PODCAST: Focus on Chery bakkie’s powertrain instead of its name

A lot has been said about the chosen name for the incoming Chery bakkie.

The Chinese manufacturer last week announced that the bakkie will be called the Grootman, one of six names that were shortlisted after the public submitted suggestions. The other names on the ballot were Bakkie, Orca, Brahman, Induna and Chief.

While social media has been abuzz with feedback on the Chery bakkie’s name, little has been said about the beast of powertrain it will have.

Chery bakkie makes Pitstop

On this week’s episode of our Pitstop podcast, we discuss the decision to call the Chery bakkie the Grootman. And more importantly, we look at the serious powertrain it will bring to the bakkie game.

Initially, the Grootman will feature a bakkie-first plug-in hybrid diesel powertrain. This will consist of a 2.5-litre turbodiesel engine and 34kWh battery pack hooked up to single electric motor. The combine output will be a staggering 350kW of power and 800Nm of torque. The twist will go to all four wheels via dedicated hybrid transmission.

The Chery bakkie features a low range transfer case, three locking differentials, all-terrain tyres and six driving modes. It has 247mm of ground clearance, a tow rating of 3 500kg and all-electric range of 100km.

The power numbers will get eve more eye-watering when a hybrid petrol powertrain is introduced at a later stage. This configuration will produce 395kW/1 000Nm.

Rosslyn gets green light

Chery announced that the Grootman will be built in is newly-acquired Rosslyn assembly plant which was previously operated by Nissan. It is expected to become a locally produced vehicle from the second half of 2027 as production is only expected to start once the retooling and refurbishments finish.

The Grootman will be built in Rosslyn alongside the Chery Tiggo Cross as well as other models under the Chinese carmaker’s umbrella like the Jetour T1 and T2 and Jaecoo J5.