Every Chinese car that launched in South Africa in 2024

It’s been a busy year for Chinese automakers in South Africa, as no less than 17 different cars were launched in 2024.

The past year has seen an explosion of new models from the People’s Republic, many of which are coming from brands that only recently entered the market.

Starting with the new faces, there’s Foton, LDV, Jetour, Jaecoo, Dayun, and GAC, which cover a wide spectrum of vehicles from fully electric to commercial workhorses.

Foton and LDV both came out swinging with a double-cab bakkie called the Tunland G7 and T60, respectively, which are taking on popular favourites like the Ford Ranger.

Jetour, Jaecoo, and GAC, meanwhile, are all concentrating on the premium crossover and SUV space with options like the Dashing, J7, and GS3 Emzoom, which are all significantly cheaper than competing favourites from brands like VW, Toyota, and Hyundai.

Dayun is arguably the most unusual entry on the list, as it only has a single model called the Yuehu S5, which is the cheapest electric vehicle (EV) in South Africa.

However, it is limited to a top speed of 100km/h, which is not a caveat shared by the new BYD Dolphin – another semi-affordable EV that launched this year.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, BYD also released the Seal sedan, which is a luxury option going up against electric rivals from BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi.

Speaking of, Omoda introduced its flagship C9, a midsize premium SUV giving the BMW X3 and similar units a run for their money.

Omoda’s counterpart, Jaecoo, debuted this year to unveil the J7 SUV, while Chery created a new mid-range entry in its Tiggo Pro SUV range called the Cross.

As for GWM and its subsidiary Haval, the latter launched the new Jolion City and Jolion Pro, while the former went upmarket with the release of the Tank 300 and 500 SUVs, as well as the P500 bakkie.

New Chinese options

These are all of the Chinese cars that went on sale in South Africa in 2024, excluding facelifts and additional models on the same series.

Click on the underlined prices for more information.

BYD Dolphin

• Starting price – R539,900
• Number of models – 2

BYD Seal

• Starting price – R999,900
• Number of models – 2

Chery Tiggo Cross

• Starting price – R399,900
• Number of models – 2

Dayun Yuehu S5

• Starting price – R390,900
• Number of models – 2

Foton Tunland G7

• Starting price – R319,900
• Number of models – 6

GAC Emkoo

• Starting price – R599,900
• Number of models – 2

GAC GS3 Emzoom

• Starting price – R469,900
• Number of models – 3

GWM P500

• Starting price – R799,900
• Number of models – 3

GWM Tank 300

• Starting price – R725,950
• Number of models – 4

GWM Tank 500

• Starting price – R1,222,900
• Number of models – 1

Haval Jolion City

• Starting price – R345,950
• Number of models – 2

Haval Jolion Pro

• Starting price – R391,150
• Number of models – 5

Jaecoo J7

• Starting price – R549,900
• Number of models – 3

Jetour Dashing

• Starting price – R439,900
• Number of models – 2

Jetour X70 Plus

• Starting price – R454,900
• Number of models – 2

LDV T60

• Starting price – R480,000
• Number of models – 10

Omoda C9

• Starting price – R785,900
• Number of models – 2