Two more bakkies are set to enter South Africa’s competitive landscape in the near future, and they both hail from China.
One of these models hails from Foton, which has a long history of building light commercial vehicles in its home market, while the other model is coming from an unexpected source – Chery.
Chery relaunched in South Africa in 2021 and has rapidly grown to become one of the top 10 best-selling carmakers in the country, but it has never sold a bakkie before.
The carmaker is evidently looking to change that fact, as it recently unveiled its first-ever lifestyle double cab at the 2025 Shanghai Auto Show, which will make its way to South Africa in 2026.
Chery Himla
Right now, Chery’s local catalogue is entirely comprised of its Tiggo Pro SUV range, but this will change once the new Himla double cab reaches our shores next year.
The unusual name is a reference to the Himalayas, which is naturally meant to conjure images of a vehicle that can ascend any terrain.
Unfortunately, the automaker is keeping most of the information about the Himla’s capabilities under wraps for the time being, though we were able to extract a few details during a recent visit to China.
Most importantly, the high rider will feature a diesel engine, which may sound like a no-brainer in South Africa, but is actually fairly unusual for a Chinese vehicle.
Diesel is not a popular fuel source for non-commercial vehicles in China, which means its rare for local automakers to make diesel engines.
This, in turn, means Chinese brands do not often export diesel vehicles, but this mentality is starting to change.
In countries like South Africa and Australia, diesel engines are seen as the obvious choice for bakkies and “utes” because of their better torque figures, which is important for a vehicle that is likely to be used to tow heavy loads.
Consequently, Chery decided to give the Himla a 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine specifically for export markets, which will allow it to compete with the industry’s big hitters like the Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger.
The company also plans to produce a hybrid and electric version of the Himla, but these models will only appear much later.
The bakkie itself is rather upmarket, featuring keyless entry and start, an electronic handbrake, a leather multifunction steering wheel, a digital driver display, dual wireless charging ports, two-tone black-and-brown leather upholstery, and a large floating infotainment screen.
It also has LED headlights and daytime running lights, 19-inch alloys, underbody protection, and a selectable four-wheel-drive system with 2H, 4H, and 4L settings.
Foton Tunland V9
The second Chinese bakkie heading our way is the Foton Tunland V9, which has its own interesting story.
Foton relaunched in South Africa last year and currently offers a single product in the form of the Tunland G7 (excluding commercial vans and trucks).
The company previously stated that it plans to build the G7 within our borders at BAIC’s factory in the Eastern Cape.
TopAuto recently contacted Foton to find out more about how this plan is progressing, which came with a suprising announcement.
The automaker confirmed that the factory is being upgraded to accommodate the G7 and that the work should be completed by November this year.
However, it also stated that the “production of V Series” will commence by the end of Q1 2026.
Foton made no previous mention that a V-badged bakkie would be built it, although it did state that the Tunland V9 would eventually go on sale here.
In other words, the V9 is very likely going to be put into local production, giving it a competitive edge in South Africa’s double cab market.
The vehicle itself is very large, measuring 5,541mm long, 2,030mm wide, and 1,905mm tall.
This puts it in the same bracket as a full-size American pickup like the RAM 1500 or the Ford F-150, rather than the midsize Ford Ranger we have here.
Power is sourced from a 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine with 48V mild hybrid technology, which puts out 120kW and 450Nm.
It can tow up to 3,500kg, and the hybrid underpinnings means it can travel for 900km on a single tank.
It also makes use of an eight-speed automatic gearbox and a four-wheel-drive system with drive modes for Eco, Sport, Sand, Snow, and Mud.
A few of the standout features on the V9 include 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, racing-style leather seats with heating and ventilation, automatic climate control, an AI voice interaction system, a wireless charger, 360-degree cameras, a Level 2.5 advanced driver assistance system, a digital driver’s display, and a 14.6-inch infotainment screen with smartphone mirroring.
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