Chery has left open the possibility of turning its Stockman ute platform into a three-row SUV aimed at Australia’s established off-road wagon segment. Chief product manager Mark Qi said the platform was designed with an SUV in mind, but Chery has not confirmed that such a model is in development or will be sold in Australia. Decisions would depend on factors including branding, price and target markets.
The ladder-frame architecture can accommodate petrol plug-in hybrid, diesel plug-in hybrid or conventional diesel powertrains. Chery has not chosen which, if any, would be used in an SUV. The format has established rivals in Australia: Ford’s Everest is related to the Ranger, while the Isuzu MU-X shares its underpinnings with the D-Max. In the first nine months of 2026, Ford sold 16,203 Everests, Toyota 15,665 Prados and Isuzu 10,556 MU-Xs. GWM’s Tank 500 Hi4-T is another Chinese-brand competitor, though its petrol PHEV version has five seats.
The Stockman ute is due in Australia in February 2027. Its preliminary diesel PHEV specification includes a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine, combined outputs of 350kW and 800Nm, and a 34kWh LFP battery. A petrol PHEV version is planned for the second half of 2027, with 395kW and 1000Nm. Chery has engaged Australian firm Premcar to test and validate the ute locally.