WeeklySA_AdminDRIVE YOUR FUTURE: Chinese manufacturer Jetour is set to become a competitive player in the local SUV automotive sector
By Ali Mphaki
Yet again we welcomed a new Made in China brand which debuted on our South African roads last Friday. The arrival of Jetour Auto, a sister company to Cherry Holdings Group, easily represent the 13th and still growing number of Chinese auto brands doing business down here in our GNU shores.
The word Jetour is a combination of “JET” meaning sleek, fast, successful and victorious and “TOUR” which references the brand’s ethos of freedom and adventure. To announce its arrival “in style” coupled with its bold and ambitious tagline “Drive Your Future”, Jetour SA has unleashed two new models to an unsuspecting market, the funky-looking Jetour Dashing and the seven-seater X70Plus at a glitzy function held in Jozi.
You might be tempted to think the Chinese by introducing a new brand SUV in a market characterised by intense competition and financial constraints have what in township parlance could be called “pluck”, the head honchos at Jetour SA seem unfazed and on overdrive
VP for Jetour SA Nic Campbell:
“Any new brand will create hype and excitement. How we interact with our customers and develop that trust means getting it right from the start, and that’s why we are driving so hard now to get everything in place.”
In their quest to “get it right” and to woo, win friends and keep them, Campbell says Jetour SA products will also benefit from its global Jetour’s 10-year, one million-kilometre warranty.
“This is a powerful offer that demonstrates the brand’s confidence in the durability and reliability of its vehicles, providing significant peace of mind for customers,” he says. Come to think of it, 10 years is a long, long time, but Campbell is prepared to put his neck on the block and boldly say: “When a customer comes into a dealership at the end of their 10-year, one-million-kilometer warranty, we want them to be as happy as they were when they first bought their vehicle.” This is daring, if you ask me, considering brand Jetour itself is hardly a decade old, a brand that was first launched in China in 2018, yet globally Jetour has over 27 years accumulated experience and 26 000 patents.
What Jetour SA would like us to know, however, is that the Jetour brand has been receiving rave reviews since launching across global markets such as Saudi Arabia, Angola, Uruguay and Peru. In its wake the brand has earned itself complimentary remarks like “excellent value for money”, “luxurious interiors, a range of advanced safety and tech features, retro design and robust performance” etc.
As if to prove they are a no fly-by-night, Jetour SA has already started stocking R100 million in parts. This, alongside having secured 40 dealerships nationally, shows just how much detail has gone into the planning of their South African launch. Parts are also not being outsourced or kept off site, but at their headquarters in Kyalami, in a state-of-the-art parts warehouse spanning 4,000 square meters and housing up to 82,000 parts.
A training facility has been established at their headquarters in Kyalami, with intensive sales and after-sales training. “If there are issues, we’ll know about them,” Campbell says. How many units do Jetour SA hopes to sell in their debut year? Johnny Fang, MDirector of Jetour in South Africa, says that the company will be targeting sales of 800 units monthly within the first year of operation, with their Jetour X70 Plus and Dashing models as the first to hit the local market.
Word is out that Jetour will be launching its first model featuring a girder structure, T5, next year, in addition to the T2 model, which we told is a leader in China’s light off-road vehicle market segment.
Jetour is also set to expand its innovative product lineup with the introduction of the T7, a vehicle that redefines the boundaries between land and water travel.
Capable of navigating waters as easily as it cruises on land, this extraordinary vehicle will not only take on challenging terrains but will also have the ability to sail for up to 40 minutes, offering an unparalleled travel experience.
Beyond the hybrid models, Jetour will continue the development of gasoline-powered vehicles to meet current market demands. The brand is expected to offer a combination of traditional Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) models alongside advanced Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV).
Biases aside, these two new Jetour models are beautiful and will most likely attract and are targeted at the mid to high-level consumer looking for comfort and elegance. In addition to the launch of new models, Jetour announced the strategic partnership with CCF for wildlife conservation and will work with the renowned media company Discovery Channel to produce a documentary on cheetah conservation and promote the “Protect the Cheetah” campaign worldwide.
