New Jetour bakkie coming to South Africa – What to expect

The South African bakkie market is set to receive an exciting new competitor when Jetour enters the segment with the P5.

According to CarNewsChina, Chery’s Jetour Zongheng F700 has arrived at Chinese dealerships ahead of its official launch next month, despite final pricing, trim distribution and delivery schedules remaining under wraps.

The BYD Shark competitor, which will be rebranded under Jetour’s local naming convention and designated the P5, looks an exciting addition to the local market.

For starters, it will arrive with a plug-in hybrid powertrain that may well make it the most powerful bakkie in South Africa by quite some distance, alongside a respectable more-than-1,000km range, and potentially a competitive price tag.

CarNewsChina reported that the bakkie is confirmed for left-hand-drive introduction later this year, while a local launch for 2027 has been confirmed and other right-hand-drive markets remain under evaluation.

This comes after the bakkie was announced for the first time at a media event in Sandton in December 2024, and publicly unveiled a few months later.

What to expect

The P5 combines Chery’s Kunpeng Super Performance Hybrid CDM-O system with a 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine producing 155kW with a two-speed DHT transmission.

However, according to Jetour, the combined PHEV powertrain delivers a claimed 665kW and 1,135Nm, which would make it easily the most powerful bakkie in the local market.

The bakkie’s 800V electrical architecture is paired with CATL’s 4C dual-layer Shenxing battery, and while battery capacity, pure-electric range, and charging time figures have not been disclosed, Jetour claims a range of up to 1,300km.

In terms of design, the exterior includes a front-end styling theme shared with the Zongheng G700 SUV, as well as a floating roof appearance, a black rear tailgate panel, and mechanical door handles.

It also includes a rear two-tier bumper step, a tailgate panel integrated with the rear lighting design, and a 6.6kW vehicle-to-load (V2L) external power output system.

The bakkie, which measures 5,495mm long, 2,050mm wide and 1,985mm tall, features an expansive 3,350mm wheelbase, and a 1,520mm × 1,520mm × 570mm cargo bed with several anchor tie-down points.

Regulatory information in its native China lists payload ratings between 181kg and 223kg, depending on configuration, with a single payload figure for all variants not provided.

The P5 is built on a non-load-bearing body structure, which incorporates an integrated ladder frame, front and rear double-wishbone independent suspension, three differential locks, and no fewer than 15 driving modes.

Inside, the bakkie features two different seat layouts, including a four- or five-seat configuration, a 15.6-inch central infotainment touchscreen and a 35.4-inch Zongheng Skyline display.

These are powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8255 processor, Zongheng Operating System, and Falcon 500 driver-assistance hardware.

With pricing in China still under wraps, there is no way of knowing what the bakkie will cost in South Africa once it arrives.

However, Jetour did provide a $53,900 USD reference price, translating to R902,000, which is similar to what the BYD Shark sells for in international markets like Mexico, with the bakkie not on sale in the US.

While this may offer prospective buyers some hope, the Jetour is likely to cost quite a bit more once it arrives in South Africa, especially once taxes, duties, and levies have been attached to the P5.

2027 Jetour P5