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In a rapidly evolving automotive landscape, ATL Automotive Group, which is a dominant force in Jamaica’s car market as well as master dealer for various auto brands, has recently added two more Chinese brands to its line-up.
The Omoda and Jaecoo brands will be housed in a temporary showroom at the ATL’s Oxford Road campus in New Kingston before transitioning to a permanent space, says Stephen Hector, deputy managing director of ATL Autohaus.
With the new additions, ATL Automtive Group now has 12 distinct brands under its umbrella. Running second is the Stewart’s Automotive Group, which represents seven brands.
“We’ve always worked on the premise that whatever you want a vehicle for — off-roading, family use, commercial needs, or city driving — we’ve got something for you,” said Hector in an interview with the Financial Gleaner. “It’s about providing people with a choice,” he said.
ATL Automotive’s current line-up includes five Chinese brands, Jaecoo, Omoda, BYD, MG and Foton; one Japanese brand, Honda; one South Korean brand, Kia; and five German brands, Volkswagen, Audi, BMW, MINI and Porsche. The portfolio spans compact SUVs to luxury sedans and high-performance vehicles.
Omoda and Jaecoo are twin Chinese brands offering futuristic and rugged SUV options. Omoda’s C5, a subcompact SUV, is priced at $4.8 million. The Jaecoo SUV has a more traditional design.
“BYD is the number one new energy vehicle manufacturer in the world,” said Hector. “It’s growing month after month in Jamaica, and in terms of pure EVs, no one else comes close.”
Foton, a commercial vehicle brand, offers a full range of light, medium and heavy-duty trucks, and pickups.
Despite the influx of Chinese brands, Hector said ATL remains committed to its legacy marques. “People will always want BMWs, Hondas, and Kias,” Hector said. “It’s not a move away; it’s about completing a puzzle that ticks all the boxes,” he said.
Showrooms and servicing facilities for Honda and Kia, long-standing favourites among Jamaican drivers, are being relocated to a facility at Ferry, St Catherine. The new complex includes expanded service centres, redesigned customer facilities, and on-site warehouses for faster service.
For BYD, the group has implemented a three-tier showroom model: inline – located at the AC Hotel in Kingston and targeted at low-intent customers; urban – a mid-sized facility like the one in Montego Bay, for a more immersive experience; and the 4S – a full-service stand-alone facility, currently in development for Kingston.
“BYD Montego Bay is doing great things,” Hector shared. “It’s a beautiful showroom with a great team, and people are really enjoying the brand.”
As master dealer, ATL Automotive also represents BMW, MINI, BYD, Foton and Omoda/Jaecoo in the region, a role that includes managing brand standards, retail operations, training, and marketing across 20-plus countries.
A master dealership offers car makers a single point of contact and consistent representation over multiple markets within a geographic zone.
“It’s a very attractive proposition to a brand,” Hector explained. “Instead of dealing with 20 different dealerships, they speak to just a few people who manage everything to the highest standards.”
ATL is also developing tools to help customers match vehicles to their lifestyles. “People want to be guided,” Hector said. “They want to say, ‘Here’s what I want to use the car for, here’s my budget, here’s what matters to me’, and then be shown the best options.”
The shift towards a more people-focused strategy is in response to a changing market, where consumers prioritise technology, affordability, and customisation over traditional brand loyalty, he said.
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