This will be the first Chery vehicle manufactured in South Africa

In July, after acquiring the Nissan manufacturing plant in Rosslyn, the Chery Group confirmed that it would be assembling the JAECOO J5 at the facility.

As it turns out, another Chery sub-brand will actually be the first vehicle in the Group to be manufactured locally – the OMODA C4.

The vehicle is expected to be the first of many that the Chery Group will manufacture locally, although definite numbers in that regard have not been outlined at this stage. That said, the company views this as the start of substantial manufacturing operations that it plans to spin up in South Africa.

“Investing in local production is a decision about the kind of business we want OMODA & JAECOO to become in South Africa. The C4 will give us a place in the country’s manufacturing industry, while its petrol, hybrid and fully electric range will give our customers greater choice when buying an OMODA,” noted Shannon Gahagan, head of Brand and Marketing for OMODA and JAECOO South Africa.

“The South African C4 range will offer petrol (ICE), hybrid (HEV) and fully electric (BEV) derivatives, allowing customers to choose the powertrain best suited to their driving needs and access to charging,” it added.

At the time of writing, there is no mention of when the locally manufactured OMODA C4 vehicles will be available to purchase in South Africa, nor how much they will cost once ready to purchase. That said, the Chery Group is working on having the necessary elements in place at the Rosslyn facility.

“Preparations for production include planned infrastructure and utility upgrades, alongside a localisation programme to develop the South African supplier base and increase the proportion of locally sourced components used in vehicle manufacturing,” it concluded.

In the interim, you can check out the OMODA C4 in the gallery below.

[Images – Provided]

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