Chery Australia's competition to decide the name of its upcoming plug-in hybrid ute may have rudely excluded us here in New Zealand, but the competition is heating up with the reveal of a shortlist of nine names selected from more than 20,000 submissions from Australians. And just to be clear; not Kiwis.
Chery's ute will feature a 2.5-litre turbocharged diesel engine paired with a plug-in hybrid system, which the company says will be 10 percent more efficient than a straight diesel and claims a class-leading thermal efficiency of 47 percent and a 30 percent reduction in vibration compared to standard diesel setups.
The company is targeting a 3500kg braked towing capacity and a 1000kg payload, and it will feature front, centre, and rear locking differentials, a low-range gearbox, and multiple off-road drive modes.
Selected from thousand of entries, Chery Australia says the shortlisted names "reflect the spirit and personality Australians associate with a ute" and that submissions drew on themes of performance and durability, as well as the role utes play in everyday work and lifestyle.
Each entrant was also required to articulate why their name belonged to the vehicle. Names shortlisted include:
- Outrider: draws on the Australian tradition of the outrider, someone who rode ahead to scout unknown territory, speaking to the out being a category leader with a focus on capability, efficiency, and range.
- Orca: draws on the orca's reputation for strength, intelligence and adaptability, alignment with Chery's hybrid out as a capable, versatile vehicle.
- Ironbark: inspired by one of Australia's iconic eucalyptus trees, reflecting Chery's ute as a robust, dependable vehicle.
- Bushwalker: captures the spirit of the Australian outdoors and a ute designed to feel at home across any terrain.
- Stockman: reflects the perseverance and reliability of Australia's stockmen, symbolising a ute built to go the distance in demanding environments.
- Longreach: draws on Australia’s rural heartland, representing durability and long-haul performance.
- Ridgeback: combines references to rugged terrain and dependable performance, aligning with Chery’s diesel plug-in hybrid ute as a capable and durable vehicle suited to demanding Australian conditions.
- Terra: takes its name from the Latin word for earth, grounding the vehicle in the terrain it’s designed for, while also allowing for a range of variants that reflect how utes are used across different Australian conditions.
- Mate: references a distinctly Australian term associated with familiarity and trust, reflecting Chery’s diesel Plug-in Hybrid ute as a reliable, everyday vehicle suited to a wide range of uses.
The company says that Australians will soon be invited to vote for their preferred name before the final winner is revealed, and the person who submitted the winning name will receive the first Chery ute when it arrives in Australia later this year.
"We asked Australians to help name this ute, and they delivered in a big way," said Lucas Harris, Chief Operating Officer of Chery Australia.
"The shortlisted names show just how passionate Aussies are about utes, but also how they’re thinking about the next generation of vehicles as new energy technology evolves."
Beyond the shortlist, Chery the competition also threw up a wave of "creative and unexpected entries", including ‘Dropbear’ and ‘B-ute'. We would be extremely surprised if Utey McUteface wasn't one of them, however let's just take a moment to reflect on the fact that 'Dropbear' would be the best name for a ute ever - after all, there's nothing like naming your ute after a global in-joke that pretends your sleepy national icon is actually a bloodthirsty killer.
Anyway, while Chery Australia doesn't want our input, we here at DRIVEN Car Guide do, so why not tell us what name you would pick from our poll below?
