Jaecoo is poised to enter South Africa’s electric vehicle (EV) market with its new J6 SUV, which has been confirmed for local introduction in 2025.
The Chinese sister brand to Omoda, which launched locally back in April with its Jaecoo J7 SUV, will reveal the J6 at the Festival of Motoring, which kicks off at Kyalami Raceway from Friday, August 30.
Measuring 4,406mm in length, the boxy new J6 is slightly shorter than the J7, but local specifications and pricing have yet to be confirmed.
Overseas it is offered in two versions, with the entry version pushing 135kW through the rear wheels only and the dual-motor flagship distributing 205kW between all four wheels.
According to the spec sheet for the Thai market, where the T6 has already been launched, the single-motor model is fitted with a 66.69kWh battery that allows for a range of 371km on the WLTP cycle, while the dual motor has a 69.77 kWh battery that can cover a claimed 364km between charges.
The cabin is almost completely digitised, with most operations performed via a 15.6-inch central touchscreen powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. Even the vehicle’s doors are operated via buttons.
Jaecoo describes the cabin as deceptively spacious, featuring a glut of clever storage spaces.
“Although we’re preparing to launch a plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) version of the J7 - which will push the brand into the local new-energy vehicle space - the upcoming J6 represents the next step for our growing line-up as it’s set to arrive as the first fully electric model to wear the Jaecoo badge,” said Shannon Gahagan, National Brand and Marketing Manager at Omoda & Jaecoo SA.
While the J6 is likely to remain something of a niche player as South Africans have yet to warm up to electric cars, the Jaecoo J7 has gotten off to a strong start on the local sales charts, with 224 units finding homes in July.
More details on the new Jaecoo J6 are set to be announced at the Festival of Motoring.
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