Every new Chinese car brand coming to South Africa this year

There are at least three more Chinese brands scheduled to make their debut in South Africa before the end of 2024.

Foton, GAC Motor, and Jetour have all declared their intention to set up shop in our borders, bringing with them a variety of crossovers, SUVs, and bakkies.

More on the way

This year has seen an explosion of new models from the People’s Republic, with two new brands already opening their doors here in the last few months.

The first is Jaecoo, another one of Chery’s subsidiaries, which launched in April with a new “rugged luxury” SUV called the J7, which will soon be followed up by the larger J8.

The other newcomer is LDV, which arrived in May with the T60 – a midsize double cab taking aim at the Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger.

If these two weren’t enough, there are another three brands still to come, starting with Foton.

This is not the first time Foton’s models have appeared in South Africa, but the carmaker is relaunching this June with the Tunland G7 – adding yet another midsize bakkie to our insatiable market.

Notably, the G7 will initially be sold as a diesel vehicle, but there are plans to launch an electric variant, too, which will be one of the first of its kind in South Africa alongside the JAC T9 and the still-to-be-confirmed BYD Shark.

Along with the Tunland, Foton is planning to break into the light commercial space with a variety of trucks and vans.

Another badge coming to South Africa before the end of the year is GAC Motors, which is planning to add at least three models to our car pool – the Emzoom, Emkoo, and Aion Y.

The Emzoom and Emkoo are entry-level and mid-range crossovers that will compete with the likes of the Haval Jolion and H6, while the Aion is a battery-electric SUV similar in size to the VW Tiguan.

The automaker currently has 12 different vehicles in its global line-up, so we’ll have to wait and see what else it has planned for us.

The final nameplate is a surprising one, as it concerns another Chery sub-brand, Jetour.

Earlier this year, Chery confirmed to TopAuto that it was bringing more of its subsidiaries to South Africa, including Exeed, iCar, Karry, and Luxeed – however, the Chinese manufacturer specifically avoided commenting on Jetour’s domestic availability.

A few months later, a new Jetour dealership popped up in Centurion, Gauteng.

Upon further investigation, it was revealed that Jetour has elected to open in South Africa independently of Chery and its two existing sub-brands, Omoda and Jaecoo.

Jetour’s rollout is evidently still in the early stages as it has yet to formally announce its arrival and its dealership doesn’t have any products yet, but its promotional material suggests that at least two models are planned.

One is the Dashing, a mid-range premium crossover, while the other is the X70 Plus, a larger family SUV that is available as a seven-seater.