Chery plans ‘7-seater bakkie’ for South Africa
The head of Chery South Africa has revealed that a “unique” transformable 7-seater bakkie – in addition to a traditional ladder-frame model – is planned for late 2026…
- Chery South Africa boss says 7-seater bakkie is coming
- First units of unconventional new model due late in 2026
- Traditional ladder-frame bakkie expected to launch first
Chery is poised to enter South Africa’s competitive bakkie segment with a traditional ladder-frame contender at some point in 2026, but the head of the Chinese firm’s local operations has revealed to Cars.co.za that it plans to launch a “unique” transformable 7-seater bakkie on a unibody platform, too.
Tony Liu, Executive Deputy General Manager at Chery South Africa, revealed the news during an interview conducted in Cars.co.za’s custom-built podcast booth at Naamsa’s recent South African Auto Week 2025 in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape.
“We’re going to bring two kinds of bakkies. The first one is going to be a unibody pick-up. But that bakkie is unique. Why am I saying it is unique? Because it’s not only a bakkie but it’s also a 7-seater,” Liu said.
“That’s going to be a multifunctional vehicle, so [when] you drive in the city, it can be a 7-seater. But when you want to go out to nature, the canopy can be taken off [to convert the vehicle into] a double-cab bakkie,” he said, without making reference to possible powertrains for this unconventional model.
Interestingly, Liu suggested Chery South Africa had not yet decided which brand’s badge the new model would wear, saying it could either be sold as a Chery or indeed under one of the group’s many sub-brands.
“I think by the end of next year [2026], we’ll see how we’re going to position it – either under Chery or Jaecoo or some other brand. So, we are in the R&D phase now, but by the end of next year we should be having some samples in South Africa.”
New ladder-frame bakkie also coming to SA
“In the meantime, we’re also going to have a bakkie that is ladder-frame [in construction], like a [Ford] Ranger or [Toyota] Hilux – more rugged. In China, we have already taken over one of the existing bakkie manufacturers in Shandong province. That manufacturing base is going to be used as a bakkie manufacturer globally.”
Back in April 2025, Chery unveiled the Himla at Auto Shanghai 2025. Featuring a body-on-frame construction, this 5-seater double-cab model is set to take on everything from the segment sales leaders (such as the aforementioned Hilux and Ranger, plus the Isuzu D-Max) to fellow Chinese contenders like the GWM P-Series and Foton Tunland G7.
“We are considering several of [the available] drivetrains. It can be ICE [internal combustion engine], it can be a petrol plug-in hybrid and we are even developing a diesel plug-in hybrid,” Liu added.
Chery’s global website suggests the new Himla will be available in some markets with either a 2.3-litre turbodiesel engine (120 kW and 420 Nm) or a 2.4-litre turbopetrol motor (118 kW and 230 Nm). Official details of electrified powertrains have yet to be released.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: How many types of bakkies is Chery South Africa planning to introduce?
A: Chery South Africa plans to introduce two types of bakkies: a traditional ladder-frame bakkie that will compete with models like the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux, and a unique transformable 7-seater bakkie built on a unibody platform.
Q: What makes Chery’s planned unibody bakkie unique?
A: The unibody bakkie is unique because it is a transformable 7-seater. It can function as a 7-seater vehicle for city driving, but the canopy can be taken off to convert it into a double-cab bakkie.
Q: When is the transformable 7-seater bakkie expected to launch in South Africa?
A: The first units of the unconventional new model are expected to be available in South Africa by late 2026, though the traditional ladder-frame bakkie is anticipated to launch first.
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