Jetour is yet another brand from China, and it’s part of the Chery business. But it’s clear that this arm flexes its muscles a little differently.
Jetour has confirmed it will launch in Australia in 2027 with a range of products that will aim to meet market needs in an increasingly crowded space.
President of Jetour International, Ke Chuandeng, told media in China that the brand sees Australia as “one of our dream markets”, with a range of products that are “very suitable” for us, including the T1, T2, G700 and newly revealed F700 pick-up.
And yes, there’s a direct relationship between the two ‘700’ models.
“At the moment, we are preparing for the Australian market. We already have a subsidiary company there, and we already have a local team. We are also finalising our dealer network,” said Mr Chuandeng.
“We are now co-operating with many top-level dealer groups. They are very interested.”
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NO SHARK HUNTING
But don’t go thinking that the Jetour approach to Aussie customers will be a cut-price one, as Mr Chuandeng said the business won’t be targeting BYD buyers with its ute as “the F700 is a luxury pick-up – so we are not directly competing with the Shark, because the Shark is much cheaper than us”.
Jetour is pursuing a subsidiary-led approach to meet market requirements, rather than going through a third-party distributor.
The brand will hit our market with the T1 and T2 models with hybrid variants, and both 2WD and 4WD models.
The company said it will introduce “more than 10 models” including plug-in hybrid and fully electric variants, and furthermore, that it will position itself with a “value-oriented” pricing strategy aiming at “mainstream mass market” brands, as well as premium offerings.
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INTRIGUING TECH
In China I spent some time in two of Jetour’s vital export products – the T2 midsize SUV and the G700 SUV, and I can tell you that these are going to turn some heads in the local market.
Jetour T2 DM-i
It’s expected that this midsize SUV is going to compete with the GWM Tank 300, Subaru Outback and others, but with some intriguing technology and design flourishes that position it as a boxy, practical and, frankly, very attractive choice.
There are different powertrain options offered globally, but the likely options for Australia include plug-in hybrid (or DM-i) – and the models sampled included big battery packs (26.7kWh) with solid EV range (139km NEDC).
The powertrain was smooth and pretty urgent, and the drive experience – though brief – was promising.
But the interior was what surprised me most. With some special touches for the material finishes, as well as the expected high-tech design for the screens, it isn’t out of place with other Chinese SUVs.
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However, thanks to its rectangular body, it offers exceptional headroom in both rows, not to mention loads of legroom for taller occupants.
There’s great storage through the main cabin area as well, including a dashboard shelf for front passengers under a back-lit breadcrumb map of the iconic G318 highway in China.
The boot is great, with an assisted side-swinging tailgate, 580 litres of cargo space, and a storage box on the back that could be removed if you prefer a spare there.
Jetour G700
AN ENORMOUS MACHINE
This is the big daddy SUV in the brand’s range, and big is an understatement.
At almost 5.2 metres long and weighing in at up to 3.2 tonnes, it is an enormous machine that makes a LandCruiser 300 seem a little modest.
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And that’s partly due to its aggressive styling, which is unabashed muscular, with a bold grille, high bonnet, and the off-road angles you’d expect for a ladder-frame vehicle.
There’s a petrol-electric powertrain with an enormous 34.1kWh battery with about 100km of range (WLTC), with the 2.0-litre turbo engine and e-motors adding up to a huge 665kW/1135Nm combined maximum output.
And despite its huge size and heft, it can dispense with the 0-100km/h sprint faster than some performance cars – just 4.6 seconds is the claim.
Let me tell you, it feels that fast in reality too – and while it doesn’t hunker down and hustle, its long-travel suspension means there’s a huge amount of lurch and lean under hard acceleration and braking, and the body rolls around a bit in cornering.
But it’s a big 4×4, with a system similar to the Denza B8 – engine at the front, plus an electric motor up front and at the rear, with the battery under the body. It can simulate diff locking and has a tank turn function for tighter manoeuvres, but my drive on a decommissioned airforce runway didn’t replicate my favourite trails in the Blue Mountains, nor Big Red for that matter.
But with a comfortable and luxurious interior, it wouldn’t surprise me if this – with either five or six seats, the latter across three rows – will be a popular choice for families who value big space on long road trips.
The pricing and positioning for these vehicles – and the remaining Jetour model range – remains to be seen, but based on my first impressions, they’re going to feel more worthy of your money than some of the other Chinese-made products currently on sale in Australia.
