Introducing The Jetour
I’ve always loved the exterior of the Land Rover Defender, whether old or new. Its boxy shape and rugged appearance are perfectly crafted for off-roading. The short front and rear overhangs are just perfect for clearing steep entry and exit points on a slope. Of course, there is also the legendary Defender’s 4WD powertrain that is the rock of what makes this an immensely capable 4×4 off-road machine. However, there is another vehicle coming to Australia with that same chunky, boxy shape and talented off-road skills. This new machine comes to us from China and will be available to buy down under in 2025. Let’s take a closer look, and by this, I mean you’ll need to look really closely to make sure it is a Jetour and not a Defender. A big hint is to read the brand name that runs across the front of the bonnet!
It is said that we all have a double of ourselves somewhere in the world (I know I do). This double basically looks like us. Land Rover Defender’s double or doppelganger (German for “double walker”) would surely have to be the new Jetour. The Jetour is a vehicle that was designed to be a luxury crossover brand in 2018 and is the creation born from the Chery Holding Group, often known simply as Chery. Chery is an automotive group currently based in the eastern Chinese city of Wuhu. Born in 1997, Chery has grown and developed in a diversified manner with automobiles as its primary business. Over time, Chery have created automobiles, gotten involved in automotive parts, finance, property and modern services. Chery now has over 300 member-enterprises; these include Chery Automobile, Chery Commercial Vehicle, Chery Jaguar Land Rover, Chery Finance and Chery Technology.
The Jetour T2 large off-roader does look really good in the metal, with its square boxy body shape, bold wheel arches and big rubber, high ground clearance, a swinging tailgate with a spare tyre on the outside, big solid bumpers, and an interior that won’t mind getting dirty from an adventure Outback.
Similar again to how Land Rover has designed its latest Defender, the 2024 Jetour T2 is built around a monocoque body, which is a design that offers loads of structural rigidity and stiffness for tackling the rigours of serious off-roading. The monocoque body is the perfect solid foundation for the Jetour T2 4×4’s advanced all-independent chassis. An independent suspension means that all four wheels can drop and ride over large obstacles individually and independently of what the other three wheels are doing at the same time. This enhances the ability to obtain maximum traction at each wheel, perfect for progressing through tricky and slippery terrain.
The new Jetour will come with the option of either a 1.5-litre or a 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine to power the 4×4, and the engine’s power is sent through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission for ensuring optimum engine torque is harnessed at all times. Having a ground clearance rated at 220 mm, and with the engine’s drive sent to all four wheels via the full-time 4×4 system, this is an exciting new off-road SUV for the Adventurer needing a new vehicle to get them to a remote location.
We’re looking forward to it, and be sure that we’ll review it fully when it makes it over here.
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