Global scoop! Chery has registered a new small bakkie’s exterior design in South Africa and certain other markets. Here’s your first look at the Chinese firm’s upcoming compact pick-up…
- Chery registers small bakkie’s design in SA
- Applications also filed in Thailand and NZ
- Sketches point to crossover-based pick-up
- Brand first mentioned “Tiggo Pup” in 2021
- One of many planned Chery Group bakkies?
Chinese automaker Chery appears to be preparing to launch a new small bakkie – and we’ve uncovered official design sketches that provide the first glimpse of this upcoming compact pick-up’s exterior design. Could this be the crossover-based Chery Tiggo Pup that was first mentioned way back in 2021?
In a global scoop, Cars.co.za has discovered that Chery’s head office applied to register this as-yet-unnamed small bakkie’s exterior design with South Africa’s patent authorities in November 2025. The design registration was granted in early June 2026. Our investigation suggests the design has likewise been registered in markets such as Thailand, Indonesia, New Zealand and the Philippines.
Smallest of several planned Chery bakkies?
As a reminder, Chery South Africa is scheduled to launch the production version of its KP31 bakkie concept late in 2026 or early in 2027, while the likewise ladder-frame Himla (codenamed KP11) has also been tipped for Mzansi. The shape-shifting (unibody) Tiggo V is on the way to South Africa as well, as is the body-on-frame Jetour P5.
Yes, Chery South Africa – which is currently recommissioning the Rosslyn manufacturing facility it recently purchased from Nissan, a plant with the capacity to build multiple models – looks to be taking a multi-pronged approach to the bakkie market, seemingly including this unibody newcomer. The latter is likely to be positioned as the automaker’s entry point to pick-up ownership, whether it wears the Chery badge or that of one of the manufacturer’s many subsidiaries.
Double-cab body style and compact load bin
Judging by the design sketches we’ve unearthed, this compact model will serve as a so-called “lifestyle” bakkie rather than an out-and-out workhorse. Indeed, the illustrations show a double-cab body style and a decidedly short load bay, suggesting this new model won’t quite fill the single-cab half-tonne bakkie void left by the likes of the since-departed Nissan NP200 (a space Volkswagen has an eye on with its upcoming Tukan, too).
Interestingly, the description that accompanied Chery’s official design-registration application in South Africa described the vehicle as a “crossover pick-up, functionally merging a fully enclosed passenger cabin with an open or semi-enclosed rear cargo deck”.
New bakkie seemingly based on crossover
From what we can glean, the new small bakkie will be based on a likewise box-fresh compact crossover. In fact, the Wuhu-based automaker filed an application to protect another design on the very same day in November 2025, submitting sketches that depict a remarkably similarly styled crossover.
Based on these sketches, the small bakkie and the crossover will share several body panels, while both will also feature roof rails and chunky extensions for the squared-off wheel arches. However, these two models will ostensibly employ distinct lower front-bumper and skidplate designs. Of course, the bakkie will also gain a bespoke rear end, complete with buttress-like supports running from the top of the C-pillar.
While official details are still decidedly thin on the ground, we’d speculate this new small bakkie might eventually be offered locally with petrol power, likely in the 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder configuration favoured by many Chinese brands. We’d guess drive would be delivered to the front axle as standard. It’s not yet clear what sort of payload Chery might be targeting.
Fascinatingly, a compact pick-up from Chery has been on the cards for some time, with the Chinese automaker in 2021 having mentioned plans to launch a half-tonne bakkie – then tipped to be called the “Tiggo Pup” – in South Africa. The brand again hinted at a small bakkie in October 2024 during a presentation to South African motoring journalists in Wuhu.
Considering an official reveal has yet to take place, it’s perhaps too early to speculate on exactly when such a model might come to market. It’s also not yet clear whether this upcoming small bakkie will be imported or built locally, though we should keep in mind Chery plans to start producing vehicles at its newly acquired Rosslyn factory from around mid-2027. More info as we have it…
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What evidence suggests Chery is developing a new compact unibody bakkie for South Africa?
A: According to Cars.co.za, Chery’s global headquarters officially applied to register the exterior design of an unnamed compact pick-up with South African patent authorities in November 2025, with the registration granted in early June 2026. Similar intellectual property protection applications have been filed in markets including Thailand, Indonesia, New Zealand and the Philippines.
Q: What type of body style and utility focus does this new Chery pick-up feature?
A: Design sketches unearthed by Cars.co.za reveal a unibody (crossover-based) double-cab layout with a distinctly short load bay, identifying it functionally as a lifestyle vehicle rather than a traditional workhorse. Official application documents describe the vehicle as a “crossover pick-up” that merges a fully enclosed passenger cabin with an open or semi-enclosed cargo deck. It appears to share key body panels and structural elements with a closely related compact crossover model.
Q: How does this small bakkie fit into Chery’s broader product plans and local manufacturing strategy?
A: This entry-level unibody newcomer (conceptually linked to the “Tiggo Pup” moniker first teased by the brand in 2021) forms part of a multi-prong utility vehicle offensive. Chery’s local roadmap also includes the production version of the KP31 concept, the body-on-frame Himla (KP11), the shape-shifting Tiggo V and the Jetour P5. This extensive line-up could potentially leverage production capacity at the Rosslyn assembly plant that Chery South Africa is currently recommissioning.
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