REVIEW: Jetour T2 is the adventure vehicle South Africans have been crying out for
The Jetour T2 is more capable off the beaten track than your average unibody SUV.
Image: Supplied
South Africans have a huge appetite for adventure vehicles. Macho off-roaders like the Land Rover Defender and Toyota Prado have become symbols of aspiration, and many buyers fork out well over a million for these and others.
Knowing that most buyers don’t have that kind of money, Chinese automaker Jetour has seen a gap in the market with its new T2.
Although it’s not what you’d call a hardcore off-roader, its off-road credentials certainly outshine your typical pavement SUV. Two of the three models available locally have all-wheel drive, and these are also equipped with an electronic limited-slip differential on the rear axle, a multi-mode terrain select system and a Crawl Control Mode for low-speed off-roading.
Will it go where a Prado or Jimny goes? No. But it will certainly shine on sand, gravel and moderate trails.
But does the average buyer even care?
Who knows? But with monthly sales figures regularly exceeding the 500 mark, Jetour certainly has captured the market's imagination, and much of that is surely down to its design, which gives off some serious Land Rover vibes without being an obvious copy.
Its rugged design has proven a hit with consumers.
Image: Supplied
Pricing starts at R569,900 for the front-wheel drive 1.5T Aspire, while the 2.0T Xplora all-wheel drive will set you back R639,900 and the flagship 2.0T Odyssey, which we tested recently, is yours for just R679,900. Which means you can literally buy two for less than the price of a Defender.
The 2.0-litre version offers ample performance, with 180kW and 375Nm delivered to all four wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox.
You won’t be left wanting for performance, but there were a few quirks to take note of. Pull-off is not exactly smooth, and we did feel a bit of clutch slippage in our test unit at times. The steering feels artificial and a little vague at times. But those are hardly dealbreakers, and the T2 certainly does impress with its performance, ride quality and off-road capability.
Our test car consumed 10.9 litres per 100km in mixed conditions over 500km, which is not unexpected for a vehicle of this size and stature.
What’s it like inside?
Jetour has done a brilliant job of bringing those ‘adventure’ vibes into the cabin. The design is a bit on the boxy side, and there are interesting details scattered throughout, such as topographic-style patterns and embossed graphics on the dashboard, and even the ventilation holes on the seats seem to carry geographic inspiration.
The cabin combines soft-touch materials on the upper dash with durable lower plastics that seem better suited to outdoor adventures.
The cabin is an impressive blend of digital and analogue.
Image: Supplied
Electronics include a large 15.6-inch central infotainment screen as well as a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, but this vehicle isn’t overly digitised as key climate functions can still be controlled via piano-style physical controls located beneath the screen.
The infotainment screen is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 chipset, which brings fast operation times and rich graphics. The menus are reasonably easy to use, and for phone connectivity, it supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Features-wise, the Odyssey trim grade also comes with a Sony premium sound system, powered seats, 540-degree camera system, panoramic sunroof and the usual entourage of safety systems, including adaptive cruise control and autonomous emergency braking.
As for practicality, there is sufficient stretching space for those in the back seats, and the boot is relatively vast and deep, with 580 litres of stashing space, thanks in part to the spare wheel being mounted on the tailgate.
VERDICT
Whether you’re heading to the mountains or simply mounting the pavement at your local shopping centre, the Jetour T2 has the style and capability to make every day feel like an adventure. It is practical and luxurious to boot. It is a little heavy on fuel, though, so if that’s an issue, you might want to wait for the plug-in hybrid version that’s set to launch in the first half of this year.
IOL Motoring