Chery has brought back its Rely brand, introducing the Kaitian R08 pickup truck following its appearance at the 2025 Shanghai Auto Show. Recently revealed in regulatory filings with China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the vehicle will be produced under the name Kaitian, not HIMLA, for the domestic Chinese market.

The Rely brand initially launched in 2009 as part of Chery’s now-defunct Qilin high-end project, which included the Riich and Rely sub-brands. Due to limited market reception when joint ventures dominated the market, both sub-brands were phased out after only a few years. Rely is now being reintroduced as a Chery subsidiary focused on pickup trucks, covering internal combustion, electric, extended-range, and plug-in hybrid models.

Chery stated that Rely vehicles will be built on the Mars Architecture hybrid/fuel platform and utilise internal technologies, including the Kunpeng C-DM hybrid system, Lion cockpit interface, Falcon driver assistance, and the Kaitian vehicle intelligence platform. These models are said to include an AI-integrated electrical architecture.

The Kaitian R08 measures 5330 mm long, 1920 mm wide, and 1890 mm tall, with a 3230 mm wheelbase. A long wheelbase variant extends the body length to 5610 mm and the wheelbase to 3510 mm. The standard cargo bed is 1530 mm long, while the extended version reaches 1810 mm. Exterior features include split headlights, a black octagonal grille, black wheel arch trim, and integrated side steps. Rear-end features include square taillights, a step-style bumper, and tie-down hooks.

The truck uses a 2.3-liter turbocharged diesel engine from Dongfeng Light Engine (model DDi23-60A), producing 120 kW of power. Its reported fuel consumption is 7.8L/100 km, and its top speed is 150 km/h. It has a 495 kg rated payload and a towing capacity of up to 2.7 tons, depending on configuration.

The Kaitian R08 will be manufactured by Chery Commercial Vehicle (Anhui) Co., Ltd. at its Kaifeng factory, not at the Rizhao facility where HIMLA pickups are produced. While the Kaitian and HIMLA share design elements, including proportions and body styling, the Kaitian R08 is explicitly intended for China under a different brand identity and corporate structure.

Rely enters a competitive market. In March 2025, China saw 58,000 pickup sales, up 13.1% year-on-year, including 2,700 NEV pickups, up 219%. Exports reached 24,000 units in March and 62,000 in Q1, accounting for 45% of total sales. Great Wall Motors, JAC, JMC, Changan, and SAIC Maxus were the top five pickup manufacturers.

The Kaitian R08 is expected to be priced between 100,000 and 150,000 yuan (13,880 and 20,820 USD). Additional hybrid and electric models are likely to follow depending on the market response to Rely’s initial product.