South East (Fujian) Motor Co., Ltd., trading as Soueast, is a Chinese automobile manufacturer based in

Fuzhou Fuzhou is the capital of Fujian, China. The city lies between the Min River (Fujian), Min River estuary to the south and the city of Ningde to the north. Together, Fuzhou and Ningde make up the Eastern Min, Mindong linguistic and cultural regi ...

Fujian Fujian is a provinces of China, province in East China, southeastern China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capital is Fuzhou and its largest prefe ...

, a subsidiary of

Chery Chery Automobile Co. Ltd., Doing business as, trading as Chery (), is a Chinese automobile manufacturer owned by Chery Holding Group Co., Ltd. Founded in 1997, it is currently the fourth largest automobile manufacturer group in China, with 2,6 ...

. It conducts production and sale of passenger vehicle under the Soueast marque. It used to manufactures Mitsubishi brand passenger cars for sale in mainland China, a

joint venture A joint venture (JV) is a business entity created by two or more parties, generally characterized by shared ownership, shared returns and risks, and shared governance. Companies typically pursue joint ventures for one of four reasons: to acce ...

between China Motor Corporation (25%), Fujian Motor Industry Group (50%) and

Mitsubishi Motors is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automobile manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.

(25%) before it was acquired by

.Lagging far behind, Mitsubishi looks to new joint partnership
chinadaily.com.cn, 2010-11-15Affiliated Companies - South East (Fujian) Motor Co., Ltd.
Yulon Group Official Site In 2024, SOUEAST Motor boosts production upgrades using its Fujian base's location strengths, integrating global resources/strategies and launching new products. The name "SOUEAST" merges "SOUTH" and "EAST" (from China's southeast Fujian Province), symbolizing its history/culture. Now, it also stands for "SOUL EASE" – promoting an ease lifestyle.

History

Before 2024 Soueast was founded in November 1995 as a joint venture between China Motor Corporation and Fujian Motor Industry Group.
South East Motor Official Site Mitsubishi became a partner in the joint venture in 2006.
Mitsubishi Official Site, April 12, 2006 In April 2008, Soueast was awarded a contract to supply 5,700 Delica minibuses to the Iranian Mehreghan Co.1.6 Mitsubishi ASX flying into China soon
chinacartimes.com, December 6, 2010 In the same year,

Jackie Chan Fang Shilong (born Chan Kong-sang; 7 April 1954), known professionally as Jackie Chan,; is a Hong Kong actor and filmmaker, known for his slapstick, acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, and innovative stunts, which he typically perf ...

was signed on as a Mitsubishi

brand ambassador A brand ambassador (sometimes also called a corporate ambassador) is a person paid by an organization or company to represent its brand in a positive light, helping to increase brand awareness and sales. The brand ambassador is meant to embody the ...

for

Mainland China "Mainland China", also referred to as "the Chinese mainland", is a Geopolitics, geopolitical term defined as the territory under direct administration of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the aftermath of the Chinese Civil War. In addit ...

markets.Business in brief - Mar. 25
people.com.cn, March 25, 2008 As of early 2011, Soueast had an annual production capacity of around 180,000 units, but this was set to rise to 300,000 with the completion of current construction, which may have been finished by early 2012.Production capacity figures may consider engines and vehicles as discrete. Soueast Motor reached its sales peak in 2017, selling 150,000 units that year. Although the competition is fierce, the niche has advantages in the market segment, which has earned it a certain degree of praise among buyers who focus on controllability. It once exceeded 100,000 units. In May 2021, Mitsubishi announced its withdrawal from Southeast Motor, ending 26 years cooperation. The company was acquired by

in 2024 and is currently producing Jetour vehicles. Present On April 29, 2024, Soueast Motor held a Global Investment Promotion Conference in Fuzhou, Fujian, showcasing its upcoming product lineup and announcing the restart of its global operations. On September 28, 2024, the new Soueast Motor made its global debut in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, unveiling two new models: the S09 and S07. In January 2025, Soueast unveiled the new brand concept in three countries - Kuwait, UAE and Qatar - and unveiled its third SUV, the S06

Products

Current models

* Soueast S06 (2025–present), compact SUV, rebadged Jetour Dashing * Soueast S07 (2024–present), mid-size SUV, rebadged Jetour Shanhai L7 * Soueast S09 (2024–present), mid-size SUV, rebadged Jetour Shanhai L9 File:SOUEAST S06.jpg, Soueast S06 File:SOUEAST S07.jpg, Soueast S07 File:SOUEAST S09.jpg, Soueast S09

