New Chinese car brand coming to South Africa – Dates and details

A new Chinese nameplate is coming to South Africa, though you probably won’t recognize it immediately.

Jetour has ambitious plans to launch at least seven new cars here within the next two years, but not all of these products will be coming from the company’s main brand.

Jetour, itself a member of the Chery Automotive Group, has two sub-divisions under its wing, known as Shanhai and Zongheng.

Zongheng is an upmarket 4×4 manufacturer competing against stables like the GWM Tank or Toyota Land Cruiser, but is not currently confirmed for a South African introduction.

Shanhai, on the other hand, is Jetour’s new-energy division and currently has three models in development – the T5, T7, and P5.

It just so happens that the T5 and P5 are scheduled to appear in South Africa within the next two years, with the T5 coming in 2026, while the P5 will debut in 2027.

However, Jetour made no mention of Shanhai when it announced its product lineup for South Africa in late 2024, which means these models will likely not be sold with their original logos.

Instead, the expectation is that these cars will be marketed solely using Jetour badges, despite technically coming from another brand.

This is not an unusual practice in the industry, mind you, as Omoda did something similar when it repackaged the Exeed RX as the Omoda C9 for South Africa.

What to expect

Starting with the T5, this will be one of several new 4x4s aimed at South Africa’s popular Adventure SUV segment.

Jetour also plans to introduce the T0, T1, and T2 in our market, but the T5 is unique in that it is being developed by Shanhai.

The reason for this is its powertrain, as Shanhai specializes in developing hybrid vehicles.

While the other T-badged SUVs feature turbocharged petrol engines with no electrical assistance, the T5 will benefit from a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) system comprising a 2.0-litre turbo mill and two electric motors.

This setup is reportedly capable of producing up to 560kW and 795Nm, though no details have been divulged regarding its battery or electric range.

Bear in mind that the T5 is still early in development and has thus far only been showcased as a pre-production model at a car expo in Beijing in April 2024, which means there is not a lot of concrete information to go off at the moment.

According to CarNewsChina, the SUV is approximately 5,400mm long, which makes it roughly equivalent to something like the Nissan Patrol or Toyota Land Cruiser 300.

Unfortunately, even less is known about the other Shanhai vehicle coming to South Africa – the P5.

The P5 is Jetour’s first bakkie and will go toe-to-toe with midsize competitors like the Ford Ranger or Toyota Hilux.

It will also use a PHEV drivetrain, but the carmaker has yet to provide a breakdown of its specifications.

That being said, Jetour’s other brand Zongheng has shown off a larger pickup called the F700, which at least serves as an indication of the design language being employed by the Chinese manufacturer.

It’s also worth noting that Shanhai makes another car called the L6, which is a PHEV version of the Dashing SUV already on sale in South Africa.

If Jetour ever decides to introduce this model here, it’s very likely that it will become the most affordable PHEV in the country.

This title is currently held by the R1,050,000 BMW X1 30e, but given that the Dashing currently retails for a maximum of R469,900, it’s possible that a PHEV version could retail for between R600,000 and R800,000 if and when it arrives here.