Jetour, which is an offshoot brand of the Chery Group but operates independently of Chery SA, recently launched a pair of medium-sized SUVs in Mzansi, one of which is the Jetour Dashing. Is the 1.5T Deluxe’s value offering as good as it looks? Read on!
We Like: Bang-for-buck, modern styling, interior finishes, rear legroom, refined performance
We Don’t Like: Poor infotainment interface/usability, poor rearward visibility
Fast Facts
- Model: Jetour Dashing 1.5T Deluxe
- Price: R469 900 (Oct 2024)
- Engine: 1.5-litre turbopetrol
- Power / Torque: 115 kW/230 Nm
- 0-100 kph: N/A
- Claimed fuel consumption: 7.8 L/100 km (claimed)
- Luggage capacity: 486–977 litres
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Where does the new Jetour Dashing fit in?
The Jetour Dashing 5-seater is a medium SUV that stands 4 590 mm long, 1 900 mm wide, 1 685 mm high and has a wheelbase of 2 720 mm. Based on those dimensions, the Dashing is similarly sized to upmarket family cars such as the Volkswagen Tiguan, Kia Sportage, Toyota RAV4 and Hyundai Tucson.
However, the newcomer’s price tag is comparable with those of small crossovers, such as the Toyota Corolla Cross, Omoda C5 and Chery Tiggo 7 Pro – it seems to offer “a lot of car for the money” and its sibling, the X70 Plus 7-seater caters for those who want a medium SUV with extra seating capacity.
Established in 2018, Jetour is a crossover/SUV brand focused on design, technology and affordability. Production of the Dashing, or “Monkey King” as it’s known in its home market, began in 2022 and the model formed part of the Chinese brand’s local market introduction in September 2024.
Granted, Jetour is still an unknown quantity in our market (it must still prove itself in South Africa), but the Chinese firm has stated its commitment to delivering exceptional customer service through its 40-strong dealership network nationwide, as well as robust parts support thanks to Jetour’s large parts warehouse in Kyalami that’s stocked with over 82 000 parts to service local consumers.
The Jetour Dashing is offered in 2 trim grades: Momentum and range-topping Deluxe, an example of which is the subject of this review. To stand out from the swathe of medium SUVs on the road, the Dashing features a sleek and futuristic design penned by ex-Porsche designer, Hakan Saracoglu.
The Dashing’s exterior execution is muscular and highlighted by a bold front end with an intricate grille design, as well as strong rear haunches that evoke athleticism. Note the Range Rover Velar-esque hidden door handles, which also feature on the Chery Group’s recently launched Omoda C9 executive SUV.
During the Dashing’s tenure in our fleet, some onlookers noted that the model had design similarities to the Lamborghini Urus; they have a point, but the Chinese newcomer’s influences aren’t that exotic.
How the Jetour Dashing fares in terms of…
Interior execution, features and practicality
The Jetour Dashing’s cabin design and -execution make it abundantly clear that its maker adopted an upmarket design approach to the model’s interior. Younger/youthful, fashion-forward buyers will love it.
You sit in surprisingly sumptuous sports-style seats, while the wraparound dashboard blends elegance with sportiness. You can see the latter above – it features a red trim line that spans the length of the dashboard, complemented by matching magnetic belt strips in the door-armrest structure and contrasting red stitching seen on the seats and door cards. The grey and patterned door inserts and chrome speaker housings add further design appeal.
The centre console section houses a storage bin, 2 USB-A ports, a 12V socket and a convenient wireless charging pad for charging smartphones. The cabin utilises a mix of hard plastics and soft-touch faux leather surfaces and, not only does it offer excellent comfort, the overall perceived build quality is good.
However, there are a few niggles to point out. Our first criticism is that the cabin temperature-, demister and ventilation controls – located in the gloss-black panel in the lower part of the fascia – are near-impossible to see in the brightness of day, rendering the panel useless unless you’re driving at night.
Admittedly, the aircon and other in-car functions can be adjusted via the infotainment system’s 10.25-inch touchscreen. However, the menu layout is poorly configured and not particularly user-friendly. Also, the small size and poor legibility of the menu make it difficult and distracting to navigate the system.
This problem is also experienced in the 10.25-inch instrument cluster where the embedded menus are similarly difficult to decipher and use while driving. While this might seem like a trivial problem, it’s a frustrating one that can create unnecessary distractions while you’re driving. You can use the menu dial in the centre console to navigate the menus, but it doesn’t make menu navigation much easier.
