Most affordable car from every Chinese brand in South Africa

The cheapest Chinese car in South Africa will set you back just R269,900.

Models from the People’s Republic have exploded in popularity over the last few years, to the point that two brands – Chery and GWM – are now consistent entries in each month’s best-seller lists.

A big part of this success comes down to the fact that most Chinese cars are significantly more affordable than the legacy models they are competing against, giving them an edge in today’s cash-strapped market.

To put this in perspective, the R269,900 Chery Tiggo 4 Pro SUV is only R3,300 more expensive than the VW Polo Vivo – an entry-level car from one of South Africa’s favourite marquees.

There are now 13 different Chinese brands in our market, providing everything from family crossovers to double-cab bakkies and fully-electric hatchbacks.

Foton, GWM, JAC, and LDV are all competing in the pickup segment, while Dayun and BYD offer the two least expensive electric vehicles in the country with the R399,900 Yuehu S5 and the R539,900 Dolphin.

Nameplates like GAC, Jetour, Jaecoo, and Omoda, meanwhile, are all competing in the premium crossover category, though their asking rates are often much lower than equivalent models from Western or Japanese brands.

A rapidly growing list

These are the most affordable cars from every Chinese automaker in South Africa.

Click on the underlined prices for more information on each vehicle’s performance and model line-up.

BAIC Beijing X55 1.5T Dynamic

• Starting price – R429,900

BYD Dolphin Standard Range

• Starting price – R539,900

Chery Tiggo 4 Pro 1.5 LiT manual

• Starting price – R269,900

Dayun Yuehu S5 Standard

• Starting price – R399,900

Foton Tunland G7 2.0TD Single Cab Hi Rider

• Starting price – R319,900

GAC GS3 Emzoom 1.5T Comfort

• Starting price – R469,900

GWM P-Series 2.0TD Single Cab SX

• Starting price – R413,050

Haval Jolion 1.5T City

• Starting price – R345,950

JAC T6 2.8TDi Double Cab Lux

• Starting price – R359,900

Jaecoo J7 1.6T Vortex

• Starting price – R549,900

Jetour Dashing 1.5T Momentum

• Starting price – R439,900

LDV T60 2.0TD double cab Elite Manual

• Starting price – R480,000

Omoda C5 1.5 Street

• Starting price – R329,900