Chery’s Grootman bakkie has a lot to live up to
Plenty happened last week. BMW premiered the eighth-generation 3 Series (G50), and for local buyers who have long leaned on the 320d, the absence of a diesel option will be felt. Aston Martin showed the DBX GT, essentially a DBX707 with the drama turned down. However, Chery’s new bakkie, though, was the talking point… particularly its name…
Local bakkie buyers are used to names with history: Hilux, Ranger, D-Max (formerly KB) and Navara. On the newer end of the spectrum, names like P Series, Pik Up and Grand Avenue are suitable, accepted nameplates for bakkies. Chery, though, has gone a different route altogether and called its bakkie the Grootman, Afrikaans for “big man”.
The name is for the local market only, and the bakkie launches here in the first quarter of 2027.
It sits on a dedicated hybrid platform and pairs a 2.5-litre turbodiesel with electric power and four-wheel drive. Chery is promising 350kW and 800Nm, in addition to 100km of EV-only range, while towing is rated at 3,500kg, level with most bakkies on sale here. It looks robust, too, with a boxy, upright posture that somehow suits the name. Vehicle-to-Load can power external equipment, which is convenient on a worksite or at a campsite.
Pricing will be shared before launch. Expect the Grootman to line up against the Ranger PHEV and BYD Shark 6, with the turbodiesel as its secret weapon. Chery’s growing dealer network helps its case, and the Grootman could very well prove a good option for local buyers.
Whether the name fits is another matter. A Tiggo badge of sorts would have been a safer starting point, with Grootman possibly saved for the more extreme variants until the bakkie has proven itself on our roads? Just a thought…
Ford and Toyota took that route with the Ranger and Hilux, where Wildtrak, Raptor and GR-S sit on top of names that have already established themselves. We’ll reserve judgement until we’ve driven the Grootman, though…