The Jetour X70 Plus 1.5T Momentum starts at R454 900, with the Jetour X70 Plus 1.5T Deluxe priced from R484 900. The Dashing 1.5T Momentum is priced at R439 900, while the Dashing 1.5T Deluxe comes in R30 000 higher at R469 900.
Motoring: Briefs
ALL-NEW SWIFT
The all-new Suzuki Swift will soon be finding its way into local showrooms and now we can put a price tag on the latest remake of one of South Africa’s favourite hatchbacks.
Suzuki Auto South Africa has released pricing ahead of launch, with the entry-level 1.2 GL, available only as a five-speed manual, pegged at R219,900. That’s not a huge jump over the current GA base model’s R213,900 sticker, particularly given the additional features fitted to the new base version. Moving to the middle of the range, the new Suzuki Swift 1.2 GL+ is priced at R239,900 in manual guise and R259,900 with the new CVT gearbox option, while the range-topping 1.2 GLX now commands R264,900 (manual) and R284,900 (CVT). As mentioned, the list of comfort and safety features has been upgraded across the board. Most importantly, all models now feature six airbags (up from two), as well as ESP stability control.
FORD HAS A BETTER IDEA
Ford South Africa has introduced the new Tourneo, and pricing details are now confirmed. Here’s a quick breakdown of the pricing and service offerings for the new model.
This latest model comes in a Trend specification with a long-wheelbase configuration, focusing on enhanced comfort and premium materials throughout its interior. Under the bonnet, the Tourneo is equipped with a 2.0-litre Single Turbo diesel engine, coupled to an eight-speed automatic transmission. This combination promises both fuel efficiency and smooth driving according to Ford. More variants are expected to expand the Tourneo range in the near future, catering to a wider set of needs. For now, the Tourneo Trend LWB Bus 2.0L 8AT is priced at R1 070 000, positioning it competitively within its segment. Ford provides extensive coverage as part of the deal, including a four-year/120 000 km warranty, alongside four-year/unlimited distance Roadside Assistance. A corrosion warranty lasting five years with unlimited distance is also included.
CHERY IN A VAN
Chery South Africa is proud to officially announce its expansion into the country’s light-commercial vehicle (LCV) segment with the launch of the value-packed and feature-rich Tiggo 4 Pro Panel Van. Based on the immensely popular Tiggo 4 Pro compact SUV, this new light-delivery vehicle is fully homologated as an LCV, which means VAT-registered businesses have the opportunity to claim back the VAT paid on the vehicle’s initial purchase price.
With the rear passenger bench removed and a sturdy security capsule neatly installed, the Tiggo 4 Pro Panel Van offers a large loadbay measuring 1 387 mm long, 1 255 mm wide and 941 mm high. Access to this expanded yet secure cargo area – which serves up a generous 1 500 litres of storage space – comes courtesy of both the tailgate aperture and the two rear doors. Offering a payload of 360 kg, a ground clearance of 180 mm and an unbraked towing capacity of 750 kg, the Tiggo 4 Pro Panel Van is powered by Chery’s tried-and-tested 1.5-litre petrol engine, which delivers peak outputs of 83 kW and 138 Nm, and is furthermore covered by the brand’s industry-leading 10-year/1-million km warranty. Buyers have the choice of either a six-speed manual gearbox or a continuously variable transmission (CVT).
THE GOOD, BAD AND UGLY
Reliability Survey has named MG as the most unreliable brand in the UK, with MINI the most reliable. We’re always told – in endless surveys – that Land Rover is the most unreliable car brand (here and here, for example) or in the bottom two, but the annual What Car? Reliability Survey found it was actually MG in a survey of almost 30,000 used cars up to five years old. Land Rover actually comes in as fifth most unreliable, so perhaps JLR are getting better? It seems that 37% of MGs – up to five years old – suffered a fault, and 58% of those were off the road for more than a week, leading to the survey declaring a 76.9% reliability score. The most unreliable model was the MG 4 with a reliability rating of just 63.8%, with the MG ZS EV not much better at 69.3%, although the MG5 came in with a 92% reliability rating. Coming in as second most unreliable was Alfa Romeo on 84.1% and Vauxhall (Opel) on 84.7%.
