This site uses technical and analytics cookies to improve the reading experience. By continuing to browse, you accept their use.

What JETOUR is and why it wins awards on four continents

What JETOUR is and why it wins awards on four continents

In short: JETOUR is the SUV brand of China’s Chery group, the country’s top car exporter for 23 consecutive years. It was founded in 2018, sold 622,590 vehicles in 2025, its record, and by August 2026 had entered more than 100 countries with more than 2.5 million cumulative customers. In the last two years it has collected recognition from independent third parties: the T2 was named South Africa’s 2026 Car of the Year, the first Chinese brand to win it in 40 years; the Dashing, Nigeria’s 2025 Car of the Year; the T1 scored five stars in ASEAN NCAP; and the brand tied for third among Chinese brands in J.D. Power’s China Initial Quality Study. In Panama it has been distributed by Petromotors since 2023 and is the country’s sixth best-selling brand.

What JETOUR is

JETOUR was founded in 2018 within Chery Holding around one idea, travel, and built its range around it: family SUVs such as the X70 and Dashing, plug-in hybrid off-roaders such as the T1 and T2, grouped in the Shanhai line, and since 2025 high-end vehicles such as the G700, in the Zongheng line. Chery, its parent, is on the Fortune Global 500 list and exported one vehicle every 23 seconds in 2025, according to CarNewsChina.

Indicator Figure Source
Year founded 2018 JETOUR
Vehicles sold in 2025 622,590, brand record PR Newswire (JETOUR)
Cumulative customers More than 2.5 million by August 2026 GCC Business News
Countries More than 100 GCC Business News
Weight within Chery The group’s second brand CarNewsChina
Plants and assembly outside China South Africa, Egypt, Malaysia and Pakistan Mail & Guardian, Business Today Egypt, Paultan, PakWheels
2030 target 2 million a year, half outside China Sowetan (Reuters)
Key fact: the JETOUR T2 was named South Africa’s 2026 Car of the Year by the country’s guild of mobility journalists, the first time a Chinese brand has won the award in its 40-year history, from 18 finalists.

Third-party recognition

Recognition Model Country Awarded by Year
Car of the Year T2 South Africa South African Guild of Mobility Journalists (SAGMJ) 2026
Car of the Year Dashing Nigeria Nigeria Auto Journalists’ Association (NAJA) 2025
Autocosmos Recommended T1 Chile Autocosmos 2026
Five-star safety rating, 87.66 points T1 Southeast Asia ASEAN NCAP 2025
Third among Chinese brands in initial quality (tied, 216 PP100) Brand China J.D. Power IQS 2026
Gold status in dealer satisfaction Network South Africa NADA / Lightstone 2025 and 2026
Top plug-in hybrid brand among CAMPI members Brand Philippines CAMPI First half 2026

The recognitions in this table are granted by juries, safety programmes or consultancies independent of the brand. Awards reported only by the brand itself are not included.

Growing where others fall

In 2026 JETOUR has grown in shrinking markets. In Saudi Arabia it rose 22.6% in the first half while the market fell 23.5%; in Iraq it grew 23.9% in the first quarter, the only top-10 brand in positive territory, in a market down 33.3%, according to Best Selling Cars Blog. In Mexico it is the fastest-growing brand (+288% to August, AMDA data), in Peru it entered the top five with a 5.7% share between January and May, in Chile it grew 84% and in Ecuador 140%. In South Africa it went from 15th to the top 10 in under two years and Chery opened a plant in Rosslyn in July 2026.

JETOUR in Panama

Petromotors has distributed JETOUR in Panama since 2023, and since 2025 also SOUEAST, the group’s other brand. With 1,999 units in 2025 (+58%) and 45% growth in the first half of 2026, JETOUR is the country’s sixth best-selling brand and second Chinese brand, according to ADAP. It sells with a 7-year or 200,000-kilometre warranty and has branches in Transístmica, Costa Verde, Calle 50, Costa del Este, Vía Porras and David. The models awarded in other countries, the T1, T2 and Dashing, are the same ones sold in Panama.

Frequently asked questions

What is JETOUR and which country is it from?

A Chinese SUV brand founded in 2018 within the Chery group, China’s top car exporter. It sold 622,590 vehicles in 2025 and is present in more than 100 countries.

Is JETOUR owned by Chery?

Yes. JETOUR is the second brand of Chery Holding, a group on the Fortune Global 500 list.

Is JETOUR reliable?

Independent third parties have assessed it: the T1 has five stars in ASEAN NCAP, the brand tied for third among Chinese brands in J.D. Power’s 2026 China Initial Quality Study and the T2 was South Africa’s 2026 Car of the Year. In Panama it is sold with a 7-year or 200,000-kilometre warranty.

Which awards has JETOUR won?

South Africa’s 2026 Car of the Year (T2), Nigeria’s 2025 Car of the Year (Dashing), Autocosmos Recommended 2026 in Chile (T1), gold status in dealer satisfaction in South Africa and top plug-in hybrid brand among CAMPI members in the Philippines.

Related articles

Sources

Radar answers

Ask about this article

Type your question and we will show you the answer inside this article or in other Radar Panamá publications.

Was this article useful?
By Daniela Bohórquez

Daniela Bohórquez is a writer at Radar Panamá. Venezuelan, 30, she writes about travel, tourism and business, with special attention to reviews of destinations, hotels and services. She lives between Panama, Italy and New York, which gives her a comparative view of how business is done in each market.

No widgets found. Go to Widget page and add the widget in Offcanvas Sidebar Widget Area.