Discontinued models

* Soueast Veryca microvan (2008–2011) * Soueast C1 ''Xiwang'' microvan (2011–2020) * Soueast Delica minibus (1996–2013) * Soueast Freeca (2001–2007) * Soueast Sovereign (2004–2007) * Soueast Lioncel (2003–2005) * Soueast V3 ''Lingyue'' sedan (2008–2019) * Soueast V5 ''Lingzhi'' sedan (2012–2020) * Soueast V6 ''Lingshi'' hatchback (2013–2020) * Soueast A5 ''Yiwu'' (2019–2023) * Soueast DX3 (2016–2023) * Soueast DX5 (2019–2023) * Soueast DX7 ''Bolang'' SUV (2015–2023) * Soueast DX8 (2018–2023) * Soueast DX9 (2020) * SEM Delica/ Soueast EV500, rebadged King Long Kairui (2018–2023) File:Soueast Veryca China 2012-04-28.JPG, Soueast Veryca File:Soueast C1 Xiwang 01 China 2017-03-30.jpg, Soueast C1 Xiwang File:SOUEAST DELICA (15).jpg, Soueast Delica File:2005 Soueast Freeca (facelift, front).jpg, Soueast Freeca File:Soueast Soveran China 2012-07-21.jpg, Soueast Sovereign File:Meter Taxi in Vientiane 01.jpg, Soueast Lioncel File:Soueast V3 Lingyue Facelift IV Sanming 01 2022-08-07.jpg, Soueast V3 File:Soueast V5 Lingzhi Plus 003.jpg, Soueast V5 File:Soueast V6 Lingshi front.jpg, Soueast V6 File:Soueast V6 Lingshi Cross 02 Auto China 2014-04-23.jpg, Soueast V6 Cross File:Soueast A5 Yiwu 01 China 2019-03-20.jpg, Soueast A5 File:SOUEAST DX3 (2).jpg, Soueast DX3 File:Soueast DX5, front 20200610.jpg, Soueast DX5 File:Soueast DX7 Xingyue 001.jpg, Soueast DX7 File:Soueast DX8S 01 China 2023-04-06.jpg, Soueast DX8S

Mitsubishi-badged (before 2021)

Soueast produces the following models under the Mitsubishi marque: *

Lancer A lancer was a type of cavalryman who fought with a lance. Lances were used for mounted warfare in Assyria as early as and subsequently by India, Egypt, China, Persia, Greece, and Rome. The weapon was widely used throughout Eurasia during the M ...

* Lancer EX * Lancer Fortis *

Galant The galant style was an 18th-century movement in music, visual arts and literature. In Germany a closely related style was called the '' empfindsamer Stil'' (sensitive style). Another close relative is rococo style. The galant style was drawn in ...

* Zinger File:MITSUBISHI LANCER (CHINA) (cropped).jpg, A Mitsubishi Lancer produced by Soueast File:Mitsubishi Lancer EX 01 China 2012-04-28.JPG, A Mitsubishi Lancer EX produced by Soueast File:Mitsubishi Lancer Fortis China 2014-04-16.jpg, A Mitsubishi Lancer Fortis produced by Soueast File:MITSUBISHI GALANT NINTH GENERATION (CHINA) (2) (cropped).jpg, A Mitsubishi Galant produced by Soueast File:MITSUBISHI ZINGER.jpg, A Mitsubishi Zinger produced by Soueast

Dodge marque

Dodge Caravan The Dodge Caravan is a series of minivans manufactured by Chrysler from the 1984 through 2020 model years. The Dodge version of the Chrysler minivans, was marketed as both a passenger van and a cargo van (the only version of the model line offe ...

File:Dodge Grand Caravan RS CN Sanming 01 2022-07-08.jpg, Dodge Caravan

Operations

Soueast has at least one production base in Qingkou city,

Minhou County Minhou County (; in Fuzhounese, Foochow Romanized: ''Mìng-âu'', IPA: //) is a county in eastern Fujian Province, China. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Fuzhou, the provincial capital, and lies to the south and t ...

, Fujian province. This location has probably been expanded three times with the second phase possibly completed as that year saw a 150% increase in units produced. As of early 2011, total yearly production capacity for all sites was forecast to soon reach 300,000 with the completion of the base's third phase. February 2012 production was 37% higher than that of the previous year, which may reflect this additional capacity coming online. currently, Soueast Motor operates three major production bases in China located in Wuhu, Kaifeng, and Fuzhou. Globally, the company has established 10 KD factories across regions including the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and Africa. In 2024, Soueast Motors announced its presence in 18 countries and regions worldwide, with a sales network of 124 established outlets. The company plans to establish directly-operated subsidiaries in seven additional countries and regions by 2025, including Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Malaysia, and Uzbekistan.

Sales

A total of 96,553 Soueast brand passenger cars were sold in China in 2013, making it the 38th largest-selling car brand in the country in that year (and the 21st largest-selling Chinese brand).

Notes

References

External links

Official website

Official website
{{Automotive industry in China Car manufacturers of China Electric vehicle manufacturers of China Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1995 Companies based in Fuzhou Chinese brands Mitsubishi Motors subsidiaries Joint ventures 1995 in Fuzhou