Jetour, a Chinese SUV brand that’s been hiding under Chery’s wing for quite some time, has finally emerged in South Africa – and it’s brought with it two (or rather, four) new SUVs for us to gawk at. That is exactly what we did at the company’s launch event on Friday, 20 September, in Sandton.
Jetour’s ideology with this launch is to introduce an affordable, yet still-luxurious SUV brand within the country, and it’s certainly trying. We’d have loved to see the company’s Ice Cream EV turn up locally, but in a country still plagued by load shedding reduction, we understand the hesitation. Never say never, though.
Jetour Dashing (2024)
Fossil fuels are still king, and Jetour knows it. You won’t find anywhere to plug in anything other than a petrol pump on Jetour’s two new crossovers – the Dashing (2024) and X70 Plus (2024) – each bearing a more expensive ‘Deluxe’ model to appeal to the richer folk looking for a few more creature comforts in their five-seater.
Kicking things off is the cheapest Jetour of the lot, the Dashing (2024). Starting at R440,000 for the 1.5T Momentum, and going up to R480,000 for the 1.5T Deluxe, both variants arrive with a turbo-charged 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine responsible for sending 115kW and 230Nm of torque to the vehicle’s front wheels, which, incidentally, sport 19in alloy rims.
Need more engine oomph? Too bad, because Jetour’s left that aspect virtually untouched across all four of its models in South Africa. It’s instead blown the budget on making the insides that much more comfortable, throwing in a 10.25in infotainment system, an electronic boot, more than enough legroom and leather trim, wireless charging, and reverse-view cameras.
So where is that extra R30,000 going in the Dashing 1.5T Deluxe if it isn’t the engine? We told you; Jetour’s all about the insides, and that hasn’t changed here. On top of the features we’ve already mentioned, wireless charging is embedded into the centre console, a panoramic sunroof, more speakers, interior lighting (for the backseat ambience), and various sensors that’ll beep to the heavens to stop you heading there yourself.
Jetour X70 Plus (2024)
Despite the extra row of seats lodged in the X70 Plus’ rear making this a 7-seater, Jetour’s stuck with the same ol’ turbo-charged 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine in the Dashing. That still means a delivery of 115kW/230Nm to the vehicle’s front wheels via the 6-speed dual-clutch transmission, also included in the Dashing.
To get the X70 Plus 1.5T Momentum derivative into your driveway, you’ll need to fork over R455,000, while the 1.5T Deluxe variant demands a price of R485,000 – the most expensive SUV on the list. Like the Dashing, the X70 Plus shares all the technical specs with its sibling, only differing when it comes to the innards.
You’re getting all the same benefits headed in the way of its Dashing Momentum sibling, including even the 19in alloy rims and wireless charger embedded into the car’s centre console. The Deluxe model, similarly matches that of the Dashing Deluxe, offering up a larger speaker set (6 in total), panoramic sunroof, a 360-degree parking system, and some more airbags stuck in the side doors.
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The future of Jetour (in South Africa)
While the company’s Sandton event was primarily focused on showing off the two cars above, Jetour did at least offer us a glimpse at what may come further down the road, should it meet all the lofty goals it has set for itself. ‘Pro’ models of the Dashing and X70 Plus are currently slated to arrive sometime in 2025, though failed to offer any sort of indication when it came to specs or a firm release date.
That’ll be followed up by the launch of the brand’s five-door T2, also in 2025, another petrol-based car that can’t scratch that itch for something electric. Wait another year, however, and Jetour reckons it’ll have the T1 on sale in the country by 2026, a plug-in hybrid off-roader that might awaken the company to the perils of operating where Eskom holds all the cards.
Following that, we know two more vehicles are lined up for 2027, the P5 and T0, though Jetour were more secretive about these than all the rest. It did let slip that the P5 would be the company’s first traditional ‘bakkie’, a move that’s sure to ensnare more than a couple of the country’s residents.
Here are the official prices for Jetour’s first models in South Africa:
- Dashing 1.5T Momentum – R440,000
- Dashing 1.5T Deluxe – R470,000
- X70 Plus 1.5T Momentum – R455,000
- X70 Plus 1.5T Deluxe – R485,000