The salary you need to afford the new Jetour T2 in South Africa

You will need to earn at least R62,000 per month to afford the new Jetour T2 on a finance plan, according to a calculation by TopAuto.

The T2 and its smaller sibling, the T1, have finally arrived in South Africa, adding two new Adventure SUV’s to the nation’s catalogue.

Jetour describes the T2 as the more “rugged and adventure-ready” of the two, with three specifications to choose from with prices ranging from R569,900 to R679,900.

The base model, the Aspire, is equipped with a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine with 125kW and 270Nm.

This is paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, which sends power to the front wheels.

If you want a four-wheel-drive system, you’ll need to upgrade to either the Xplora or Odyssey trim, which also have a more powerful 2.0-litre turbo-petrol block with 180kW and 375Nm.

The 4×4 units also have a variety of driving and terrain modes, such as Sport, Snow, Mud, and Sand.

Regarding fuel consumption, the 1.5l averages 7.9l/100km, while the 2.0-litre is considerably thirstier at 9.3l/100km.

Equipment on the T2 includes 19-inch alloy wheels, rain-sensing wipers, automatic LED headlights, keyless entry and start, a leather multifunction steering wheel with paddle shifters, artificial leather upholstery, ventilated front seats, a panoramic sunroof, automatic climate control, a wireless charging pad, ambient lighting, a nine-speaker Sony stereo, a 10.25-inch digital driver display, and a 15.6-inch infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

It also comes with driving and safety aids like six airbags, traction control, electronic stability control, hill start and descent control, tyre pressure monitoring, lane-keep assist, blind spot detection, cruise control, parking sensors, and a 540-degree camera system.

Each purchase includes a 5-year/150,000km warranty, a 10-year/1-million km powertrain warranty valid for the first owner, and a 5-year/60,000km service plan.

What you need to earn

We can use the following formula to work out the monthly payments on the new Jetour:

• Car price – R569,900/R679,900
• Payment term – 60 terms (5 years)
• Interest – 10.50%
• Deposit – 0%
• Balloon – No balloon payment
• Extras – No optional extras

According to this, you’ll need to pay at least R12,344 per month for the Aspire, and up to R14,709 per month for the Odyssey.

Financial experts then recommend that you do not spend more than 20% of your gross monthly salary on vehicle payments.

This means you’ll need to earn anywhere from R61,720 per month to R73,545 per month to afford the new T2 on a finance plan.

Note that this figure does not account for insurance, fuel, and maintenance, which must all be factored into your budget.