Premcar maintains a long history working with Nissan on vehicle refinements, yet the Australian engineering company has actively teamed with a Chinese automaker to ready its first ute for local roads.

The Chery Stockman undergoes a dedicated Australian testing and validation process led by Premcar, focusing on ride and handling adjustments prior to its scheduled release in the fourth quarter of 2026.

"Chery has gone the extra mile with its first-ever Stockman ute," said Premcar CEO Bernie Quinn.

"Chery has created very specific attributes for the Stockman ride and handling and we are very pleased to help them test and validate their work in a variety of Australian conditions."

The Chinese brand has not specified the full scope of the testing program, but notes it selected Premcar due to its three decades of expertise in engineering, testing and development.

Although the Premcar name began in 2012, the Melbourne firm traces its roots to 1996 as Tickford Vehicle Engineering, starting with the 1997 Ford EL Falcon GT and continuing with numerous performance Fords.

Nissan introduced its first Premcar-tuned model, the Navara N-Trek Warrior, in 2019, followed by the Navara Pro-4X Warrior and SL Warrior, plus work on the Y62 Patrol and a local suspension tune for the latest Navara.

"Premcar has an outstanding reputation for engineering and vehicle validation, making them the ideal partner to help ensure Stockman is thoroughly tested and validated for Australian conditions before it reaches our customers," said Chery Motor Australia chief operating officer Lucas Harris.

"This partnership is another example of Chery investing locally to develop vehicles specifically for Australian drivers."

The Stockman launches first with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel plug-in hybrid powertrain and four-wheel drive, marking the initial diesel PHEV in the local ute segment.

Total system outputs reach 350kW of power and 800Nm of torque, offering up to 100km of electric range under the NEDC standard.

Braked towing capacity stands at 3500kg, with the Stockman diesel PHEV using double-wishbone front suspension and leaf springs at the rear.

A 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol PHEV follows in 2027, featuring coil-spring rear suspension and combined outputs of 395kW and 1000Nm.

Chery plans to include premium features uncommon in the segment, such as ventilated front seats, ambient lighting and a panoramic sunroof.

The ute debuted in late 2025 at the Chengdu motor show under Chery's Rely brand, alongside a smaller electric model called the KP2X.

At the same time, Rely confirmed development of a larger KP4X ute aimed at full-size US pickups including the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado, Toyota Tundra and Ram 1500.

The model was later shown to Australian media under the KP31 name earlier this year, before Chery ran a public contest to select the final name, with Stockman chosen over options like Outrider and Orca.

While this marks the Chery group's first ute for Australia, another is planned from the upcoming Jetour brand, with the F700 ute expected as soon as late 2027.