SOUTH Africans have given Chery’s forthcoming bakkie its name: Grootman.
The new model will carry a distinctly local identity when it makes its planned South African debut in the first quarter of 2027.
Rooted in Afrikaans and literally meaning “big man”, Grootman has become a familiar South African expression of respect.
It describes someone who has earned their standing through experience, achievement and the way they take responsibility.
At a family gathering or around a business table, the Grootman is someone whose opinion matters and who can be relied on when a decision needs to be made, or a problem needs solving.
For Chery, that meaning fits the place a bakkie holds in many South African households.
It may be the vehicle that helps an owner build a business, carries the family or marks a goal they have worked towards for years.
Grootman draws on both the dependability those owners need and the sense of achievement a new bakkie can represent.
The name speaks to the vehicle’s intended character, too. Carrying a load, handling the working day and bringing the family along are all part of the thinking behind Grootman.
The qualities associated with the name — strength, capability and reliability — reflect what Chery wants its new bakkie to deliver.
“Chery brings its Chinese heritage and global engineering expertise to this bakkie, and we wanted South Africans to have a hand in shaping its identity here,” said Jay Jay Boets, General Manager for Chery South Africa.
“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. 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.”
Grootman has been developed on a dedicated hybrid platform and combines a 2.5-litre turbo-diesel engine with electric power and four-wheel drive.
Preliminary specifications include combined outputs of 350 kW and 800 N.m, along with an electric-only range of up to 100 km on the NEDC cycle.
The bakkie is also rated to tow up to 3,500 kg braked, while its load box measures 1,560 mm long, 1,560 mm wide and 500 mm high. Ground clearance is no less than 230mm when fully loaded. Vehicle-to-Load functionality allows Grootman to power external equipment such as tools and camping appliances, extending the usefulness of its hybrid system beyond driving.
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