Newly established urban off-road SUV brand JAECOO has made a significant impact on the South African automotive market, rocketing into the top 30 best-selling automotive brands in April 2024, despite launching its first model midway through the month.
The new J7, officially available from April 13, saw remarkable initial sales, securing JAECOO the 28th spot among the 54 automotive brands in South Africa’s new-vehicle market.
JAECOO’s impressive performance, along with that of its sister brand OMODA – which has just celebrated its first year in South Africa – contributed to the Chery Group’s highest-ever monthly sales total of 2,009 units. This achievement earned the Chery Group a record 6th place in the overall manufacturer standings for the month and 4th position in the passenger-vehicle segment.
“Even though the J7 has only just arrived on the local market, it’s clear South Africans are excited by what this new model – not to mention the JAECOO brand as a whole, with its ‘From Classic, Beyond Classic’ philosophy – has to offer. In the end, the J7 accounted for a strong 7.4% of Chery’s record total for the month,” said Tony Liu, Executive Deputy General Manager Chery/OMODA & JAECOO South Africa.
The three-model J7 line-up, priced from just R549,900 and featuring a range-topping Inferno derivative equipped with all-wheel drive and seven driving modes, has given JAECOO a robust start in South Africa. The local line-up is set to expand with additional models in the coming months.
“We’re absolutely delighted with the J7’s sales performance in what was a partial month for a new-to-market model. Though we’ve only just launched JAECOO in South Africa – with the country becoming both the first right-hand-drive market to offer this model as well as the first in Africa – we have big plans for this forward-thinking brand, including on the new-energy vehicle front,” said Shannon Gahagan, National Brand and Marketing Manager OMODA & JAECOO.
Customers can look forward to the upcoming J8 PHEV and the new J6, with further details to be announced closer to their respective arrivals.
