Jetour coming to Malaysia in H2 2024 – Chery SUV brand; Dashing, X70 launch this year; EVs planned

Chery has entered the Malaysian market guns ablaze, with its main marque already firmly established here and its lifestyle-oriented Jaecoo brand launching very soon. But it’s not done yet – a third brand is being prepared for a local entrance here, and it’s Jetour.

The SUV brand is set to debut in the second half of the year, not too long after Jaecoo. But hang on – aren’t Chery and Jaecoo already SUV brands in their own right? Yes, but in Malaysia at least, Jetour and Chery (and Jaecoo) are being managed by two completely separate entities, so they will end up being competitors in the same turf.

Jetour SUVs are also slightly upmarket compared to Chery’s, something that will be borne out by the vehicles that will be brought in. This year will see the launch of the five-seater Dashing and seven-seater X70 Plus (not to be confused with the Proton X70), competing in the C- and D-segment crossover markets respectively.

Jetour DashingThe Dashing is the newer of the two, based on Jetour’s own Kunlun architecture. This sleek, premium-looking SUV has shades of Lamborghini Urus and Maserati Grecale in its design, plus a chrome window/D-pillar strip and flush pop-out door handles. Inside, you get a floating infotainment touchscreen measuring up to 15.6 inches, a flat top and bottom for the steering wheel and even an outside temperature display on the doors.

 

 

But while the Dashing looks different from a Chery and Jaecoo on the outside, the mechanicals are very similar. You get the choice of two turbocharged four-cylinder engines – a 156 PS/230 Nm 1.5 litre mill from the Omoda 5 or a 197 PS/290 Nm 1.6 litre unit from the Tiggo 7 and Jaecoo J7. Unlike the Omoda 5, the Dashing’s 1.5 litre engine is paired to the same seven-speed wet dual-clutch transmission as the 1.6 litre version, rather than a CVT.

The same is true for the larger X70 Plus, which gets the same 1.5 and 1.6 litre turbo and DCT combo, as well as the 256 PS/390 Nm 2.0 litre turbo from the Tiggo 8 Pro. This car has been around since Jetour’s formation in 2018; the Plus in its name denotes a comprehensive facelift that adds shapely headlights, a large hexagonal grille, full chrome window surrounds and full-width taillights.

Jetour X70 PlusOn the inside, you get a Mercedes-style widescreen display panel with a 10.25-inch centre touchscreen, plus a Land Rover-esque separate display and physical dials for the air conditioning. Of course, there’s the elephant in the room that is the fact that the X70 Plus shares its name with a certain national SUV, and a Jetour rep says the car will likely be renamed for the Malaysian market.

Both these cars were chosen for its Malaysian debut because they are the first to be converted to right-hand drive, with small-scale production having already kicked off at the end of last year for us and Indonesia. The company will hit the ground running with CKD local assembly from the start (just like Jaecoo) so that it can compete with others in the segment in terms of price.

Beyond that, Jetour plans to introduce the Traveller (also known as the T2), a rugged crossover that bears similar styling to the Ford Bronco and Land Rover Defender. The company had planned to bring the car in together with the other two, but production of the RHD variant had been delayed and is now only scheduled to start in July or August.

Jetour TravellerTaking into account CKD tooling and the usual validation and approval process, the Traveller is slated to go on sale in Malaysia next year. There are also plans to enter the electric vehicle via a yet-to-be-announced sedan, although no details have been set in stone.

Jetour had set up office in Malaysia a few months ago as a separate company from Chery Malaysia with an independent management team. Since then, it has been in constant engagement with government agencies such as the ministry of finance, ministry of international trade and industry (MITI) and the Road Transport Department to obtain the necessary approvals for the Dashing and X70 Plus.

 

 

Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.