There is no doubt that Jetour got it right with the Dashing’s look. Its Euro-inspired vibe feels like a mix between an Urus and a Macan, and that big macho body — even though it is classified as a compact crossover — exudes power and confidence. I cannot fault you for falling in love at first sight.

Jetour got everything right in the looks department with this first-gen model. That nose is, as the kids today say, fire (or is it lit?). The way the hood slopes down to the wide grille and its gorgeous non-linear mesh, the slim LED daytime running light on top, and the stacked LED auto headlamps (with height adjustment feature) are the best I have seen in the segment. To give it some heft, it gets bulgy fenders, while the rear gets a roof spoiler, slim LED taillights, a power tailgate, and a diffuser-type bottom garnish. 

I absolutely dig the design. It is a seamless mix of smooth shapes and jagged edges without becoming confusing. Plus, I like the effect of the silver blade accent running across the roofline on the black body. It sits on 19-inch wheels already but still begs to go bigger. Methinks 20s or 21s? But the best part for me is the flush door handles. Approach it (with its Smart Rubik’s Cube key on your person), and they automatically flip out. Walk away, and it folds back in.

If you think that is good, wait ‘til you see the cabin. It has a white-on-black cockpit motif, black mats with red stitching, and a highly futuristic layout for a P1.329 million compact crossover. I guess you can say, looks-wise, you are getting a lot of bang for your buck. It has a flat top and bottom steering wheel, full leather upholstery, and even a panoramic sunroof.

What are the things I like? The wide center console is number one. It has an ergonomic gear shifter and a generous section in front that is split between a 40w wireless fast-charging pad and a regular device holder so you can move your smartphone over when the battery is full so it does not overcharge. Two front USB ports (Type-A and Type-C). Second is the 12.8-inch touchscreen. It has Bluetooth connectivity and acts as the display showing the 180-degree transparent chassis and 360-degree visual parking assist feature. Third are the small touches like the magnetic snap-on belt on the door panel armrests that turn this area into a secure storage space, the center console refrigeration function, and even seat ventilation. Finally, the slim digital instrument panel is an awesome space saver. It shows the necessary information minus the clutter and bulk of typical designs.

What needs improvement? There are a few. The bucket seats are snug and have enough bolstering, but the bottom needs to be longer for better leg support. The electronic parking brake needs to be closer to the gear shifter because its current position (bottom left of the dashboard) is odd. It needs Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and for some reason, I need to disconnect and reconnect the Bluetooth every startup (I do not mean re-pairing). Also, most of the vehicle settings are on the touchscreen, from climate control to the side mirror adjustments. It gets a bit tedious diving into menus just to make minor adjustments.

I expected the small displacement — 1.5L turbocharged engine — to struggle with the vehicle’s size, but I was wrong. 156-PS and 230-Nm of torque were enough to make it agile both in the city and on the highway. What needs to be better is the six-speed dual-clutch transmission (it does not know whether to upshift or downshift and sometimes stays in low gear too long while accelerating in slow traffic). Somebody needs to fix the delayed response as well. Whether it is reversing or starting from a standstill, the throttle response is not what it is supposed to be so the tendency is to put more pressure to the detriment of fuel efficiency. Surprisingly, I still averaged 11.5 km/l in mixed driving conditions. With a bit more tweaking, the Dashing could probably hit 14-15 km/l regularly.

The comfort is excellent. Because of its width, ground clearance, and terrific noise, vibration, and harshness insulation, my 13-year-old son slept like a baby through EDSA potholes and traffic and the long drive along the Skyway and SLEX.

With a name like Dashing, it is hard to take a vehicle seriously, but Jetour’s compact crossover makes a compelling case. If looks could kill, inside and out, this vehicle would be public enemy number 1, and if it irons out some of its kinks, it would not be a far-fetched idea to see it become number 1 in the list of compact crossover sales.