THE South African Guild of Mobility Journalists (SAGMJ) has chosen the Jetour T2 as 2026 South African Car of the Year.
At the glittering motoring gong sponsored by Old Mutual Insure, held last night, T2 came to face with an initial pool of 55 qualifying vehicles in the country, to bag the title.
The Chinese maker- launched in mzansi in Cape Town only last year, went through 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.
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.
Jetour T2 have already exceeded 4 000 in terms of sales, with the brand also launching the T-Series i-DM models last month, and was ranked eighth overall in South Africa’s top-selling automotive brands, in the same month.
“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.”
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.
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.
Image supplied (Jetour T2 2026 South African Car of the Year.)
