Filipinos’ desire for people-moving, seven-seater crossovers keeps fueling the influx of new marques and models, the majority from China. People keep asking me, are they good or not? One brand gaining traction is Jetour. I believe it is more because of the cute Ice Cream EV (electric vehicle) and the Dashing compact crossover, but their other models are also worth a look.
One model that caught my attention is the more premium of the two seven-seater models from Jetour, the X70 Plus. How will it fare versus established nameplates, and what does it offer buyers in the crowded crossover market?
One of the things I like about the X70 Plus is this modern and expansive shiny grille that takes up most of the nose’s real estate. It distinguished itself from its smaller X70 sibling with slimmer chrome borders and a cleaner appearance when designers moved the centrally-located badge to the top of the hood. It has a chrome lip connecting the sleek halogen headlamps, chrome tips on the vertical daytime running lamps with additional chrome trims, and a shiny underbody garnish. It has decorative fins, roof rails, slim body cladding, LED taillights, a fin antenna, a roof spoiler, and 20-inch wheels.
It does not have an attention-grabbing design, but the angular façade, numerous body lines, and the Deep Blue body hue blend well enough to elicit descriptive words like sophisticated and edgy. It helps a lot that the body paint still has a lot of luster, but what happens to its looks when it fades? Dealers should also attempt to move the number plate mount to the lower air intake to keep the grille clutter-free, and if it were up to me, I would ditch the faux quad exhaust tips, too.
What impressed me the most about the X70 Plus is the premium feel of the cockpit. It has quilted mats, perforated leather seats, a wide center console with cupholders on the right side, and a copious amount of shiny chrome highlighting various elements around the driver. The padded dashboard has a two-tier slim design (which is very chic) and a tablet-like instrument display connecting to another tablet-like infotainment touch monitor. Together, they appear like one big screen. The graphics are colorful and crisp, making them easy on the eyes. Unfortunately, it does not have Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, only Bluetooth. It has an automatic climate control system and a flat-bottom multi-function steering wheel. As a seven-seater, it has a third row with a couple of cupholders and a 12-volt socket, but because leg room is limited, it only fits kids. Jetour added a rotary infotainment controller, but its location is not ideal, and the cooling center glovebox fails to do its job.
After seven days with the X70 Plus, it returned under eight kilometers per liter in mostly highway driving. That means the 1.5-liter turbo gas engine needs vast improvement. It needs to average close to 12 km/l to get good marks. In fairness, the output of 156-PS and 230-Nm of torque is palpable, whether in slow traffic or when overtaking on SLEX. Its six-speed wet dual-clutch automatic transmission is also a work in progress. I have no complaints at high speed, but between first to third gear, it guesstimates what to do in situations like approaching humps or in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
Front and rear disc brakes are standard, including a lane departure warning System, a blind spot monitoring system, a traction control system, and an electronic stability program.
Is the 2023 Jetour X70 Plus the best in its segment? Certainly not, but its pricing will give you pause for thought, considering the premium cabin amenities that trump several competitors. It will go through growing pains, but with experienced people behind Jetour Philippines and a growing dealer network, I expect improvements to come sooner rather than later.