The Jetour T2, launched into South Africa in October last year, has won the 2026 South African Car of the Year sponsored by Old Mutual Insure. This victory marks a historic milestone, with the brand becoming the first Chinese automotive manufacturer to claim the prestigious title in the competition’s 40-year history.
Announced by the South African Guild of Mobility Journalists (SAGMJ) last night, the T2 faced tough competition. From an initial pool of 55 qualifying vehicles, the field was narrowed to 30 semi-finalists before 18 finalists were announced in January this year. The finalists then underwent rigorous evaluation by a 25-member jury panel, supported by three trainee and associate jurors, during a three-day testing programme at Zwartkops Raceway and surrounding routes.
The judging criteria spans a wide range of factors, including innovation and technology, safety, performance, overall quality, value for money and competitive pricing. Vehicles are also assessed on customer relevance, sales success, practicality and suitability for South African driving conditions, ensuring winners reflect both market appeal and real-world excellence.
Jetour’s rapid rise into the list of best-selling automotive brands in South Africa highlights the rate at which Chinese manufacturers are reshaping the local market, having moved from niche brands only few years ago to mainstream players within the local market. This shift reflects a broader industry trend, with these brands offering customers more choice and rich feature sets, increasingly challenging established legacy brands on innovation, technology, and performance.
Since launching late last year, sales of the Jetour T2 have already exceeded 4 000, with the brand also launching the T-Series i-DM models last month. Last month, Jetour was ranked eighth overall in South Africa’s top-selling automotive brands.
“The Jetour T2 was always designed to be a disruptive product. This win is a defining moment not only for Jetour, but for the South African automotive industry as a whole,” says Nic Campbell, Vice President of Jetour South Africa.
“To be named South African Car of the Year in such a competitive field, and to be the first Chinese brand to achieve this in the competition’s four-decade history, speaks volumes about how far the brand has come in a very short space of time, the quality product we are offering and how seriously we are being taken.”
Available in three derivatives, the Jetour T2 Aspire (R569 900), Xplora (R639 900) and flagship Odyssey (R679 900), these SUVs combine rugged SUV styling with a well-equipped, tech-focused interior across the range. Standard features include LED lighting, a panoramic sunroof, electric tailgate, keyless entry, dual-zone climate control, ventilated front seats, a 15.6-inch infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Safety is a key focus across this range, with all models fitted with six airbags and a full suite of driver assistance systems including blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, rollover mitigation, tyre pressure monitoring, hill descent control and a 540-degree view camera system.
Performance steps up through the range. The Aspire uses a 2WD 7-speed DCT producing 125kW, while the Xplora and Odyssey both offer 4WD with 180kW and a top speed of 180 km/h.
All models across the entire Jetour range are backed by a 7-year/200 000 km warranty, 7-year/75 000 km service plan and 10-year/1 000 000 km engine warranty for the first owner, supported by an expanding dealer network and strong parts availability in South Africa.
“We have made a significant commitment to local customers and dealers, with strong parts availability already in place and a growing national network to ensure long-term confidence in the brand. With over 55 dealers and extensive parts stockholding in-country, we are building a foundation designed for sustained growth and customer peace of mind,” Campbell adds.
With over 2.31 million cumulative units globally since launching in 2018, Jetour is now sold in over 100 countries. In 2025, full-year sales exceeded 622,000 units, representing a year-on-year increase of 9.5%. It is also the only automotive brand in the world to achieve cumulative sales of over 2.2 million within just seven years of its establishment.
At last night’s awards, the Jetour T2 also won best in the Mild Adventure category, with other categories including Compact, Family, Premium, Adventure and Performance, with two out of the 6 categories going to Chinese brands.
“For Jetour, this win is just the beginning. We are continuing to expand rapidly, not only in terms of our product range, including our new electrified T-Series i-DM models, but also in strengthening our dealer footprint, customer support network and after-sales capability across South Africa,” Campbell says.
