Chinese cars are quickly becoming the hot new thing in the South African automotive industry with brands like Chery reporting record sales despite being on local soil for little over a year.
There are currently four major Chinese carmakers operating on the tip of Africa, consisting of BAIC, Chery, GWM, and JAC.
Chery and GWM also have subsidiaries that function independently of their parent company, with the former owning Omoda and Jaecoo while the latter has Haval.
Each of these automakers have at least three vehicles on the market across all their divisions, with most being launched in the past five years.
They aren’t looking to slow down any time soon, though, as 2023 is shaping up to be a big year for cars from the East.
What’s coming in 2023
The lost below are all the Chinese cars that have thus far been confirmed to be launching in South Africa in 2023.
BAIC B80
The B80 is a luxury SUV that made its first appearance at last year’s Festival of Motoring, where a company representative confirmed to TopAuto that it was looking at a starting price of around R1.1 million.
This figure could still change, given that a launch date has yet to be set in stone, but the carmaker did provide other details regarding the 4×4’s features.
It will have a 2.3-litre, turbo-petrol engine with 184kW and 350Nm, which is transmitted to all four wheels via a six-speed automatic.
As a premium vehicle, the B80 will also come with stylish additions like aluminium sports pedals, ambient lighting, ventilated seats, and a 10.25-inch entertainment display.
GWM Ora
The new GWM Ora is officially the cheapest battery electric vehicle (BEV) in South Africa with its recently announced starting price of R716,900.
This makes it R25,200 cheaper than the previous titleholder – the Mini Cooper SE – which retails for R742,102.
It has a maximum driving range of 400km, and charging from 10-80% can take as little as 41 minutes when using an 80kW DC socket.
The hatchback is expected to land at the start of the third quarter of this year, with its full specification sheet to be shared closer to its launch date.
GWM Tank 300
The Tank 300 will be GWM’s second 4×4 in the country and the first one to feature an SUV body, in contrast to the P-Series.
The company confirmed that the Tank will start from R685,900, but has yet to provide an official release date; instead, it merely hinted that the 300 would be the first in the Tank range and that the larger 500 would arrive early next year.
What is known is that at launch the SUV can be had with one of two drivetrains – either a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol with an eight-speed automatic and part-time 4WD, or a hybrid setup with a nine-speed auto and full-time four-wheel drive.
It also uses a ladder-frame chassis like the P-Series and has a ground clearance of 224mm.
JAC T9
JAC first announced that it was bringing the T9 to South Africa at the end of 2022, but has since provided new details on what could possibly be South Africa’s first electrified bakkie.
By the end of its staggered rollout, the 4×4 will feature five different powertrains – one petrol, two diesels, a plug-in hybrid (PHEV), and a battery electric (BEV).
The first of these drivetrains will be a 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel and petrol, which will arrive in the second half of 2023. The PHEV and BEV are then expected to make an appearance from 2024 onwards, while a 2.5-litre, turbo-diesel has been slated for a 2025 release.
A few of the confirmed highlights on the high-rider include dual-zone climate control, leather upholstery, a 7-inch media screen, a 360-degree camera, and safety functions like blind-spot monitoring.
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