Chery, GWM, Foton and BAIC: Who’s who in Chinese car zoo?

These days it seems like a new Chinese carmaker is entering the South African market every month. Some like GWM and Chery are already household names, while new entries like BYD, GAC and LDV will no doubt grow as time goes on.

There are currently no less than a dozen Chinese car brands on offer in Mzansi today. It gets more daunting to navigate your way through the various models as Chery has spawned new badges in Omoda, Jaecoo and Jetour.

GWM has taken the opposite route by moving the Haval Jolion back under the mother brand after initially selling it under the Haval banner.

Take make it easier to navigate your way through Chinese car zoo, The Citizen Motoring have put together a complete guide.

BAIC

The Beijing Automotive Industry Corporation, or BAIC (pronounced bike), was one of the first to set up shop in South Africa. Although little has been produced in the R11 billion factory in Gqeberha that opened its doors in 2018.

The carmaker currently offers only two models locally, the space-age Beijing X55 SUV and Jeep Wrangler clone the B40 Plus.

ALSO READ: Chery Tiggo 4 pips Haval Jolion as SA’s most popular Chinese car

BYD

Build Your Dream (BYD), the biggest producer of electric vehicles in China, started with the Atto 3 crossover last year.

The Dolphin and Seal have since joined as the first of an extensive Ocean-range, which is likely to include the Shark plug-in hybrid bakkie in the future.

Chery

After an ill-fated local stint towards the end of the 2000s, Chery Automobile Co. Ltd. Came back with a bang in 2021. As an assurance to customers that they won’t be going anywhere soon again, Chery introduced the still industry leading 10-year/1 million km engine warranty for the first owner.

Its current local line-up consists of SUV trio the Tiggo 4 Pro, Tiggo 7 Pro and Tiggo 8 Pro.

Dayun

Better known for producing trucks, the Dayun Motor has also ventured into the world of passenger cars.

The R399 950 Dayun Yuehu S5 is the cheapest all-electric car in South Africa.

Foton

After falling off the local radar in the late 2010s, Foto Motor recently re-entered the South African market with a host of commercial offerings including bakkies, trucks and minibus taxis.

Spearheading the line-up for now is the Foton Tunland G7 bakkie, which starts at under R400k in double cab guise.

GAC

Guangzhou Automobile Group, or GAC Motor for short, is one of the newest Chinese carmakers in South Africa.

The manufacturer currently offers the SUV duo the GS3 Emzoon and Emkoo, with the all-electric Y planned for next year.

GWM

Founded 40 years ago, GWM, short for Great Wall Motor Company Limited, is one of the really big players in China. The manufacturer prides itself in being the longest-standing Chinese imported in South thta never left.

The carmaker offers the most extensive product range of all the Chinese manufacturers in South Arrica. Its current portfolio includes bakkie trio the Steed, P-Series and P500, the all-electric Ora and SUV pair, the rugged Tank 300 and plush Tank 500.

The Jolion and H6 were originally sold under the Haval nameplate, but the subdivision has since moved under the GWM umbrella. The new Haval Jolion City and Haval Jolion Pro now sport GWM signage on the tailgate.

JAC

After starting its South African venture with commercial trucks, Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Corp Ltd, or JAC Group has also entered the local bakkie market.

Following in the footsteps of the T6 and T8, JAC rolled out the impressive and budget-friendly T9 towards the end of last year. It is set to ruffle the feathers of more established bakkie builders.

Jaecoo

Jaecoo followed Omoda, with which it shares dealership floors at part of O&J, as a sub-brand of Chery.
The J7 this year became the first local model under the Jaecoo banner, which aims to offers a more rugged alternative to other Chery-owned badges.

The all-electric J6 will makes its debut next year.

Jetour

The marquee last month followed Omoda and Jaecoo as yet another one of Chery’s brands that will operate out of separate dealerships from O&J and the Chery marquee.

Jetour’s initial portfolio includes the Dashing and X70 Plus SUV pair.

LDV

LDV (Leyland DAF Vans) is the local nameplate reserved for products from the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation, also known as SAIC Motor.

The T60 double cab bakkie is the first local product and will eventually be followed by the D90 three-row SUV, G90 luxury MPV and G10+ van.

Omoda

The futuristic-looking C5 introduced the brand to the local market last year labelled as a more premium offering than core Chery products.

The bigger and very plush C9 makes its official debut next week.