REVIEW | How the Jetour X70 Plus sells a premium illusion

You may be finding it difficult to keep up with the number of new Chinese brands and models entering the SA market.

Luckily, we are here to help you keep your finger on the pulse of the new car landscape in Mzansi. Jetour is among the new motoring marques hailing from China. The brand is seemingly no fly-by-night as it is aligned with the Chery family, which includes Omoda and Jaecoo.

Interestingly, the local handlers of Jetour have opted to distance themselves from the mothership, with the view to forge its own identity.

For the most part, the Chinese brands have proven their competence in the areas of styling, technology, perceived refinement and competitive pricing. But the identity question has been a little more difficult to answer.

European and Japanese marques have had decades to carefully fashion brand narratives, with rootings in motorsport and other pursuits that helped craft distinctive associations.

The etymology of the Jetour name is simple. "Jet" is meant to stoke connotations around swiftness and efficiency, while "tour" implies a suitability to open road exploration.

"A convenient journey" is how the automaker sums up their brand promise, bolstered by claims of "affordable luxury" and other interesting mash-ups.

Locally, the marketing content around the brand encourages consumers to "drive your journey" and "choose adventure".

While Jetour may lack pedigree, its pricing is hard to ignore and though not without terms and conditions, the promise of a million-kilometre warranty is bound to pique interest. It is the same offering applied to Chery, Omoda and Jaecoo products, valid for 10 years and applicable to the first owner as long as they continue to maintain the car within the designated network of workshops.

By the end of this year, the brand aims for 2,000 unit sales, with a cumulative sales goal of 30,000 units over the next three years.

Jetour is purported to have a parts inventory of about R100m at its head office in Midrand. The brand claims to have as many as 40 dealers in operation across the country. Jetour achieved 568 sales units after its first month of trading in the country.

The product portfolio consists of two C- and D-segment sport-utility vehicles. The Dashing competes with products such as the Haval Jolion. The X70 Plu is a three-row, seven-seater model which could be considered as a cheaper alternative to the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro.

We tested the X70 last week. On price alone, the model is bound to gain attention, starting at R454,900 for the Momentum and R484,900 for the Deluxe model.

It has a length of 4,724mm, a height of 1,720mm and width of 1,900mm. With the third row of seats in place, boot space is a paltry 94l, opening up to 438l with the last row folded and 1,680l with all seats down.

Visually, the Jetour X70 is an arresting piece of design, if not entirely original in execution. Quite clearly its creators took inspiration from many contemporary European options. But it does turn heads, specially in high-grade Deluxe trim. Our tester wore a fetching shade not dissimilar to British racing green.

The interior also seems to have taken inspiration from the stylistic cues of Germans. From interior door panels, indicator stalks and steering wheel controls mimicking those from a Mercedes-Benz to a BMW-esque centre stack, Jetour appears to believe in the notion that imitation is a form of flattery. Fit and finish, on the surface of it all, seems pleasant.

If you are the kind of shopper making a more financially prudent shift (euphemism for downgrade) from a German premium option, the veneer of the X70 is convincing. But on the road is where you might question its integrity and substance.

The first quirk one notices is with the accelerator pedal at low speed, which works like a switch despite efforts to modulate carefully: lean into it and nothing happens, then suddenly the Jetour lurches, delivering its power in lumpy fashion, often prompting a chirp from the front wheels.

Under the hood is the same generic Chery family 1.5l, four-cylinder, turbocharged-petrol unit which offers 115kW/230Nm linked to a six-speed, dual-clutch automatic.

The pairing feels coarse, with vibrations intruding through the cabin. It is also not particularly frugal. The brand claims 7.8l/100km but in the real world, that ranges between 9l/100km and 11l/100km.

Ride quality is far from great. Varying road surface quality is communicated harshly through the suspension and into the cabin via the car's 235/55/19 wheels.

Its driving position might also be a source of frustration for some, thanks to a steering wheel that remains at a high angle even in its lowest position, more akin to that expected from a high-riding minibus than a passenger sport utility vehicle.

Then there is the infotainment system. Aside from a narrow screen and grainy display, the lack of responsiveness and dull sensitivity to finger input makes for finicky operation. The camera display on our car also showed glitch tendencies.

We cannot level criticism at the standard equipment levels though. On the safety front, the Deluxe benefits from six airbags, electronic stability control, tyre pressure monitoring, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and lane-change assist.

A panoramic roof and rain-sensing wipers complements features included from the Momentum grade, such as leatherette upholstery, a multi-function steering wheel, keyless-entry, a 360º camera, wireless smartphone charging, LED headlamps, electric tailgate and electric driver's seat adjustment.

On the face of it, the Jetour X70 represents a great deal of car for the money. But further polish to the powertrain, suspension, cabin insulation and infotainment system would not go amiss.