To its credit, the 360-degree camera system’s display is of excellent quality and particularly useful when you are parking/reversing or manoeuvring in tight spaces. Other nice-to-have features include a large panoramic sunroof, 8-colour ambient lighting and electrically adjustable front seats with seat memory.
A Jetour welcome light is a surprise feature. It’s often found on more expensive cars but it proves useful at night or if you want to impress your friends.
Safety features include 6 airbags, lane-departure and -blind spot warning, plus tyre-pressure monitoring.
In terms of rear passenger space, the Jetour Dashing is quite generous – aft occupants (even adults of average height) can sit comfortably thanks to ample leg- and knee room. A centre armrest (with a pair of cupholders) is a convenient feature for those long journeys and USB-A and USB-C ports are provided.
All that space does come at the cost of some luggage capacity, however. The Jetour Dashing’s load bay is claimed to accommodate 486 litres with the rear seatback up, which is lower than the stated figures for the Sportage (591 litres) and Tiguan (652 litres) – still useful, but not generous for a car of this size.
At least the load bay is on par with what’s offered in the small crossover segment, plus it has a dual-level floor to either haul more cargo or store valuable items out of sight. A powered tailgate is standard.
Overall then, the 1.5T Deluxe’s cabin is attractively styled, smartly finished and more-than-sufficiently comfortable… only the limited user-friendliness of the infotainment system and some ergonomic quirks detract from an otherwise appealing proposition. Of course, it remains to be seen how well the Jetour Dashing’s interior will hold up with years of use in South African conditions, but time will reveal all.
Performance and efficiency
The Jetour Dashing and its X70 Plus sibling are powered by a 1.5-litre 4-cylinder turbopetrol engine that produces 115 kW/230 Nm and is paired with a 6-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
In terms of performance, we’re happy to report that the Jetour Dashing met our expectations, given its engine capacity and -outputs – which is to say we found that it accelerated strongly and offered enough mid-range oomph to execute brisk overtaking manoeuvres on the highway. Plus, we were pleasantly surprised by its engine refinement with adequate sound suppression, even under hard acceleration.
It helps that the dual-clutch transmission is well-calibrated; it shifts up/down swiftly and predictably, plus you could always use ‘wheel-mounted paddles to shift manually if and when you feel the need to do so.
There are 2 drive modes to choose from: Eco and Sport, but if you want to engage, say, the latter, you have to access the infotainment menu, which isn’t intuitive – it would be so much simpler to toggle between drive modes by using a button. You can also set the steering feel to either Comfort or Sport.
Sport mode does change the on-road demeanour of the Jetour Dashing; the powertrain offers more eager throttle response and will executive upshifts only at higher revs. The model’s suspension setup is on the firm side of pliant, but not overly sporty and general ride comfort is good – on tar and gravel.
It’s also worth mentioning that due to the narrow rear screen and upwardly sloping aft window sills, rearward visibility is limited, so if you buy a Dashing, be extra mindful to check your blind spots before changing lanes safely. Thankfully, the Dashing is equipped with blind-spot alert and lane change assists.
In terms of fuel consumption, Jetour claims an average of 7.8 L/100 km for this variant, but we averaged around 9.5 to 10 L/100 km during our week-long test, which was a little disappointing, but not damning.
Price and after-sales support
The Jetour Dashing 1.5T Deluxe costs R469 900 (October 2024), which includes a 5-year/150 000 km warranty, a 10-year/1 million km engine warranty (for the first owner only) and a 5-year/60 000 km service plan. See also: Jetour Dashing (2024) Price & Specs
Buy a new Jetour Dashing on Cars.co.za
Buy a used Jetour Dashing on Cars.co.za
Verdict
At its price point (R439 900 to R469 900), the Jetour Dashing represents excellent value for money for buyers who desire a stylish and generously equipped new medium SUV/family car for well under R500k.
Its bold appearance is likely to divide opinion and, yes – it won’t appeal to everyone, but the Dashing’s value proposition will probably propel the newcomer up the local sales charts in the months to come.
Despite a few quirks that detract from an impressive, well-specified interior (some of which could be improved by running updates), the Dashing delivers an acceptable balance between performance and economy, while exhibiting resolved road manners and surprisingly high levels of overall refinement.
From an after-sales perspective, Jetour’s service will be in the spotlight from the get-go but the Dashing is at the very least backed by comprehensive warranties that will give local buyers some peace of mind.
Jetour is a brand to watch and with new products, such as the T2 small off-roader and a Dashing Pro, due to arrive in 2025, it will be interesting to see how quickly the brand grows on South African soil. Watch this space!
