Chery is going after the Toyota Hilux with its new ‘Himla’ pickup-focused sub-brand

The Chery group has revealed a new pickup-focused sub-brand called ‘Himla’, targeting both commercial and personal trucks across compact, medium and large body styles. Yes, the name does take inspiration from the Himalayan mountains, and also yes, Chery does seem to crave world dominion.

The first Himla product seen in the images is still unnamed, but bares close resemblance to the ‘KP11’ prototype previewed at the tail-end of last year. Let’s just call it ‘Kepel’.

Details of Kepel remain threadbare for now, but we do know it’ll be sold with a choice of petrol, diesel and electric powertrains, some of those crafted specifically for this model, a spokesperson has confirmed. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Chery’s new Super Hybrid System offered either, which already features on the Omoda 7.

Kepel’s design and profile looks nothing out of the ordinary: it’s a four-seat, double-cab layout with chunky 19in alloys cloaked in all-terrain tyres and lots of underbody armour to help it soak up some off-road punishment. Cool ladder frames out back too.

There’s thick wheel arches at each corner plus a face that’s not actually too dissimilar to the current Toyota Hilux, what with its thin LED headlights and gopping great grille. We’ve very little information otherwise, aside from the fact it will have a ‘global five-star safety standard’ at its core and a raft of systems to keep you as protected as possible.

Kepel is likely to make tracks to the South American market at some point in 2026, before any potential stint in the UK comes at a later stage.