Jetour DashingChinese automaker Jetour will make its public debut in Malaysia next month at the Malaysia Autoshow, with the Dashing and X70 Plus set to be put on display. According to a local Jetour representative, both SUVs are still on track to be launched here in the second half of the year as locally-assembled (CKD) offerings.

If you haven’t heard of Jetour before, it is one of two Chery sub-brands that have been announced for Malaysia, with the other being Jaecoo. Jetour had set up office in Malaysia a few months ago as a separate company from Chery Malaysia with an independent management team, so it will compete against Chery (together with Jaecoo) here.

Focusing on the Jetour cars we’re bound to see in Malaysia soon, the Dashing is a five-seat SUV that is the first to be built on the company’s Kunlun architecture. Measuring 4,590 mm long, 1,900 mm wide, 1,685 mm tall and with a wheelbase of 2,720 mm, the Dashing is sized between a Honda HR-V and CR-V.

In China, the Dashing is offered with a choice of two turbocharged inline-four petrol engines. The first is a 1.5 litre unit rated at 156 PS (154 hp or 115 kW) and 230 Nm of torque mated to a six-speed dual-clutch transmission driving the front wheels. Meanwhile, the second option is a 1.6 litre unit making 197 PS (194 hp or 145 kW) and 290 Nm which is paired with a seven-speed DCT, also driving the front wheels.

Jetour Dashing 

 

The SUV is also available with a i-DM (intelligent-Dual Motor) plug-in hybrid system that uses the 1.5 litre turbo-four engine as a base. This is augmented by an electric motor rated at 170 PS (168 hp or 125 kW) and 315 Nm for a total system output of 326 PS (322 hp or 240 kW) and 545 Nm.

Power for the electric motor is supplied by a ternary lithium battery with an energy capacity of 19.27 kWh, which is good for an electric-only driving range of up to 80 km following the WLTC standard. Like the non-PHEV variants, the i-DM model is front-wheel drive but it uses a three-speed Dedicated Hybrid Transmission (DHT).

As for the X70 Plus (not to be confused with Proton’s SUV), it is a three-row SUV with seating for up to seven people. It is a much larger car than the Dashing at 4,749 mm long, 1,900 mm wide, 1,720 mm tall and having a wheelbase spanning 2,745 mm – the CR-V is smaller by comparison.

Jetour X70 PlusLike its smaller sibling, the X70 Plus is offered with a selection of powertrains in China, the first being a 1.5 litre turbocharged inline-four petrol engine making 156 PS (154 hp or 115 kW) and 230 Nm. This is paired with either a six-speed manual or DCT to drive the front wheels. The second option is the Dashing’s 1.6 litre turbo-four and seven-speed DCT pairing with the same output figures. There’s also a 2.0 litre turbocharged inline-four petrol with 254 PS (251 hp or 187 kW) and 390 Nm, which remains front-wheel drive and with a seven-speed DCT.

As previously reported, the Dashing and X70 Plus were chosen for Malaysia first because they are already available in right-hand drive form – both are currently produced and sold in Indonesia. Moving forward, the T2 (also known as the Traveller) will be added to the local line-up when right-hand drive production begins sometime in July or August.

The T2 has a more rugged, off-road look and is offered with two powertrains in China, including a 1.5 litre turbocharged inline-four petrol engine with 184 PS (181 hp or 135 kW) and 290 Nm, paired with a seven-speed DCT driving the front wheels. There’s also a 2.0 litre turbo-four making 254 PS (251 hp or 187 kW) and 390 Nm, which gets all-wheel drive and a seven-speed DCT.

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