In recent times, South Africa has seen more and more Chinese manufacturers enter the local automotive market, tackling different segments. One of the newcomers is the JMC Landwind 5 and although most had their reservations, it proved to be a very competitive offering in the mid-size SUV segment.
Related: JMC Landwind 5 review – Lost in Translation
Haval had a similar humble beginning locally and continued to grow its presence and product offerings, so much so that the brand has become a sought after choice in some segments. In the greater scheme of things, Mahindra is also a young brand locally as they only entered South Africa during 1996 and growing its presence since.
However, it is not only in origins that these three companies share similarities but also in their ability to provide South Africans with stylish. and affordable products. For this article, we will be primarily focussing on the Landwind 5, TUV300 and H2 models, all three of which competing in the compact-SUV segment.
Price
In order for us to find out what the running costs will be, we need to calculate what the estimated monthly repayment will be. We have created a formula for calculating a realistic monthly repayment and will be using it in this article, however, our readers should note that each individual finance application will differ based on different banks, administration fees and of course individual credit profiles.
The formula we use is to take the total price of the desired model and calculate over a repayment period of 72 months at an interest rate of 12%. We include a 10% deposit, however, we leave the residual at 0%. To easily calculate this formula for each model, we will be using the AutoTrader Finance Calculator which is free to use on our website.
JMC Landwind 5 2.0T Flagship
For this comparison, we chose the highest specified model, the Flagship derivative. Although pricing can change at any moment and without notice, the retail price for the JMC Landwind 5 2.0T Flagship at the time of writing this article is R249 995. Using the formula laid out above, the monthly repayment on the model is estimated to be R4 398.71.
Financing the vehicle over the 72 months at a 12% interest rate results in the estimated total repayment being R316 706.78 as the total amount of interest calculates to be R91 711.28.
Mahindra TUV300 1.5CRDe T8
We chose the Mahindra TUV300 1.5CRDe T8 variant as it closely compares to the JMC in both performance and specification. This is also reflected in the total purchasing price which is set at R 254 999 at the time of writing this article. The estimated monthly repayment on this amount comes to R4 486.75 a mere R88.04 more than the Landwind 5.
The estimated total interest that would accumulate over the 72 month period is R93 547.01. This means the full repayment amount is estimated to be R323 046.11 a full R6 339.33 more than the JMC.
Haval H2 1.5T City
The Haval is the most premium priced out of the three competitors with the total retail amount being R294 900 at the time of writing this article. The R44 905 premium over the JMC sees that the estimated monthly repayment on the H2 being R5 188.82 a mere R790.11 more per month than the Landwind and R702.07 more the TUV300.
The estimated total repayment over the 72 month period results in R373 594.79 with the total accumulated interest being R108 184.79. The total interest on the Haval H2 is R16 473.51 more than the amount on the JMC and R14 637.78 more than on the TUV300.
Fuel consumption
Calculating fuel consumption on any vehicle is difficult as there are varying factors that will alter the result. These factors include things as simple as the wind direction to the individual driving style. Because of the variables, we will be taking using the manufacturer claimed figure. Readers should note that these figures normally would only be achieved in laboratory conditions and will most likely differ from real-world figures.
Although the Haval H2 has the highest estimated monthly repayment, the 1.5-litre, turbocharged petrol motor pack as punch to back up the price. With the engine coupled to the 6-speed manual transmission, the H2 will produce 105 kW and 202 Nm of torque, however, this power comes at a price with the claimed average fuel consumption being 8.2 L / 100 km.
The Mahindra chose to rather fit a 1.5-litre, turbocharged, diesel engine and coupled it to a 5-speed manual gearbox. The combination might provide less power only producing 74 kW, however, makes up for it as it develops 240 Nm of torque. One of the biggest benefits of the configuration is the low average fuel consumption, claimed to be only 5.4 L / 100 km.
Out of the three competitors, the JMC Landwind 5 is the most powerful, producing 140 kW and 250 Nm of torque, however, does so with a less frugal 2.0-litre, turbocharged petrol engine. The motor is coupled to an impressive 8-speed automatic transmission but is claimed to return an average fuel consumption figure of 8.5 L / 100 km, impressive considering the engine capacity but still the highest out of the three.
Warranties and Service plans
Both the JMC and Mahindra offerings come standard with a 3-year / 100 000 km warranty, however, Haval increased the time period resulting in a 5-year / 100 000 km manufacturer warranty. On the other hand, the H2 come with a 5-year / 60 000 km service plan whereas the TUV300 includes a 3-year / 90 000 km service plan into the purchase price.
The JMC Landwind 5, however, trumps both with an impressive 5-year / 100 000 km service plan. Remember, although a manufacturer warranty will prevent you spending money on repairs which is a result of a failed component or bad assembly, a service plan saves you on planned maintenance that needs to occur for the vehicle to operate at its best.
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