New Models / 12 May 2026 / Michael Taylor

New Jaecoo cars coming to South Africa – Photos

Jaecoo plans to launch at least four new cars in South Africa in the near future, including an electric vehicle (EV).

TopAuto recently visited Chery’s hometown of Wuhu in China, where we were given a preview of all of the Chery Group’s upcoming models.

Motorists can expect a lot over the coming months, as Chery, Lepas, iCAUR, Omoda, and Jaecoo are all set to release new vehicles.

Jaecoo, in particular, has a packed release schedule lined up, as South Africa can look forward to new J5 and J7 variants, as well as the all-new J8.

Lots to look forward to

As a reminder, Jaecoo launched in 2024 with a single car, the J7 SUV, which was later followed by the more affordable J5.

The J7 also received a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) model in 2025 called the SHS (Super Hybrid System), becoming the brand’s first electrified option in South Africa.

Now, the Chinese carmaker is gearing up to launch a new hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) version of the J5 and J7.

The J5 will launch in July 2026, following in the footsteps of its sister car, the Omoda C5 HEV, which arrived in April.

The J5 HEV will feature the same powertrain as the C5, meaning it will use a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine with an electric motor.

This gives the SUV a combined output of 165kW and 295Nm, significantly more than the base models’ 115kW and 230Nm.

The hybrid underpinnings also help to achieve a frugal average fuel consumption of 4.9l/100km.

The J5 HEV will also use the name “SHS” in South Africa, which may seem a little confusing at first, as this is the same designation given to Omoda and Jaecoo’s plug-in hybrid units.

However, the HEV models will have an “SHS-H” badge while the PHEV models use a “SHS-P” badge, helping to differentiate the two hybrid types.

The J7 will also receive the new HEV model, meaning that this vehicle will be available with a traditional hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrain in South Africa.

More surprising is the fact that Omoda and Jaecoo plan to launch their first EVs in South Africa next year – the electric C5 and J5.

Omoda previously hinted that we would receive the electric C5 (or E5), but these plans never came to pass.

This was for the pre-facelift model, mind you, and the Omoda Jaecoo South Africa representative we spoke to explained that the company decided against launching the old version because of its specs, and because the market wasn’t large enough to justify an EV launch.

Things have changed over the last two years though, as BYD has proven that there is a rapidly growing market for EVs in South Africa, provided they are competitively priced.

Consequently, Omoda and Jaecoo are now planning to launch their first EVs in South Africa in 2027.

The J5 EV, which is already available in markets like Australia, is equipped with a single electric motor, which sends 155kW and 288Nm to the front wheels.

The e-motor gets its juice from a 58.9kWh battery, which provides a range of 402km on the WLTP cycle.

Charging the battery can be done with either a 10.3kWh AC or a 130kW DC outlet, the latter of which can top up the cells from 30% to 80% in less than 30 minutes.

The last model confirmed for our market is the J8 which, as its name implies, will be the brand’s flagship SUV.

The J8 has been earmarked for our market for some time, but the company confirmed to us that it is now slated to be released in 2027.

It will feature the same engine selection as the Chery Tiggo 9, which means buyers will have two options.

The first is a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine with 187kW and 390Nm, which is paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, and is available in front-wheel (FWD) or all-wheel-drive (AWD).

The other option is a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol PHEV, which has a different output depending on whether you choose the FWD or AWD option.

The FWD PHEV has a single e-motor and generates 280kW and 610Nm, while the AWD version has motors on both axles and produces a monstrous 455kW and 920Nm.

It’s a similar story with the batteries, as the FWD option uses an 18.3kWh cell with a range of 90km, while the AWD model has a larger 34.4kWh cell with 160km on tap.

As far as features are concerned, all of the above-mentioned cars – the J5 HEV, J5 EV, J7 HEV, and J8 – will all be positioned as range-topping derivatives in their respective series.

This means they all be offered with things like LED headlights and daytime running lights, alloy wheels, keyless entry, a digital driver display, large infotainment screens, wireless phone chargers, automatic climate control, ambient lighting, and leather upholstery.

They also feature an Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) with functions such as adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, blind-spot detection, parking sensors, a 540-degree camera system, and automated parking.