Grootman Chief Product Manager Mark Qi has told Australian media that Chery ‘already considered an SUV’ when the Chinese automaker designed the double-cab bakkie’s platform.
As reported by CarExpert, Grootman Chief Product Manager Mark Qi said Chery “already considered an SUV” when it designed the double-cab bakkie’s ‘Kaitan’ ladder-frame architecture. However, while Qi noted the Wuhu brand knowns “this platform has the capability to develop an SUV”, development of a Grootman-based rival to the Toyota Fortuner, Ford Everest, and Isuzu MU-X — the latter of which recently received a new Bi-Turbo engine — remains unconfirmed. While Qi said such a project is “easy”, there are several aspects to consider, with pricing noted as being among the latter.
While Chery has yet to announce local pricing for the Grootman, as we noted in our 2027 Chery Grootman vs BYD Shark 6 vs GWM P300 PHEV comparison, we expect that its asking price will be similar to the BYD Shark 6’s. That’s to say, around R1 million.
As a reminder, the highly anticipated Grootman, or Stockman as it is named in Australia, will initially be available with a 2.5-litre diesel plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain, which pairs a four-cylinder turbocharged oil-burner and electric motor — the latter fed by a 34 kWh lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery — for a combined 350 kW and a brawny 800 N.m of torque. The LFP battery serves up an electric-only operating range of 96 km (WLTP). However, the carmaker has also confirmed a petrol PHEV variant will be introduced in 2027. The diesel PHEV will arrive in our market in the first quarter of 2027.
The Grootman stands 1 890 mm tall, with a ground clearance of 247 mm, 5 450 mm long, and 2 010 mm wide. The wheelbase spans 3 250 mm. The load bay, which offers a 765 kg payload, measures 1 560 mm in length and width, and 500 mm deep.
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