Scheduled to launch in SA in 2026, Chery has revealed fresh details of its Tiggo V ‘transformable’ SUV/bakkie.
Image: Chery
In 2025, Chery unveiled a prototype version (codename ‘T1TP’) of its then-upcoming “transformable” (to a bakkie!) SUV at its International User Summit in Wuhu, China. However, at the time, the Chinese automaker remained tight-lipped as to whether the production version of this convertible SUV/bakkie would make its way to South Africa in the future. Well, Chery has now confirmed that we can expect this model to arrive on our shores towards the end of 2026.
Revealed as the Tiggo V at the 2026 Beijing Auto Show, the production model is touted as “one vehicle for all scenarios”; taking the shape of a seven-seater SUV or double-cab bakkie to meet “evolving” family and lifestyle needs. Indeed, according to the firm, the Tiggo V “delivers a flexible, multipurpose design that adapts effortlessly to different use cases, whether for everyday driving, family road trips, cargo transport or recreational activities.”
Although the carmaker has yet to share detailed specifications of this model’s petrol-only (ICE) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain options, it has revealed the former and latter’s (claimed) fuel consumption figures – 7.84 and 6.0 L/100 km, respectively. The firm has also revealed the ICE and PHEV variants will offer water-fording depths of 650 and 700 mm, respectively.
In seven-seater SUV format, the Tiggo V’s third row offers enough legroom for passengers of up to 1.7 metres tall, CAR’s Kyle Kock reports from China. The second-row bench can be slid forwards and backwards. The removable rear cover is made from plastic and glass, and takes around 45 minutes to remove. In bakkie format, the load bed offers a payload of 500 kg. The Tiggo V’s unbraked towing capacity is rated at 750 kg.
As a reminder, this isn’t the only Chery product heading to SA in 2026. Indeed, this Chinese marque will also introduce the Q all-electric city EV to our market this year, while it is “pushing hard” to launch the KP31 bakkie locally in 2026.
