Chery is already one of South Africa’s top 10 most popular car brands, but it could soon become an even bigger hit with local motorists.
The Chinese automaker is currently working on a mid-size double cab that will allegedly take on the industry’s heavy hitters like the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux – which happen to be two of the best-selling vehicles in the country.
What we know so far
The Chery bakkie is still early in development, and thus, there is not a lot of concrete information to go on, including its name.
The model is being made by Karry, which is one of the many sub-brands of the Chery Automobile Group and serves as the primary division for its light commercial vehicles (LCVs).
The double cab will use either the Karry or Chery nameplate, depending on the market, and Australia will reportedly be one of the countries to use the Chery moniker.
Considering that South Africa is often on the receiving end of vehicles slated for an Australian release, it seems likely that the new vehicle will also be sold under its parent company’s name when it eventually arrives here.
Chery Tiggo 7 Pro front view
The only other piece of solid information that has been released thus far is that it will be a mid-size pickup truck, which puts it in the same category as familiar models like the Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux, Isuzu D-Max, and Nissan Navara.
The cheapest four-door models from each of these models clocks in at more than R500,000 in South Africa, but considering Chery’s (and other Chinese carmaker’s) track record of price-competitive units, its possible that the unnamed double cab could fall beneath this threshold.
No information is currently available regarding its drivetrain, but we can look to the company’s international stable to get a sense of what could be in store.
Out of the existing line-up, the Tiggo 7 Pro and Tiggo 8 Pro’s engines jump out as possibilities as they are rather powerful with a high torque stat.
Admittedly, petrol engines are rare for bakkies, though not unheard of, and the output of these engines is certainly nothing to scoff at, as they already outperform the motors found on a few of South Africa’s cheaper double cabs.
You can see a breakdown of the Tiggo 7 and 8’s engine selection below:
- 1.5-litre turbo-petrol – 108kW/210Nm
- 1.6-litre turbo-petrol – 145kW/290Nm
- 2.0-litre turbo-petrol – 187kW/390Nm
Of course, the automaker could introduce an entirely new petrol or diesel engine to power its bakkie, and it is also likely that it will design its 4×4 platform with electrification in mind, given the direction the global industry is going.
Chery is launching plug-in hybrid versions of the Tiggo 7 and 8 later this year, and it’s reasonable to assume that the bakkie could benefit from the same treatment at some point in its life cycle.
Chery double-cab bakkie render. Source: Carscoops
No official images or concept art have been published, but Carscoops claims to have received insider knowledge of what the car will look like and has produced unofficial renderings to match the descriptions it was given.
Unsurprisingly, the bakkie will retain the brand’s signature diamond grille, paired with sharper LED headlights and daytime-running lights integrated into the pattern.
It will use a body-on-frame construction and feature a steel bash plate for off-roading purposes, and the cabin will be taller than the equivalent Tiggo SUV for better ride height and visibility.
The interior will look much the same as a Tiggo Pro and will be fitted with most of the same equipment Chery buyers have come to expect, including a pair of 10.25-inch screens for the driver and infotainment, a 360-degree camera, keyless entry and start, heated front seats, a wireless charger, climate control, parking sensors, and adaptive cruise control.
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