New Chery bakkie coming to South Africa – What we know so far

Chery has revealed the name for its new double-cab bakkie, which is set to arrive in South Africa in late 2026 or early 2027.

Back in March, the Chinese automaker announced that it would launch a new pickup truck this year, though it had not yet given the vehicle a name.

Over the last few months, the bakkie has been unofficially referred to using its internal development name, the KP31.

However, Chery has finally declared that the new vehicle will be known as the Stockman when it goes on sale in international markets.

This includes Australia, a fellow right-hand-drive market that will receive the “ute” before South Africa.

According to CarExpert Australia, the name was actually chosen via an online competition in the Land Down Under that received over 20,000 submissions.

Chery shaved the enormous suggestion pool down to a list of finalists that included the Stockman, as well as other names like the Orca, Terra, Outrider, Ridgeback, Ironbark, Longreach, Bushwalker, and Mate.

The company said that the Stockman received more than 25% of the roughly 12,000 votes cast.

A stockman is someone who looks after livestock on a station.

It remains to be seen if Chery will keep this name when the new bakkie reaches South Africa, or if the local marketing team will go with something with a bit more Mzansi flavour.

If we’re lucky, the automaker may even run another competition, allowing South Africans to submit and vote for their own favourite names.

This wouldn’t be the first time something like this has happened, as VW recently held a competition to name its new crossover, known as the Tera in Brazil.

South Africans ultimately decided on the name “Tengo” for the new model, which will go on sale next year.

What to expect

When Chery first announced the KP31, it revealed that it would feature a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain, combining a 2.5-litre turbocharged diesel engine with an electric motor.

In Australia, this will be joined by a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol PHEV model in 2027, though the company has yet to confirm if South Africa will receive this option.

According to CarNewsChina, the diesel model produces 210kW and 650Nm, which is the same torque achieved by the BYD Shark 6, another PHEV bakkie.

The electric motor is powered by a 34kWh battery, which provides an electric driving range of 170km.

The pickup will also feature a low-range transfer case, and lockable differentials at the front, centre, and rear.

The towing capacity is rated at 3,500kg, while the payload capacity maxes out at 1,000kg.

In terms of size, the Stockman is 5,450mm long, 1,920mm wide, and 1,925mm tall, making it slightly larger than something like the Ford Ranger or Isuzu D-Max.

The vehicle’s spec sheet and pricing will only be confirmed closer to launch, though it is sure to be a premium model if the early previews are anything to go by.

A few of the features revealed thus far include circular LED headlights, alloy wheels, leather upholstery, a panoramic sunroof, heated seats, automatic climate control, ambient lighting, a digital driver display, a head-up display, and a floating infotainment screen.