Single cab will be followed by the double cab and the more upmarket, American-inspired Grand Avenue in 2026.
Ahead of its now confirmed market relaunch in November, JMC importer, Salvador Caetano Auto South Africa, has revealed first details, and also pricing, of the reimagined Vigus bakkie.
Workhorse first
Part of an eventual two model range topped by the Grand Avenue next year, the Vigus’ return will, initially, be in single cab-only form, followed by the double cab in 2026.
Modelled on the Yuhu 9 that has been on-sale in China since 2019, the Vigus single cab will derive motivation from a 2.4-litre turbodiesel engine sourced from alliance partner Ford, whose Territory is the result of a joint venture with the firm.
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Seemingly the same Puma unit that once powered the Land Rover Defender, the engine has, however, been retuned to produce 103kW/310Nm versus the 90kW/360Nm made by the former.
At the same time, the Defender’s six-speed manual gearbox has been dropped for a five-speed ‘box. Although unspecified, drive is likely to be directed to the rear wheels only.
No further details regarding payload, dimensions or specifications were released.
Stay tuned
Claimed to “outperform” its direct rivals, while also having a “solid towing capability” and “maintaining fuel efficiency and mechanical simplicity”, the Vigus single cab with a starting sticker of R300 000, thereby making it the fifth cheapest bakkie in South Africa after three variants of the locally made Mahindra Pik Up and the Mahindra Bolero.
“Partnering with JMC aligns perfectly with our vision of bringing trusted, high-performance mobility solutions to the South African market,” Salvador Caetano South Africa Managing Director, Leslie Ramsoomar, said in a statement.
“We’re proud to represent a brand that shares our commitment to reliability, innovation, and customer-focused service”.
At present, no other details are known, however, expect exact specification to be announced once sales commence in two months’ time.
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