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Wednesday / 13 November 2024
HomeFeatures2 new Chinese SUVs coming to South Africa next month

2 new Chinese SUVs coming to South Africa next month

Another Chinese carmaker is getting ready to open its doors in South Africa, and this time it’s a company called Jetour.

Jetour will introduce itself to the local market less than a month from now, in September 2024, and it’s bringing two SUVs to kickstart its line-up for local consumers.

What to expect

Jetour is one of the many brands that fall under the Chery umbrella in China, though things are a bit different this time around.

Unlike Omoda and Jaecoo, which operate as the “O&J” premium brand with Chery South Africa, Jetour is launching independently with no direct ties to its parent company.

It’s a relatively fresh face in the global motoring scene, too, as Jetour debuted in 2018 and has already become one of China’s fastest-growing automotive faces with over 1.2 million units sold since its inception.

While it is part of the Chery Group, Jetour’s models are not simply rebadges of existing templates, as the company develops most of its components such as the chassis and transmissions in-house.

However, the engines are often lifted from Chery vehicles, as is the case with Jetour’s first incoming set of wheels – the Dashing.

Jetour Dashing

The Dashing is classified as a C-segment crossover, putting it in the same league as units like the VW T-Roc or Nissan Qashqai.

It measures 4,590mm long, 1,900mm wide, and 1,685mm tall, making it one of the larger examples in its segment.

The powertrain choices will be familiar to anyone who’s looked at Omoda and Jaecoo’s selection in South Africa, as it consists of the 1.5-litre and 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol units found in the C5 and J7.

The 1.5-litre option pumps out 115kW and 230Nm, while the 1.6-litre produces 145kW and 290Nm.

Jetour has yet to provide any official specifications for its incoming models, but given that both of these engines are already sold in South Africa, it seems a safe bet to say that we’ll receive both.

What’s less clear is the transmission, as O&J are only selling their cars as automatics, while the Dashing can be had with either a six-speed manual or seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic in other markets.

It’s also a well-equipped machine, as the crossover’s international spec sheet includes items like LED headlights, rain-sensing wipers, keyless entry and start, a panoramic sunroof, an eight-speaker Sony stereo, a 40W wireless charger, a refrigerated armrest box, a 15.6-inch infotainment screen, a leather steering wheel, dual-zone climate controls, and leather Sports seats with heating, ventilation and memory functions.

This is in addition to adaptive cruise control, traffic jam assist, lane-keep assist, tyre-pressure monitoring, automatic emergency braking, a 360-degree camera, hill assist, and front and rear parking sensors.

Jetour X70 Plus

The other vehicle heading for our shores is the X70 Plus, which is larger than the Dashing with a length of 4,749mm and a height of 1,720mm, though it’s actually the same width at 1,900mm.

This size difference is enough to classify the X70 as a midsize SUV, making it a likely competitor to something like the VW Tiguan, Ford Territory, or Nissan X-Trail.

The larger model can be had with either a five or seven-seater configuration, though crucially it has the engine selection as the Dashing.

Its equipment sheet is also nearly identical to the Dashing, so the X70 can essentially be thought of as a larger version of the same car with the promise of a bigger boot or additional seats for those who need it.

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