Chery’s Grootman will have to earn its name in SA’s bakkie wars

South Africans may have christened Chery’s forthcoming bakkie “Grootman”, but earning that title in one of the country’s most fiercely contested vehicle segments could prove considerably harder.

The Chinese manufacturer plans to launch the new double cab in South Africa during the first quarter of 2027, taking the Chery brand into territory occupied by entrenched players such as the Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger and Isuzu D-Max.

READ: Ford sharpens Ranger ahead of new Hilux battle

But before Grootman can realistically start encroaching on the territory of those established heavyweights, Chery may first have to tussle with another Chinese challenger that has already brought electrification to South Africa’s bakkie market, BYD’s Shark 6.

BYD launched the plug-in hybrid Shark 6 locally in 2025, challenging the traditional diesel-dominated double-cab formula with a combination of petrol and electric propulsion.

A more powerful Shark 6 Performance has since raised the stakes further, producing 350 kW and 700 Nm and offering a 3,500 kg braked towing capacity. That makes the BYD an intriguing early benchmark for Chery’s newcomer to meet.

READ: BYD turns up the heat in SA’s bakkie battle with new Shark 6 performance

Chery announced last week that South Africans had selected Grootman as the local name for its new bakkie. Derived from Afrikaans and literally meaning “big man” or “big brother”, the expression has become widely used across South African communities as a term of respect for someone of stature or authority.

But beyond the distinctly South African marketing campaign, the more significant story could be what sits underneath the newcomer. Grootman has been developed on a dedicated hybrid platform and combines a 2.5-litre turbodiesel engine with electric power and four-wheel drive.

Chery’s preliminary figures put combined output at a substantial 350kW and 800Nm, matching the Shark 6 performance on power while claiming an additional 100 Nm of torque. It also has a claimed electric-only range of up to 100km, although that figure is based on the NEDC testing cycle and actual range under South African driving conditions remains to be established.

For buyers more interested in work than headline power figures, Chery says Grootman will be capable of towing up to 3,500kg braked. Its load box measures 1,560mm long, 1,560mm wide and 500mm high, while ground clearance is claimed to be no less than 230mm when fully loaded.

Vehicle-to-Load technology will also allow the hybrid system to supply electricity to external equipment such as power tools and camping appliances. On paper, then, Chery appears to be targeting the emerging high-performance electrified bakkie space occupied by BYD rather than simply offering another conventional diesel alternative to the established players.

But impressive specifications alone will not guarantee success. The bigger challenge will be convincing South Africans that Chery can deliver the durability, after-sales support, resale value and long-term dependability expected in a market where a bakkie is often both a family vehicle and an income-generating workhorse.

Chery has already made significant inroads into South Africa’s passenger-car and SUV market, but the bakkie segment presents a different test of brand loyalty. Toyota’s Hilux, Ford’s locally produced Ranger and Isuzu’s D-Max have decades of accumulated credibility among private, business and fleet buyers. Cracking that establishment is therefore likely to require more than headline-grabbing power figures.

READ: Chery courts local suppliers as Rosslyn manufacturing plans gather pace

Pricing could prove crucial. Chery has yet to announce South African pricing, final specifications or how many Grootman derivatives will be offered at launch. Those details will determine whether it takes the fight directly to the Shark 6 and premium lifestyle double cabs or attempts to compete across a broader section of the market.

Chery South Africa general manager Jay Jay Botes said allowing South Africans to choose the vehicle’s name gave it a distinctly local identity. “Grootman is a word people use with respect, often for someone who has worked hard to get where they are and can be counted on,” Botes said.

“Having South Africans choose it makes the name particularly meaningful, and we recognise that it comes with expectations we will have to live up to.”

Those expectations will be considerable. On preliminary figures, 350kW, 800Nm, four-wheel drive, 3.5-tonne towing capacity and the ability to travel for a claimed 100km on electric power give Chery plenty with which to enter the conversation.

But its first battle may not necessarily be with Hilux, Ranger or D-Max. The BYD Shark 6 has already opened another front in South Africa’s bakkie wars by demonstrating what a high-performance plug-in hybrid Chinese double cab can offer.

Grootman will first have to show that it can better that proposition. Only then can Chery seriously start knocking on the doors of South Africa’s traditional bakkie establishment.

Grootman may already have the name. From next year, it will have to earn the reputation that comes with it.

Subscribe To Our Newsletter