A threesome with two Chinese models — and I totally get the fuss
There’s a moment on the R44 between Stellenbosch and Wellington, the Winelands doing their golden-hour winter thing — all blue sky and bare vineyards and mountain silhouettes — when you stop thinking about what a car costs and start thinking about what it feels like. I had that moment twice last week. Once in each direction. And both times I was in a Jetour.
I finally managed to spend quality time with the T1 and its larger sibling, the T2, back to back over a week. The Terminator quips write themselves — particularly for the T2, which recently enjoyed a very positive Judgement Day indeed. In case you missed it: it just became the first Chinese vehicle ever to win the South African Car of the Year award in the competition’s forty-year history. Forty years. German brands have had a stranglehold on that title for so long that the announcement felt less like a podium finish and more like a regime change.
The T1 and T2 are part of Jetour’s T-Series — boxy, upright, unashamedly Defender-adjacent crossovers that share a platform and a general worldview but serve slightly different briefs. They both arrived in South Africa in October 2025, and the market has responded with enthusiasm. In less than six months, Jetour was sitting in the top ten best-selling brands in the country. That’s not a fluke. That’s a statement.
THE T2: THE ONE THAT YOU NOTICE FIRST
Let’s deal with the headline act first. The T2 is the reason people are walking into Jetour dealerships, pointing at a car they’d never heard of eighteen months ago, and handing over between R570k and R680k without a moment’s hesitation. And having spent a week with it, I understand completely. It’s genuinely hard to fault this thing — and believe me, I looked for reasons.
The exterior is the first thing. It’s boxy in the way that Land Rovers are boxy — purposeful rather than lazy, with a short front overhang, upright glasshouse and a spare wheel on the tailgate that winks knowingly at the Defender faithful. The resemblance isn’t accidental. At R680k for the flagship AWD Odyssey, it costs less than half what a comparable Defender does, and some buyers are going to have a very hard time justifying the difference to themselves – that is unless you’re after proper off-road capability. For that, few can touch a Defender.
Under the bonnet of the AWD models sits a 2.0-litre turbopetrol producing 180kW and 375Nm, fed through a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission. At the coast particularly — where the lack of altitude keeps the engine breathing freely — the T2 delivers a genuinely smooth, confident driving experience. On the open road it feels settled and unhurried, which in the context of a family SUV is exactly what you want. The AWD system adds reassurance on gravel and the odd slippery pass, and the Crawl Control mode means it’s more capable on dirt than its mild-adventure billing might suggest.
Inside, Jetour has gone in with both fists. A Qualcomm Snapdragon-powered infotainment system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a panoramic roof, a cabin that genuinely feels premium rather than aspirationally premium. Add the optional luggage boxes and roof ladder and you’ve got something that looks like it belongs at a luxury overlanding expo — which is exactly the intended effect.
Jetour T2 SA Specs & Pricing:
– T2 1.5T Aspire 7DCT (FWD): R569,900 | 125kW / 270Nm
– T2 2.0T Xplora 7DCT (AWD): R639,900 | 180kW / 375Nm
– T2 2.0T Odyssey 7DCT (AWD): R679,900 | 180kW / 375Nm
– T2 i-DM PHEV: R779,900 | 265kW / 610Nm system output
– Dimensions: 4,785mm L | 2,006mm W | 1,843mm H | 2,800mm wheelbase
– Ground clearance: 190mm
– Warranty: 7yr/200,000km vehicle | 10yr/1,000,000km engine (first owner)
THE T1: THE UNDERDOG WITH ITS OWN IDENTITY
Here’s the thing about the T1 — it doesn’t feel like the smaller car.
Yes, the numbers say it’s 80mm shorter than the T2. Yes, it starts at R515k. But behind the wheel on the R44, it felt every bit as planted, every bit as composed. The T1 refuses to feel like the budget option, which in a two-car test is no small feat.
Where the T2 wears its Defender inspiration fairly openly, the T1 seems to have arrived at its identity more independently. It’s still boxy and upright, but there’s something slightly less derivative about the detailing — it feels like it’s found its own look rather than borrowed someone else’s. On the road it’s stable, unflustered and confidence-inspiring, with that same 7-speed dual-clutch handling the gear changes smoothly in both the FWD 1.5T and the available AWD 2.0T.
The interior carries over the T2’s commitment to specification generosity — big screens, good connectivity, a cabin that punches well above its price point. For a first or second-time SUV buyer stepping out of a hatchback, the T1 would feel like a genuine upgrade in almost every respect.
It doesn’t have the T2’s wow factor. But it doesn’t try to, which is actually rather clever. It’s a car that earns your trust quietly over distance, which — as any long-term relationship will tell you — is worth considerably more than fireworks on day one.
Jetour T1 SA Specs & Pricing:
– T1 1.5T Edge 7DCT (FWD): R514,900 | 125kW / 270Nm
– T1 1.5T Aspire 7DCT (FWD): R544,900 | 125kW / 270Nm
– T1 2.0T Xplora 7DCT (AWD): R614,900 | 180kW / 375Nm
– T1 2.0T Odyssey Dark Night 7DCT (AWD): R659,900 | 180kW / 375Nm
– T1 i-DM PHEV: R689,900 | 250kW / 530Nm system output
– Dimensions: 4,705mm L | 1,967mm W | 1,843mm H | 2,800mm wheelbase
– Ground clearance: 190mm
– Warranty: 7yr/200,000km vehicle | 10yr/1,000,000km engine (first owner)
THE VERDICT
Both cars are genuinely good prospects. Not “good for the money” good — just good, full stop. The T1 is a compelling family SUV that feels bigger than its price tag, handles its brief with confidence and brings a distinct enough identity to avoid looking like a reduced-price T2. If your budget tops out around R515k to R660k and you want a lot of car for it, it belongs firmly on your shortlist.
The T2 is the one I’d get. If the money was there, I’d have the AWD Odyssey with the luggage boxes and roof ladder, load up my mountain bike and point it at a mountain pass, and feel extremely pleased with myself. The Car of the Year win is controversial but deserved — it’s the kind of vehicle that makes you question assumptions you’ve held for years about what a certain badge is worth.
But here’s the honest caveat, because fair is fair: you’re shopping in the most oversaturated segment in South Africa right now. The mid-size SUV space is absolutely heaving with strong, proven options — Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai and others have been doing this for decades, with the dealer networks, parts availability and resale values to show for it. The Jetour warranty is extraordinary on paper (ten years, a million kilometres on the engine for the first owner — let that breathe for a moment), but long-term ownership of a young brand in a market this competitive is a question only time can answer.
That’s not a reason to avoid them. It’s a reason to go in with eyes open. Which, on a clear winter’s day in the Winelands with a mountain view and two very capable crossovers, is pretty much the ideal way to approach anything.