Having spent quite some time with Jetour’s recently introduced flagship over the holiday period and clocking up fair mileage with the mid-size SUV, I am somewhat perplexed by how this newcomer brand has found favour with local buyers. Jetour posted record sales in its first few months of business, not only here but also in other parts of the world.
Jetour, the rapidly growing global SUV brand, sold a remarkable 568,387 units in annual sales last year, an 80.3% year-on-year growth. Globally, Jetour secured top rankings in the SUV sector in regions including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Peru.
Driving the Dashing Deluxe model, I tried to figure out why the Chinese marque resonated so well with customers. Was it the stylish Lamborghini Urus-inspired front valance design, the Lexus-esque rear outline, the plethora of standard kit, and the array of driver aid and connectivity systems? Or was it the Dashing’s useful performance and well-mannered road behaviour, all at a reasonable price?
Well, price undoubtedly plays a role, as the Deluxe is now available for R469,900, offering affordable luxury compared to its closest rivals, the somewhat smaller Haval Jolion Pro 1.5T Ultra Luxury (R462,950), the Chery Tiggo 7 Pro 1.5T Executive (R449,900), the Toyota Corolla Cross 1.8 XR (R483,500) and the BAIC Beijing X55 Plus Elite (also R469,900).
Its sales performance is all the more surprising when taking into account that the current Jetour range is actually a hangover from the Soueast Motor period (before Chery acquired the company in 2023) as the Dashing crossover SUV is, in fact, a facelifted, rebadged Soueast S06.
The Dashing also uses the same turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine as the Chery Tiggo 7 Pro and Omoda C5. In Deluxe trim, it shares all the luxury equipment and convenience features found in high-spec Chery Tiggo 7 and 8 models, including voice recognition, Bluetooth connection, remote engine start, and a host of infotainment features.
The flagship Deluxe also features a panoramic glass sunroof, eight-colour ambient interior lighting, extra speakers, side-curtain airbags, automatic rain sensors, an electric front passenger seat adjustment, a 360-degree parking assist system, and a range of enhanced driver-assistance features.
Safety features include ABS with EBD, an electronic stability program, a traction control system, hill-hold and hill-descent controls, Isofix child-seat anchors, and a tyre-pressuring monitoring system (which, after some prolonged dirt road driving, proved to be erratic at best).
A FEW NIGGLES
On an extended trip from Cape Town to a Karoo farm close to Ladismith, the Dashing’s 1.5-litre mill proved willing and capable, feeding a rated 115 kW and 230 Nm of torque to the front wheels through a six-speed DCT, yet it needed some serious winding up when overtaking.
However, a big niggle with the drivetrain was the flawed calibration between throttle input and power delivery to the wheels. It felt like the drivetrain needed time to hook up before anything happened. This called for careful modulation of the accelerator pedal to ensure a smooth pull-away; otherwise, the car tends to lurch forward unexpectedly (and belatedly). Not pleasant at all.
Once on the move, the Dashing benefits from smooth cog-transition by the six-speed DCT, lively performance from the small turbo mill (although the difference between Eco and Sport drivetrain settings isn’t earthshattering), acceptable levels of ride comfort (even on dirt roads) and fine handling behaviour.
The interior fit and finish are premium-class quality, and the comfort of the fully adjustable black synthetic leather seats with red stitching (six-way electric for the driver and four-way manual for the front passenger) ensured a relaxed 900 km round trip.
However, with most vehicle controls accessible only via the digital infotainment system touchscreen, searching for specific functions within the sub-menus was frustrating. Hence, it took me quite a while to realise the drive modes must be selected via the screen.
Even more annoying was trying to select a particular function on the screen while the SUV was jolting and jouncing over a rutted dirt road. Perhaps most infuriating was that most chosen preferences reset when the vehicle was restarted. Call me old-school, but I still prefer buttons.
Fuel consumption was also higher than expected (Jetour claims 7.8 l/100 km), although not excessively so, with a best figure of just over 9.0 l/100 km over our mixed route. Even so, given the spaciousness, overall comfort and good ride quality of the Dashing, these niggles become somewhat insignificant.
LAST WORD
That said, it seems Jetour’s “Travel+” marketing concept, along with a 10-year/one-million km engine warranty, a five-year/150,000 km vehicle warranty, five-year/60,000 km service plan for the Dashing, as well as a keen retail price is resonating well with customers.
Given the imminent change in design language and positioning of the brand, the popularity of its current range, including the Dashing, is somewhat surprising. However, this exceptional sales performance is positioning Jetour as a major player in the global SUV market and bodes well for the brand’s future.
Report by FERDI DE VOS | Images © JETOUR SOUTH AFRICA
