Dashing will seeming be Jetour South Africa's entry-level model. Image: Jetour Philippines
Until now thought to be ruled-out for South Africa, Chery-owned brand Jetour has emerged as the latest Chinese marque poised for local market introduction, albeit with a twist.
Part of the seven Chery sub-brands comprising Jaecoo, Exeed, Omoda iCar, commercial marque Karry, and most recently, upscale electric division Luxeed, Jetour debuted eight years ago as a maker of crossovers and SUVs instead of sedans and MPVs as per its parent brand, the sole expectation being the tiny Ice Cream mini electric EV.
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Already present in several markets outside China, namely South East Asia and the Middle East, the brand’s debuting in Malaysia earlier this year effectively saw it commence its right-hand-drive operations, expected to include other nations such as Australia and the United Kingdom at some stage.
An eagle-eye source has, however, noticed the brand has already created a website in South Africa with two models listed. No price or specification details are present.
Some more digging also revealed a Facebook page called Jetour Africa, whose last entry came on 7 May and links back to the Jetour South Africa website.
In a capacity similar to Omoda and Jaecoo, whose products will be sold separately from Chery under the O&J division, the source claims the same will apply to Jetour with little to no input from its parent brand.
Listed on the website, the pair of models consist of the coupe-styled Dashing introduced two years ago, and the X70 Plus, which underwent a significant mid-life update earlier this year after an initial refresh in 2023.
Measuring 4 590 mm long, 1 900 mm wide and 1 685 mm tall with a wheelbase of 2 720 mm, the Dashing appears similar styling-wise to the Lotus Eletre and Lamborghini Urus when viewed from the front, with the rear having a passing resemblance to the Lexus NX.
Priced from 99 900 yuan (R249 833) to 169 900 yuan (R424 892) at the time of its launch, the Dashing provides seating for five and, in China, offers a choice of petrol and plug-in hybrid powertrains, the former already present in the Chery Tiggo 7 Pro and Tiggo 8 Pro.
These include the 1.5 T-GDI and 1.6 T-GDI mills and in the case of the PHEV, the former paired to a pair of electric motors capable of producing, according to carnewschina.com, 240kW/565Nm. The claimed all-electric range is 100 km.
Notable listed spec include a panoramic sunroof, a 15.6-inch infotainment system, a freestanding eight-inch digital instrument cluster, Head-Up Display, and what Jetour refers to as Level 2+ autonomous driving capability.
A restyled take on the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro, the X70 Plus serves as a more premium and more modern step-up from the conventional X70 that debuted six years ago.
Listed on the Jetour South Africa website in pre-facelift form, whose first update last year came less than three years after its world debut, the X70 Plus provides seating for five, six or seven and measures 4 749 mm long, 1 900 mm long, and 1 720 mm. The wheelbase is 2 745 mm.
Similar to the Dashing on the powertrain front, the X70 Plus offers a choice between the 1.5 T-GDI and 1.6 T-GDI engines, but not the 2.0 T-GDI that powers the Tiggo 8 Pro Max.
Instead, the latter is eschewed in favour of the less powerful plug-in hybrid that combines the former T-GDI with a 19.4-kWh lithium-ion battery pack for a total system output of 200 kW. The claimed all-electric range is 110 km and the combined, 1 200 km.
Fitted as standard, depending on the trim level, with the dual 10.25-inch infotainment system and instrument cluster from the Tiggo 8 Pro, the 360-degree surround-view camera system, 50-watt wireless smartphone charger and Sony sound system, pricing for the X70 Plus remains to be confirmed as the facelift version has not yet entered production.
Prior to this, pricing range from 94 900 yuan (R237 329) to 107 900 yuan (R269 840)
For the time being, no further details about either model or Jetour South Africa is know, as the brand has yet to release a formal announcement.
The Citizen’s source has, however, alleged that operations will formally commence in September, meaning more details could well emerge before then.
Additional information from carnewschina.com and autohome.com.cn
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