The first shipment of Chinese Omoda C5 vehicles has departed from Indonesia and is en route to Vietnam, Omoda & Jaecoo Vietnam announced on November 6, according to a report from the Vietnam News Agency.

According to the importer, a joint venture between Vietnam’s GELEXIMCO Group and China’s Chery Group, the prices of the vehicles are expected to be revealed later this month, before its domestically-assembled models come on the market.

In addition to importing vehicles from Indonesia and Malaysia, Omoda & Jaecoo Vietnam is developing a production plant in the northern province of Thai Binh, which is designed to have an annual capacity of 200,000 units.

With a total investment of $800 million, the facility is anticipated to begin operations by 2026, fostering growth in Vietnam’s automotive industry and generating significant economic benefits and job opportunities for locals.

Insiders noted that the local assembly of the Omoda C5 and other models will help reduce costs, making them more competitively priced and tailored to the needs of Vietnamese consumers.

This marks a significant milestone in the long-term strategy of the Chery-GELEXIMCO joint venture, underscoring its commitment to the Vietnamese market and the broader shift towards sustainability in the automotive industry