We first heard of Omoda & Jaecoo, or OJ or O&J, sometime in early 2023 when the brands were making their way into the Philippine market. At the 2023 Shanghai International Motor Show, the brands had very impressive displays of SUVs and hybrid technology. The brands participated in the 2024 and last week’s Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.

Omoda & Jaecoo are sub-brands of the Chinese manufacturer Chery. Created specifically for export, these sister brands were first sold exclusively in international markets. The move allowed Chery to target different customer segments abroad more effectively than with a single brand.

At a brand relaunch early this year at Bonifacio Global City in Taguig, we learned that Omoda is positioned as a futuristic and fashion-forward brand, targeting younger buyers. Jaecoo is promoted as a more premium and sophisticated offering, with an emphasis on off-road capability. 

Omoda is derived from “oxygen” and “moda,” the Italian word for fashion. Jaecoo is a blend of the German word “jager,” which means hunter, and the English word “cool.”

We joined a one-week tour with OJ for the Chery International User Summit last week, along with dealers, customers, and colleagues in the media. We toured the modern Chery assembly plant in Wuhu, Annui province. 

It was highly impressive, with hundreds of robots doing the technical and mechanical work and engineers and technical experts monitoring the work quality at the plant. 

This is a far cry from the Chery plant we visited in 2007, where vehicles like the QQ and Tiggo were assembled. The integrated plant assembles OJ, Chery, and other brands like the Exceed, Luxceed, and the new brand ICar. Hundreds of completely finished vehicle units come out of the plant each day.

We also test drove the ICar full electric SUVs on an off-road track outside the city. The continuous rains made the track muddy and slippery, but the units outlasted the natural terrain and remained balanced and stable in every turn.

At the Global Business Conference held at Chery’s own convention center, Zhang Guibing, president of Chery International, updated delegates from around the world on Chery’s ongoing development, including their goal of making Chery the World Auto World Champion. 

Aside from their employees, Chery has 30,000 experts in various technology fields working in several R&D centers around the world.

Mr. Zhang also talked about the development of human robots that can assist people in their chores, as well as robot pet dogs that can bark and even dance to music. He also mentioned the development of flying cars that can help lighten the traffic situation in big cities.

Another night was dedicated to Omoda and Jaecoo, acknowledged as the fastest-growing brand in the world. The Omoda 04 Ultra was unveiled at the festive launch. It is an attractive hybrid SUV targeted at young motorists, and hopefully, it will find its way to Manila.

The farewell night, called "The Chery International Music Festival," held at the 12-degree cold Chery outdoor lawn, had talents from various delegations performing on the glitzy stage. Our own Roy Robles dished out  “Huling El Bimbo” with many of us in the group joining him on the stage, and many in the audience swaying to the tune.