Another Chery sub-brand, another boxy off-roader? The Jetour T2 was teased alongside the Jaecoo J6 at the New Energy and Aftermarket Expo at the Chery Global User Summit in Wuhu, China. Would these retro-styled off-roaders find favour in Msanzi?
On a few occasions during our week in Wuhu, I thought I had seen a well-kitted Land Rover Defender drive past. However, at the New Energy and Aftermarket Expo we finally got a close-up of the two new Chinese off-roaders, evidently inspired in design by the British brand’s revered 4×4, that had been playing tricks on me. While a few of the models we saw were labelled “iCar 03”, Jaecoo’s all-electric take on a classic-contemporary off-roader will be known in the South African Market as the J6.
Related: A Brief Joyride in the Jaecoo J6
Jaecoo’s J7 is currently enjoying a healthy uptake in South Africa, and the family is set to grow, with the J6 joining the company’s local line-up, alongside the J8 and J9, in 2025. We got to spend some time behind the wheel of the J6 at an off-road test track during the week of the Chery Global User Summit.
Cue the Jetour T2. Kind of sounds like “Jaecoo”, and looks a lot like it too. But it isn’t. Jetour is an SUV-only subsidiary of Chinese giant Chery, which has recently entered the South African market with the Dashing and X70 models. Jetour’s entry into the local market is bolstered by a strong dealership network in South Africa as well as a R100 million investment in parts. So could we see the T2 brought down South, too?
Related: SA Market Officially Welcomes Duo of Chinese Jetour SUVs
From a design perspective, it is likely to find favour in the South African market, which has proven to take to retro-styled, boxy off-roaders (Think Suzuki Jimny and, at a higher price bracket, the updated Toyota Land Cruiser 70 series and Prado). Where the J6 is all-electric, which may be an obstacle in a country without the infrastructure to comfortably support fully electric vehicles yet, the T2 is built with a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged engine, which puts out 187 kW of power and 390 N.m of torque through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
The T2 is 4 785 mm long, with a 2 800 mm wheelbase. It is not a massive off-roader, but the brand has positioned it as a serious one, built with a BorgWarner sixth-generation four-wheel drive system and a choice of seven driving modes. The approach angle is 39°, with a 25° ramp-over angle and a 30° departure angle, as well as 220 mm of ground clearance.
We only got a quick look inside the cabin, but as has come to be expected with Chery and its subsidiaries, it looks classy. A 15.6-inch, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto-integrated touchscreen takes centre stage, while a 12-channel Sony sound system, ventilated seats and ambient lighting add to the allure.
Displayed at the NEV and Aftermarket Parts Expo, it was the latter that I found striking. The T2 models were dressed up in all the familiar off-roading accessories, but closer inspection would reveal that the branding was not familiar at all. Instead of BFGoodrich, you have Blackbear, what may look like a Front Runner roof rack is not entirely, and that unique Defender side-ladder reads ‘Combat Rider’. It was interesting to see an entirely in-house production of the generally favoured off-road accessories.
While the J6 and T2 are similar in style, the former is an all-electric vehicle with RWD and AWD options, and will likely appeal to a different customer to the off-road-focused, petrol-powered T2 4WD. While the J6 is set to reach South Africa in 2025, we will have to wait to see whether Jetour will expand its local line-up with the T2.
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