If you think you’re being bombarded by new car brands from China on a near weekly basis, well, you would not be the only one.
As motoring scribes, those in my profession are facing with an onslaught of brands, information and model updates at a pace that could just match the smart phone industry.
It was never like this just a few years ago. Back then, there would probably be one new model launch a month, a couple of press conference a week and that would be about it.
The pace was slower. Much slower.
But this quicker pace of things is not a bad thing. In fact, everyone stands to win from this.
Legacy brands that have been having it easy in Malaysia are now forced to rethink their strategies to offer Malaysians the best value for money cars or otherwise stand to be left behind.
The newer brands have to compete harder to convince buyers and they do so by giving as many features as they can for as low of a price tag, they can. Many would agree that the features being offered would put some locally assembled premium brands to shame.
But who ultimately wins from all this? You! The consumer. The buyer.
And joining the race now is a brand called Jetour. And if you have not already heard of them, well, you’re in for quite a treat.
Who is Jetour?
Jetour is another brand under the massive Chery group, which also includes the likes of Omoda and Jaecoo as well.
You might be wondering why Chery would expand their brand identity so thin, but there is a specific reason behind it. While Omoda and Jaecoo focus on the export market as premium brands, Jetour has its own specific purpose as well.
A quick search online will tell you that Jetour was created to “focus on affordable, family-oriented SUVs and crossovers particularly targeting young families and middle-class consumers.”
So, by creating a sub-brand, Chery could then focus on creating niche products for a different demographic without diluting its main brand. And this would also allow Chery to compete against domestic and international rivals in the budget SUV segment.
It is no secret that Chery is interested to move upmarket with its premium brands, it is consistently firing salvos at that segment with its Omoda and Jaecoo sub-brands in the local market as well as other global market.
With Jetour, it can focus on a creating products for a completely different demographic using products that are tech-savvy and youth-focused that offer high value-for-money with a design that is both trendy and sporty.
Enter the Dashing
This is the first model introduced by Jetour for the local market. And it is set for local assembly in a few months.
Jetour is working with Berjaya Assembly to assemble the cars at its plant in Johor, but the first 100 cars will be imported from China. So as of writing this, ready stock is available for those interested.
The Dashing is available in two different variants, the entry-level Dashing 1.5 TCI Prime which is priced at RM109,800 and the flagship Prime variant, priced at RM116,800.
The Dashing operates in the ultra-competitive SUV C-Segment, which includes such heavyweights as the Proton X70, Honda CRV as well as the GWM Haval H6. So, the Dashing truly has a mountain to climb to convince buyers.
The trick is up in its sleeve
I look for the good and the bad every time I review a car. So that I can help you make an informed purchase decision. But any car reviewer should always look at the price tag of the car first, before seeing the actual car what more driving it.
On a recent first impression drive organized by the team at Jetour Malaysia, I had a chance to get properly acquainted with the flagship Prime variant. That was the only model available, and with a price tag of the aforementioned RM116,800, I approached it whole heartedly.
And you can’t help but embrace the experience whole heartedly because when you first see the Dashing in person, it truly looks like a majestic car because of its size and futuristic design angles.
Its design has a little bit of everything in it. A touch of Lotus, headlights from the Omoda 5 and stacked on top of one another like they are on the Mitsubishi Triton. The rear is a mix of Toyota Corolla Cross and the Omoda 5 as well.
It is a good-looking car, and that is to be expected since the brains behind the design of the car is none other than Hakan Saracoglu.
Hakan is a Turkish-German automotive who formerly worked for Porsche and designed such greats as the Boxster, Cayman and the 918 Spyder. So, with such design pedigree, it is not entirely surprising that Jetour’s first model for the Malaysian market has such a dashing appearance (lame, I know).
And then there is the size that grips you when you first lay eyes on it. It may not look like it in these photos, but it is a big car. And you feel the space inside as well.
The interior is said to be inspired by oriental living layout, which is meant to wrap around you according to the Jetour spokesperson who was giving the pre-drive briefing.
I am not sure what to make of that, but I can tell you that the interior is a nice balance of minimalist futurism. The two screens up ahead for the infotainment system and instrument cluster each measure in at 10.25-inches.
But in typical Chery fashion which in turn has some design inspiration from Mercedes-Benz, the two screens are merged at the centre to form one giant screen. You see this in almost all of Chery products except for the Jaecoo J7.
So, what is that trick up its sleeve you may ask? It is the space and comfort levels of the Dashing. It is easy for someone about six-feet tall to get comfortable in the front and rear seats. There is plenty of boot space as well, 486 litres expandable to 977 litres to be exact.
And for that price tag, this is quite impressive, and I believe this alone may attract some buyers.
The space is further complemented by such niceties like wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto, a full panoramic roof, six-speaker sound system, ambient lighting and of course, multiple USB ports sprinkled all around the cabin.
But what is that its trick up its sleeve?
Because driving it is not an occasion to be remembered. I know that is putting it very bluntly, but the Dashing is a tool, a means to an end.
It is designed to be a nice big SUV that will keep your family safe and comfortable and will get you to where you want to go without so much as a fuss. And that is about it.
Powering the Dashing is a 1.5-litre, turbocharged, four-cylinder petrol engine. It is mated to a six-speed dual-clutch transmission which sends 156PS and 230Nm of torque to the front wheels.
It is not a very powerful powertrain but neither does it try to be either. There are only two drive modes – Sports and Eco but this is for power delivery. There are also two drive modes for the steering wheel – Sports and Comfortable.
Though they might sound purposeful, but the difference between two modes is not that broad. And finding and selecting the modes is a multistep process that involves diving deep into multiple menu layers when a simple dedicated button would have done the trick. Or perhaps included it as an option in the swipe down menu.
A little more eagerness from the powertrain would have helped with merging into traffic and accelerating to get up to highway speed. In its current form, it feels a little lethargic. But as I said earlier in this article, we must keep its price in mind.
The fact of the matter is, the Dashing is an affordable SUV that offers impressive space and comfort. And if its more power you want, there are other fruits to pick from Chery’s tree in the form of models from Omoda, Jaecoo and Chery itself.
Anything else you should know about?
For its price tag, it offers some impressive safety systems as well. These differ between the Prime and the Comfort, but the flagship variant gives you six airbags, brake assist, traction control, electronic stability control, tyre pressure monitoring system, and even an ADAS suite that include lane change warning, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert and a 540-degree camera.
It may not be a power monger, but it does come with an impressive array of features designed to keep you safe and comfortable. That alone makes the Dashing worth a look.
Specifications:
Engine: 1.5-litre, turbocharged, inline-4, petrol
Power: 156PS
Torque: 230Nm @ 1750rpm
Transmission: 6-speed dual-clutch
Price (as tested): RM116,800
We like: Design, spaciousness and comfort
We don’t like: Needs more power
