New Chinese car brand coming to South Africa in 2024 – What to expect

South Africa will be getting another Chinese car brand next year known as Jaecoo, which specializes in “luxury and off-road” vehicles.

This was confirmed at the 2023 Festival of Motoring held at Kyalami Raceway in Midrand, Gauteng this past weekend, where it was announced that the “official launch of the Jaecoo J7 is anticipated for 2024.”

What you need to know

Jaecoo is the sister company of Omoda, another Chinese automaker that only recently appeared in South Africa, having launched in April this year.

The two nameplates form what is known as the “O&J brand” which operates as a subsidiary of the more familiar Chery, which re-opened its doors on the tip of Africa in late 2021.

Omoda and Jaecoo essentially offer two different flavours of premium vehicles, in contrast to Chery’s line-up which caters to the mass market with options like its Tiggo Pro range.

While Omoda is focused on sleek crossovers like the C5 and C9, which are expected to gain a host of hybrid and battery-electric powertrains in the near future, Jaecoo is catering to a more traditional idea of automotive luxury with its J7 and J9 SUVs, which has the current market leaders from Europe in its crosshairs.

Both the J7 and J9 made their international debut earlier this year at a media event held in their home country of China, but only the J7 has been confirmed for a South African release so far.

Details on the incoming SUV are still sparse, but as a reference, the model shown to the press in China featured a 1.6-litre, turbocharged petrol plant with 146kW and 290Nm, which connects to a seven-speed automatic gearbox and an all-wheel-drive layout.

It also included items like a digital driver display, a floating 14.8-inch infotainment screen, a heads-up display, and Matrix LED headlights.

More information about Jaecoo and its J7 SUV, such as its pricing, engine line-up, and equipment list, will be announced closer to the carmaker’s South African launch in 2024.