When Jiangling Motors Corporation (JMC) announced its return to the local market last year, it said the Grand Avenue bakkie would follow, and it will finally be unveiled at the Festival of Motoring this weekend.
The brand’s presence at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit in Midrand will give South African motorists a first public look at the bakkie before its local launch – which remains to be confirmed.
“The Festival of Motoring is where South Africa comes to see what is next, and this year we have something genuinely exciting to show them,” said Bianca Naude, PR Manager of Salvador Caetano South Africa, GAC Motor & JMC Motor.
She added that the flagship Grand Avenue, which will join its existing local bakkie line-up comprising the Vigus double-cab and Vigus Pro, is an important product for the JMC range.
“It is a bakkie that has been developed with a real understanding of what South African buyers want, and revealing it in the pits at Kyalami, in front of the people who will actually own and use it, felt like exactly the right way to introduce it,” she added.
The Chinese brand said that it believes South Africa’s bakkie buyers should not have to choose between capability, comfort and value, adding that the Grand Avenue will prove that they don’t.
“It is a serious piece of engineering, and we are confident it is going to change how people think about what a bakkie in this class should offer,” said Naude.
Pricing for the soon-to-be-launched flagship double-cab remains under wraps for now, but if it follows the pricing trends of the rest of JMC’s bakkie range, it could well be one of the more affordable options in its segment.
What to expect from South Africa’s newest Chinese bakkie
According to Salvador Caetano, the Grand Avenue represents JMC’s most ambitious offering to date, and a serious contender in the South African double-cab market.
Despite offering the bakkie in its domestic market with either a turbocharged 2.3-litre petrol block or a 2.3-litre turbo-diesel, the model introduced in South Africa will share its powertrain with the Vigus double-cab.
This up-tuned 2.5-litre turbodiesel engine produces 155kW and 500Nm and is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission and a BorgWarner four-wheel drive system.
The result is a flagship double-cab bakkie with a 3,500kg towing capacity, which pits it against some of South Africa’s most powerful and established bakkies.
JMC has yet to reveal the bakkie’s payload capacity, but its sibling double-cab can carry over 900kg, so that could well translate to this model.
Specifics about its performance and average fuel consumption also remain under wraps for the time being.
In terms of design and styling, the Grand Avenue has been built on a ladder-frame chassis and stands out for its sheer size and presence.
The double-cab bakkie measures 5,450mm long, making it longer than most of the existing offerings in its segment, and features a 3,270mm wheelbase.
Its interior trim, comfort, and safety features have not been confirmed, but if the Vigus double-cab is anything to go by, and the Grand Avenue is meant to be a flagship, it should be very well-equipped.
The Grand Avenue Pro is also expected to follow the standard offering through the door sometime next year, offering local buyers a more off-road-focused option.
JMC Grand Avenue
Loading ...
