After receiving more than 20,000 submissions from Australians across the country, which was narrowed to eight final options, voted on by the public, Chery’s ute will be known as the Stockman. We can confirm, Suzuki is okay with it too.
You see, about 30-odd years ago, Suzuki had their very own ute, essentially a marriage between the Sierra (aka the Holden Drover) and a ute tray. Suzuki’s GM of automobile, Michael Pachota said they were flattered to see the name back in the headlines.
“For many Australians, Stockman is a name that has been synonymous with Suzuki adventure and capability for decades, earning its place in Australian motoring folklore through the Sierra Stockman of the 1980s and 1990s.”
Ironically, the Japanese car maker appears to have never trademarked the name, or at least let it lapse. “We’re proud of the heritage Suzuki built around the Stockman name and we’re delighted to see if remains memorable enough to inspire others, all these years later.”
As for Chery, the winning name came from Victoria’s Steve Kodikara, who will now drive away with the first Stockman ute when it lands in Q4 (Oct-Dec) this year. His choice was inspired by the resilience, dependability and hard-working spirit of Australia’s stockmen.
According to the Chinese carmaker, Steve’s submission stood out not only for the name itself, but for the story behind it. He described the stockman as Australia’s original workhorse, someone able to navigate challenging terrain, overcome obstacles and earn trust.
“I’m incredibly honoured that Stockman was chosen from the thousands of entries submitted to title Chery’s new ute. I felt the name captured the spirit of Australia’s original workhorse and everything a ute should represent: reliability, capability and resilience,” Steve said.
Stockman emerged from a highly competitive shortlist that included Outrider, Orca, Ironbark, Bushwalker, Longreach, Ridgeback, Terra and Mate. The ute will be the first diesel Plug-in Hybrid to be sold in Australia.
Further details, including specifications, pricing and launch timing for the Stockman ute, will be announced closer to market introduction.
