities, which are also very big in USA market, so we can learn a lot." Indeed, Chery has been developing new utes for some time, after earlier efforts like the Karry Higgo and Aika were phased out. It revealed a new ute, the Himla, at this year's Shanghai auto show, and it's understood several others are waiting in the wings – including a yet-to-be-revealed plug-in hybrid (PHEV) expected to come to Australia. ABOVE: The F700 ute, from the Chery-owned Jetour brand. It seems Australia could serve as a test bed for these vehicles, which will undoubtedly vary in size, powertrains, and construction (i.e. body-on-frame or unibody), to prove their worth before being shipped elsewhere. "The other thing is the geographical position, this off-season. For us, in China right now it's summer, very hot, here it's winter," Mr Lu told CarExpert. "Australia also has some mountain area with snow and these kinds of things; we can test a vehicle here. Working together, leveraging global resources, we can further speed up our development process." Any local development undertaken by Chery would follow similar efforts from other Chinese brands, including GWM, which recently hired former Holden handling tuner Rob Trubiani to spearhead local development efforts. Non-Chinese brands like Ford, Kia and Mitsubishi are also heavily involved in Australian vehicle tuning. ABOVE: Chery Tiggo 8 Additionally, Mr Lu outlined feedback received from Australian customers and media was always relayed to Chery's head office in China, which has informed the development of new models and tech, as well as updates for its existing lineup. "Also the user here is different. I remember the first article I saw was from [CarExpert], the gentleman wrote about Chery's vehicle, he mentioned that the vehicle tuning and handling was not that good, suspension not that good," he told CarExpert. "We really take a lot of comments, and try to [improve] that. That's another thing, we really let the local experts help us tune the vehicle, maybe even special versions." MORE: Everything Chery Content originally sourced from:
The Citizen
03-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
PODCAST: Why South Africa must wait longer for the Chery bakkie
The first bakkie from Chery in South Africa might not even wear the Himla moniker. The Chery Himla bakkie that was displayed at the Shanghai Auto Show last month. Picture: Jaco van der Merwe The first Chery bakkie will be introduced to South Africa next year, but it won't be the Himla showcased at the Shanghai Auto Show last month. The Chery Himla, internally known as the KP11, is only built in left-hand drive and not meant for export markets. The bakkie destined for Mzansi is the KP31, which is still in development. It is also not a given that the South Africa-bound Chery bakkie will wear the Himla moniker. The name, along with design and specifications still needs to be finalised. Chery bakkie makes Pitstop In this week's episode of The Citizen Motoring's Pitstop podcast, we look at the KP31 project. We had the opportunity to sample the KP11 in Wuhu, China last week, and we review our little drive. The Chery Himla we drove was powered by a 2.3 litre turbodiesel engine which power outputs was not revealed. It was hooked up to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Chery did say that a 2.5 litre diesel engine is under consideration for the KP31. It has since emerged that the KP31 could feature as many as five powertrain options. ALSO READ: Chery gearing up to take South African bakkie market by storm These include two internal combustion engines; a 2.5 litre turbodiesel producing 140kW/450Nm and a 170kW/378Nm 2.0 litre turbo petrol. New energy options A mild-hybrid option adds electrical assistance to a 2.5 litre oil-burner for a total output of 200kW/600Nm. At the sharp end of the stick there are two plug-in hybrids (PHEV). The one, a 2.5 litre turbodiesel hooked up to battery and electric motor to produce 260kW/680Nm and a petrol version which sees a 2.0 litre turbo mill with an electrical system producing a total of 300kW/620Nm. It is likely that the KP31, for which the name Sahara was been mentioned, will look very different to the Chery Himla. The KP31 will be offered in at least two body styles, a double cab and single cab.
The Citizen
29-04-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
Chery gearing up to take South African bakkie market by storm
The Wuhu-based firm's first-ever bakkie will have the option of petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid powertrains. Himla emerged this past week at the Shanghai Motor Show after a development run of five years. Picture: Jaco van der Merwe Since showcasing its first bakkie, the Himla, at the Shanghai Auto Show last week, it has emerged that Chinese carmaker Chery has embarked on a relentless push in the light commercial vehicle segment. The Wuhu-based firm is set to introduce not only one, but numerous models in South Africa from next year. And it is considering as many as five powertrain options, one of which could rival the BYD Shark as one of the most powerful bakkies in South Africa. Truth from fiction According to Zhang Guibing, president of Chery International, the Chery Himla, internally called the KP11, is unlikely to be one of them as the KP31 is currently being developed for export markets. ALSO READ: Chery Himla revealed as marque's long awaited first bakkie The KP11 is a unibody vehicle, while the KP31 will be a built on a ladder frame chassis with different suspension. This means that The Citizen Motoring's short little drive on a make-shift off-road course in the Himla is nothing to go by. But regardless, it did feel very solid. The KP31 project might not even wear the Himla moniker at all. The name Sahara has been mentioned as a possibility and it is likely feature very different styling to that of the Himla. '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,' Guibing told a South African media delegation at Chery HQ at the weekend. Engine options The five powertrains on the table include two internal combustion engines; a 2.5-litre turbodiesel which produces 140kW/450Nm and a 170kW/378Nm 2.0-litre turbo-petrol. The third is a mild-hybrid which adds electrical assistance to a 2.5-litre oil-burner. It produces 200kW/600Nm. At the top end of the sphere are two plug-in hybrids (PHEV): a 2.5-litre turbodiesel hooked up to battery and electric motor to produce 260kW/680Nm and the 2.0-litre turbo-petrol with an electrical system producing 300kW/620Nm. Against the opposition The plug-in hybrid Chery bakkie will be slightly less powerful than the 320kW/650Nm BYD Shark. It will trump the incoming 290kW/670Nm JAC T9 PHEV in terms of power, but will be down on torque. The incoming range-extending electric Riddara RD6 has outputs of 315kW/595Nm. This means that the Chery bakkie, the JAC T9 PHEV, Riddara and BYD Shark will all be more powerful than the Ford Ranger Raptor. Until very recently the 292kW/586Nm Raptor was some distance ahead o f the pack. Chery claims that the KP31, which is set to be between 5 400 mm and 5 450 mm long, will feature space in the rear and more cargo space than the Ranger and Toyota Hilux. The length of its loadbin will be 1 560 mm. ALSO READ: Chery makes its official: Development on first bakkie has started
