7 new Jaecoo and Omoda cars for South Africa – Photos

Omoda and Jaecoo have big plans for South Africa, as there are at least seven new cars coming here in the near future.

The two companies were out in force at the Festival of Motoring (FoM) in Gauteng this weekend where the public was given their first glimpse at a couple of the upcoming models.

Lots to keep an eye out for

Omoda and Jaecoo form what is known as the O&J brand in South Africa, specializing in premium crossovers and SUVs.

Starting with Omoda, its big new addition will be the C9 crossover, which will assume the role of the company’s flagship vehicle when it arrives later this year.

The C9 actually made an appearance at last year’s FoM, but its release date was pushed back by over a year.

A spokesperson explained to TopAuto that the C9’s delay mostly came down to timing, and that the company is now in a better position to continue its product offensive.

Unfortunately, O&J did not provide a full breakdown of the specs for any of its cars at FoM.

In any case, the C9 is nearly here and it will feature a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine generating 197kW and 400Nm, which is sent to either the rear or all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

The other new O&J model to make its debut at FoM was the Jaecoo J6, which is an all-electric SUV.

It is sold in both two-wheel (2WD) and four-wheel-drive (4WD) formats, where the former uses a single electric motor with 135kW and 220Nm.

Meanwhile, the 4WD units feature an e-motor over each axle generating a combined 205kW and 385Nm.

Battery options start with a 50.63kWh cell with 400km on tap, which can be upped to a 66kWh option with 472km, or a 70kWh pack with 500km.

The J6 is scheduled to arrive in 2025, and it will likely be the first of two electric models from O&J to land on our shores.

Not present at FoM but still coming to South Africa is the Omoda E5, which is the battery-powered version of the C5 already on sale.

The E5 has been confirmed for South Africa for longer than the J6, but a company representative explained that, due to a reshuffling of the brand’s product timeline, the J6 is now likely to be launched first.

When it does arrive, the E5 will be equipped with a front-mounted e-motor that puts out 150kW and 340Nm.

This is powered by a 61kWh battery, giving it a range of approximately 450km.

The final Omoda car in the pipeline is the new C7, which will naturally split the difference between the C5 and C9.

Interestingly, the C7 was shown to be a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) when it was first revealed to global audiences, but a company rep told TopAuto that this will be another fully-electric option when it reaches South Africa.

Unfortunately, the C7’s powertrain details have yet to be revealed and it is still unknown when it will hit the local market.

The automaker also did not have any new information regarding the C3, which should become its entry-level vehicle if and when it gets to South Africa.

Anoter new model that is confirmed for Jaecoo is the J8 flagship, which will land in the final quarter of 2024.

This is the larger sibling to the J7 and is set to become the brand’s pinnacle offering upon its arrival.

It uses the same 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol drivetrain as found in the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max, which has access to 187kW and 390Nm.

The J8 is available in either front-wheel or all-wheel drive, and it employs a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic box.

The final two models from O&J are much further down the timeline and will consist of PHEV powertrains for the Jaecoo J7 and J8.

The J7 combines a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine with an electric motor to produce 255kW and 525Nm, while a large battery affords an electric driving range of 88km.

The J8 PHEV uses the same 1.5-litre combustion engine but features two e-motors, giving it an impressive total of 445kW and 912Nm to play around with.

The launch date for both models has not yet been confirmed, but a spokesperson explained that the PHEVs are lower on the priority list compared to the other new cars, so it’s likely we will only be getting them some time after the J6 and J8 have both gone on sale.