A Chery-produced bakkie for South Africa?
Chery has been aggressively expanding its product lineup and has quickly risen to become one of the country’s best-selling brands, even with the introduction of new nameplates under the Chery umbrella – Omoda and Jaecoo. Among the many new vehicles expected to make their local debut is a new bakkie built under the Jaecoo brand. Not much has been shared about the vehicle so far.
While speaking at a recent conference to showcase the company’s next-level developments, Vice President of Chery International and CEO of Chery South Africa Chunqing Chen said, “We have drafted a 10-year plan that is quite comprehensive including the ICE/NEW ENERGY and even the Bakkie plan as well.”
There’s uncertainty about whether it will be available in single-cab or double-cab configurations. However, providing both options would undoubtedly address a current gap in our market.
There’s Much To Be Excited About
Chery is so confident of its success in South Africa that it is already considering establishing a local factory. “A local assembly operation is definitely under consideration. However, we need to look at the overall sales volume and balance local manufacturing policy, regulations and cost as a first step,” said Tony Liu, Executive Deputy General Manager of Chery South Africa. “We will consider investing in building a factory in South Africa and supplying localised parts through CKD assembly to better meet the needs of the South African market and surrounding African countries.”
Ahead of the anticipated bakkie debut, Chery is set to introduce a range of exciting models under Jaecoo and Omoda brands in 2024, adding diverse and innovative options to their growing lineup. The spotlight will initially shine on the Jaecoo J7, paving the way for the flagship J8 later in the year. Simultaneously, Omoda will elevate its offerings by introducing the new C9 and the all-electric E5.
With the perfect mindset and the innovative engineering prowess to back it up, Chery has immense potential to carve a niche for itself as a solid contender in the South African bakkie market.
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