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Rebadging of the Himla under the revived Rely marque will only be applicable in China as export markets will reportedly get a completely different model in 2026.
Chery has revived the Rely name in China, with the first new model being the Himla bakkie, now called the Rely R08. Image: autohome.com.cn
Unveiled as the much vaunted Himla at the Shanghai International Auto Show two months ago, Chery’s first-ever bakkie has unofficially been outed in China, albeit under a marque not known outside of the People’s Republic.
Who is Rely?
One of the Wuhu-based firm’s original sub-brands, the Himla will be marketed as the R08 under the Rely marque, which between 2009 and 2013, served as a mostly commercial vehicle focused division selling copied version of the current Toyota HiAce as the Rely H-Series.
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Phased-out due to dwindling sales, with the H-Series eventually becoming a Chery, the revival of Rely will reportedly involve other products than only the R08, which had been expected to launch the brand’s bakkie programme in export markets.
KP31 and KP11
Known internally as the KP11, the R08 will, however, be sold solely in China, whereas international markets will receive a completely different product known as the KP31, which is currently undergoing development.
Based on a unibody platform instead of the traditional body-on-frame that will underpin the KP31, the R08 derives motivation from a 2.3-litre turbodiesel engine mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
According to information from China’s AutoHome, the setup produces 120kW/420Nm and, as evident by the images, goes to the rear or all four wheels via a part-time four-wheel-drive system with the traditional 2H, 4H and 4L settings.
Debuting at a later stage will be a petrol engine option, a rumoured 2.0-litre turbo, an EV and a plug-in hybrid combined with petrol and diesel engines.
While no further mechanical details were divulged, notable confirmed specification items consist of a 15.6-inch infotainment system, LED headlights, a wireless smartphone charger, leather seats, a digital instrument cluster and an array of driver assistance systems adhering to Level 2 autonomous driving.
KP11 and KP31 for South Africa?
Still to be fully detailed, the R08 will go on-sale in China within the coming months at a still-to-be-announced price.
For export markets, including South Africa, patience will be required as the KP31 is only due to arrive in 2026.
Chery International President, Zhang Guibing, has however hinted that two bakkies could be coming to market after telling the media post Shanghai, “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”.
Suggesting the availability of both the KP11 and KP31, it remains to be seen whether both or only the latter will eventually become available in 2026.
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