At the 2023 Shanghai International Auto Show, the relatively new brand Jetour Auto came off with a strong showing when they unveiled three very significant models among several others, namely the Dashing i-DM, the T-2 SUV, and the T-3 Concept SUV. This, amid a press conference that over 200 brand partners and journalists from all over the world attended. But, first, who is Jetour, and why the sudden buzz about this industry newcomer?
Jetour Auto was launched by the Chery Holding Group in August of 2018; and due to its strong performance and fast-growing demand in the Chinese domestic market, it was eventually upgraded to a stand-alone brand in 2021, replete with its independent operations in the areas of R&D, manufacturing, marketing and other qualifications.
Starting off with its initial model, the X70, Jetour classified itself as an SUV brand and eventually refined its focus on a specific strategy it coined as “Travel+” to address its strongest market segment that obviously leaned toward a more active, adventurous, and dynamic lifestyle. Jetour has cemented the market’s perception and recall of their brand as one that aligns with its lifestyle, thus, the warm acceptance and strong demand on its products and its rapid growth.
Today, Jetour has three major product lines- the X70 Series, the X90 Series, and the Dashing Series that encapsulate its “Travel+” thrust. In just four and a half years, Jetour has sold over 700,000 units. Just last month’s 19,507 units sold, represent a 95-percent increase from the previous year’s sales, making Jetour the fastest-growing SUV brand by sales volume in the intensely competitive Chinese domestic automotive market.
Subtlety is not in Jetour’s business card, easily the most spectacular launch at the recently-held Manila International Auto Show (MIAS) where Jetour Auto Philippines, complete with superb aerial dance performers, unveiled to the public several models, mainly its flagship “Dashing” SUV, the X70 Plus, and micro-EV the “Ice Cream.”
It felt like a blow-by-blow reveal of Jetour’s might as we segued to its launch at the Shanghai International Auto Show just days later, wherein Jetour Auto vividly revealed what its “Travel+” concept and strategy was all about. It didn’t take long for us to realize that the nameplates exhibited at the Jetour hall, laid out what’s here, what’s coming, and what to expect from its brand.
Locally, we now have the Jetour Dashing, equipped with a highly-efficient 1.5L gasoline engine, but who would not be excited about its Dashing i-DM, which is a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) rated at 240Kw (combined power) and 545N-m of torque, which also comes with an outward charging capacity of 3,000W (for charging gadgets and devices, ideal for outdoor settings).
The Jetour X70 and X90 Series will also have their respective HEV models to be released in international markets. What’s coming in the Philippines this September, according to Jetour Auto executives, is the ruggedly handsome T-2 SUV. The T in Jetour’s nomenclature, apparently stands for “Travel+”, and this T-2 prominently displayed in Neon Yellow, complete with a pop-up tent on its roof within an outdoorsy showcase, rides on the current overlanding craze in the country.
Overlanding, for those not yet in the know, is a more serious level of glamping, wherein personal vehicles are modified and equipped to go “off the grid”, so to speak, to handle and thrive in much farther off-road destinations. The T-2 will come equipped with various power plants, likely high output turbo-charged 2.0L and 1.6L gasoline engines, and even a plug-in hybrid (PHEV).
Welded into its namesake, Travel+ is actually Jetour’s holistic approach in taking on this stylishly active lifestyle, so it has partnered up with established third-party brands in producing model-specific accessories that would make its T Series nameplates ready for action, off the showroom floor. T also stands for Tease Sure, concept cars with jaw-dropping design and really novel ideas it comes come with are great. But what Jetour auto displayed as a concept that’s obviously poking at mass production levels, was definitely a major tease.
Feast your eyes on the Jetour T-3 Concept. Sure, serious auto enthusiasts will see an amalgam of prominent design cues from different nameplates from various auto brands, but these days, which car is not?
The T-3 Concept makes onlookers mouth the words “I want one,” and yes in different languages. Visually, it’s a stunner, in its semi-matte gun metal finish that brings out all the lines and creases on all the right places. Its huge rims and tires under-cladded wheel arches situated behind the massive bumper, the gaping wide suicide doors that boast the absence of a center B pillar, the proprietary compartments and equipment mounts on the door sidings and rear (covered) quarter window areas, the sleek dashboard and interface with all the digital goodies, the ergonomic leather and brushed aluminum-clad seats- the T-3 looks like a ride straight off a Marvel movie… that won’t look ludicrous on the road. But then we learned about its specs later on, which made us want it (to be produced) a whole lot more.
The Jetour T-3 Concept is an extended range all-wheel drive EV, equipped with four dual-stage electric motors, each pushing out 250Kw or 400N-m of torque. Combined, the T-3’s total output is rated at 1,300 horsepower and 1600N-m of torque, allowing it to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in only three seconds. Add to that, its next-generation high-output batteries that are more resistant to heating up, giving it a range of 1,400 kilometers on a single charge.
Tech-wise, the T-3 will utilize an AI Full Perception System that analyzes the terrain and environment conditions and adjusts accordingly real-time, for a safer and more engaging drive. This is coupled with enhanced connectivity for its active safety and performance systems, and future upgradeability.
The next auto revolution has begun. Gone is the stigma associated with Chinese brands, and staunch non-believers, objectively speaking, are in denial. It’s the first time that China has out-exported Germany in terms of cars, and seeing up close what these prominent Chinese car brands offer, is definitely up for serious consideration. Jetour is one of them.
