A dozen buses carrying around 300 journalists and influencers stopped in front of a car assembly plant in the eastern Chinese city of Fuzhou. The city used to be known for Chinese olives and white tea but is now the scene of 200,000 JETOUR cars rolling off the assembly lines each year, to be shipped around the world from Peru to South Africa.
It has taken JETOUR just six years to become one of the fastest-growing car brands in China, a country where established multinationals have scaled back their presence and younger ones bleed money in the face of red-hot competition. The company has bucked an industry-wide weakening market this year, posting an 89.3% rise in vehicle sales for the first ten months of 2024, against an overall sales growth of only 3.2% (in Chinese).
“Our goal is to be the world’s leading hybrid off-road brand. People will know that Land Rover was born in the UK; Jeep originated in the US; and now in China we have JETOUR,” Li Xueyong, vice president of Chery Automobile Co. Ltd, said on Nov. 8 at the company’s annual travel-themed press event (our translation). Li added a 1-million-vehicle sales target has been set for 2026, double its record-breaking sales in 2024 to date.
JETOUR, a subsidiary of Chery, China’s top car exporter, is a great example of how Chinese automakers are expanding their overseas presence with affordable, luxury-styled, tech-packed vehicles. The journey usually starts in developing countries in Latin America, Africa, and the Pacific region, and ends in Europe and the US, despite geopolitical uncertainties still the most competitive auto markets in the world.
Few Chinese automakers have succeeded yet at globalization, but JETOUR is thriving as a multinational by trying a delicate strategy that only a very flexible, forward-thinking enterprise with a strong sensitivity to consumer needs can accomplish, which distinguishes it from many of its peers.
“A unique path”
While some of its home rivals try to identify themselves by way of hefty sponsorship deals or flagship showrooms, JETOUR is doing more than that. It takes every opportunity to speak with customers and the story of its overseas strategy takes place around the bumps and joys of users’ travel.
One of the exhibits at this year’s JETOUR global travel+ conference that highlighted the company’s unique user-centric approach, with a focus on off-road travel, is a kind of window glass specifically designed for the desert. The SPF100-protected double-layer laminated windshield can block 99% of damaging ultraviolet radiation, reducing vehicle heat radiation while still allowing in-car signal reception. The company said it has developed more than 1,100 car travel accessories in just a few years.
JETOUR has also created a sprawling community offering car owners discounts and benefits courtesy of its 320 partners in over 40 countries, ranging from scenic zones and adventure camps to hotels and restaurants, and 2,000 stations worldwide available for emergency repairs. More than 130 car clubs form part of the company’s travel+ program, offering JETOUR owners one-day trips climbing mountains in Tashkent, Uzbekistan or driving in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, the company said.
“We combine the automobile manufacturing capability with the travel industry mindset. This is our unique philosophy,” said Ke Chuandeng, a vice president of JETOUR.
Wallet-friendly off-roaders
It is a smart move by JETOUR to cultivate a strong brand image associated with adventure and exploration given its expanding lineup of off-road mainly gasoline vehicles. Li said the brand will extend its competitive advantage by going electric, thanks to its parent company’s three-decade history of making internal combustion engines and China’s lead in electrification.
“The off-road vehicles (from international brands) are so expensive in Egypt, and you should keep the pricing of your cars good and not so expensive,” Jimmy Mohamed, founder of Irvine Agency, a Cairo-based marketing firm, said at a media workshop with JETOUR executives.
JETOUR’s affordable but rugged off-roaders usually boast better performance, lower prices, and favorable affordability. One of its top sellers, the T2, known as the Traveler in China, costs only a fraction of what its Western rivals would charge for their premium offerings with an average fuel economy of 8.8 liters per 100 kilometers (62 miles). The plug-in hybrid version has two electric motors to handle tough terrain with a maximum torque of 610 Nm and travels 15.8 km on a liter of gasoline at a starter price lower than many had expected.
Customers are impressed, as the gas-powered T2 was temporarily out of stock at some dealers in Middle East countries including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar earlier this year, according to Ke. It also reported monthly sales of more than 5,000 units of the hybrid version for several months at home, which went on sale in April and is set for a global launch in December.
“In South Africa, our vehicles have either the largest interior in their price segments or the lowest price compared with similar-size ones,” Li said, citing local dealers.
Global ambition
JETOUR, headquartered in the eastern Chinese city of Wuhu, has a presence in over 62 countries and regions, which it has built in just five years.
The company reached cumulative sales of 350,000 cars overseas as of October and is on track to surpass its annual sales target of 500,000 units this year, of which roughly 200,000 units will be overseas exports. BYD, China’s top electric vehicle maker, shipped 329,073 units in the same period.
“We have already become a key contributor to the Chery Auto Group,” Ke said.
Li said JETOUR is now determined to sell 800,000 cars next year with more than a third set to be exported, and the brand has a more lofty goal in mind. It aims to expand its footprint to 80 markets with an overseas network of 1,600 dealerships and more than 1.1 million cars sold annually in global markets by 2030.
To make this happen, JETOUR has plans to build 19 assembly sites globally where vehicles will be made from “completely knocked down” kits comprised of major component groups. Its first overseas assembly plant began operations with the Dashing and X70 off-roaders recently in Indonesia. The second one will follow in Malaysia several months later. It has not shared any details of its potential European plants but management has set its sights on entering the market in the next five years.
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