Alongside a ladder-frame rival for the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger, the Chinese car giant is considering this car-derived ute that can turn into a seven-seat SUV as desired.
One of two utes under consideration for Chery showrooms in Australia has been revealed as a dual-cab pick-up that can convert to a Hyundai Santa Fe-sized seven-seat SUV, or a camper.
If green-lit for Australia, it would be sold alongside a conventional ladder-frame ute confirmed for Chery showrooms in the second half of 2026 with the possible option of diesel plug-in hybrid power.
Codenamed 'T1TP', the configurable ute in this images is based on a monocoque platform – not a heavy-duty chassis – understood to the 'T1X' architecture used by every other Chery sold in Australia.
Customers can detach the rear roof section and "flexibly reconfigur[e] seats" to set the vehicle up in "six distinct interior and exterior layouts".
Seven-seat SUV mode gives the vehicle an "interior height of 1284mm", said to be enough for a six-year-old child to stand upright, and for "elderly passengers [to] enter and exit without bending over".
Using what Chery calls "an ingeniously designed quick-release structure" turns the SUV into a dual-cab ute, with a quoted 600 litres of cargo volume and four tie-down points in the tub.
Chery refers to "adjustable dividers", suggesting the wall dividing the cabin and tray can move or be raised in sections as a 'mid-gate' to allow surfboards and longer items to extend into the passenger cabin.
There is also a 'Camper Mode' that allows for side awnings, a pop-up roof tent, rear-seat entertainment screens, and an external power supply to be fitted and used.
The Chinese car giant says "a dedicated 20-member product expert team" has conducted 300 days of " has spent more than 300 days conducting "on-the-ground research across multiple international markets" over the past 18 months.
No details of what powers the T1TP have been provided, but its platform can support petrol, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric power.
Drive has previously reported that Chery is exploring plug-in hybrid technology based on diesel power, not petrol, for the ladder-frame ute.
Chery Australia chief operating officer Lucas Harris told Drive earlier this year the monocoque pick-up will offer a payload of 600kg to 700kg, and will be aimed at family buyers.
"The recreational ute is also really interesting. It's quite a good-looking vehicle," Harris said.
"It's certainly not going to be a tradie vehicle or anything like that, but for a family that wants to chuck stuff in the tray, a dog in the tray … or go camping and don't need all of the cost and all of the sacrifices that come with a ladder-frame chassis pick-up, I think that's an interesting option."
The ladder-frame ute has been confirmed by Chery for Australia in the second half of 2026, but the monocoque offering has not been locked in.
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
