Jetour X70 Plus 1.5T Deluxe (2025) Review

It can be rather tough keeping abreast of all the new brands and models making their way onto the local automotive scene. The past few years have seen several new brands, mostly from China, launch locally and offer attractive options for price-conscious South African consumers. Navigating your way through the noise isn't always easy.

Related: Jetour South Africa Launch - A look into the Dashing and X70 Plus models

The latest entrant is the Jetour brand, which offers two models to start with and creates a stir with an aggressive marketing strategy. Jetour falls under the Chery Holding Group but is a little further removed than the Omoda and Jaecoo siblings. Produced in a different plant, Jetour is seen as a stepchild and is run independently here in South Africa. Sean Nurse was recently able to sample the Dashing, but it was up to me to assess the 7-seater X70 Plus.

Exterior

The X70 Plus is an attractive vehicle, even if it is somewhat safe in its design. The designers at Jetour opted for a more conservative approach but managed to maintain a contemporary feel that I believe will age well in the coming years. There's some Jaguar inspiration in the front end, particularly in the shape of the headlights, while the front grille, with its large octagonal shape and chrome facets, is all the rage with current SUV designs. LED DRL elements lend themselves to the modern tech approach, and around the rear, the separated LED elements tie into the design language used up front.

The X70 Plus in Deluxe trim rolls around on dark, 19-inch alloy wheels in wide 235-section tyres. Chrome brightwork around the windows, a sporty red stripe, and details in the skirts and front bumper break the potential monotony of the metallic colours on offer. Our press unit was draped in a rather attractive emerald green.

Interior

There's no denying that the new Chinese offerings prioritize interior trimmings and features. The interiors are rather welcoming, and the X70 Plus is no different. Synthetic leather upholstery and soft-touch trimmings envelop an attractive but, again, conservative interior design. We like to refer to this as perceived quality: the appearance and presentation of luxurious trimmings that look premium.

Closer inspection will reveal faux, moulded stitching alongside actual red stitching and silver plastic switchgear with a questionable feel and action. Two 10.25-inch screens, one for the driver display and one for the infotainment, and a multifunction steering wheel modelled after the previous generation Mercedes-Benz design, replete with touch pads for controlling the screens. Here, you will realize that it was first designed as a left-hand drive model and then converted for right-hand drive markets as the left touchpad controls the right screen, and the right controls the infotainment.

Minor criticisms aside, the interior is pleasant and welcoming. I was rather impressed to find a tactile controller in the centre console for volume control and infotainment shortcuts, which are usually omitted in Chinese products.

Space and Comfort

The X70 Plus offers seating for 7 with an adjustable second row to help create additional legroom for the rear-most passengers. Legroom in the second row is generous, and a semi-flat floor provides great space for the poor souls who get saddled with the middle seat. Boot space is compromised with the third row upright, measuring only 94 litres. This grows to a more suitable 438 litres when you fold the third row flat. There's even more space with the second row folded flat, expanding the cargo area to 1 680-litres in this configuration.

While the X70 offers numerous creature comfort and convenience features, like a panoramic sunroof in the Deluxe trim, voice assistant, and auto easy-access seat positioning, there is no climate control. You get air conditioning but must balance the temperature and fan speed yourself. That's a strange omission in a vehicle with this much tech and electrification.

Safety

That tech extends to the safety systems, naturally. Manufacturers include numerous safety assistance systems to get the most stars possible in the NCAP testing. These range from 360-degree surround cameras to lane change assist and rear cross-traffic alerts. They, in theory, make for a safer vehicle - when they work. Unfortunately, I was forced to switch off some camera systems as the software would easily become confused and stick to a single view, obscuring the rest of the infotainment system until reset.

You get two additional airbags in the Deluxe trim, bringing the total to 6 airbags. ABS with EBD and hill start assist are also standard fare. Traction control and an Electronic Stability Program are also included.

Performance

The X70 Plus is powered by a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine that develops 115kW and 230Nm torque. The drive is transferred to the front wheels through a 6-speed automated dual-clutch gearbox. Traction is the concern when pulling away, and the larger size of the vehicle and front-wheel drive do little favours in the 0 to 100 km/h sprint times. As such, no quote is given, but the top speed is listed as around 180km/h.

Fuel Consumption

Fuel consumption is usually the Achilles Heel of Chinese products, but the X70 Plus performed admirably, returning consistent figures in the low to mid-8s. The open road saw this figure drop to the high 7s, but the daily commute bumped that up only a little to around 8.5 L/100km during our time with it.

Only two drive modes are available. On start-up, the vehicle defaults to Eco mode, with a Sport mode available through the touchscreen.

Price

Attractive pricing is one of the unique selling points of the recent Chinese offerings, and Jetour is driving hard in this regard. Prices for the X70 Plus start at R454 900 for the Momentum trim and only hike slightly to R484 900 for the full-house Deluxe model that we tested. 

It's sold with a 5-year/150 000 km warranty and a 10-year/1 000 000 km warranty on the engine for the first owner, in line with some of the other Chery products. It is complemented by a 5-year/60 000 km service plan to take care of the first batch of services as well.

The Drive

Having loads of tech and pretty trimmings at an attractive price is one thing, but having a vehicle that performs as a vehicle should be another. Sadly, the X70 Plus falls short here too. The pretty package and sub-standard drive show that all that glitters is not always gold. I guess some sacrifices have to be made, and if you're particularly sensitive to throttle calibration, gearbox programming, and steering feel, the X70 will leave you disappointed. 

In Eco mode, the gearbox favours second gear for pull away. This allows you to apply additional throttle to keep up with the moving traffic. The engine, unable to provide enough turbo boost pressure in the low RPMS, will labour until it reaches a point where it does develop enough, and then the X70 will surge forward, spinning the front tyres. This is somewhat rectified in Sport mode, but then the gearbox wants to hold gears for far too long, ruining fuel consumption.

The steering is also vague, giving little idea of where the front wheels are pointing. Entering onto a freeway, you will find yourself sawing at the wheel as you try to trace a line that keeps you between the yellow lines. Thankfully, the brakes feel great and have a nice, progressive feel, and the suspension tuning is lovely, absorbing nearly all undulations and imperfections without coming across as boat-like.

The Verdict

The Jetour X70 Plus's packaging is certainly appealing, with an impressive brochure that makes for an impressive read, especially when compared to peers in the same price bracket. However, there are a few too many concerns with the final product that would have me looking elsewhere. Some characteristics that I don't believe I would get used to. Frankly, when there are alternatives that don't exhibit these bothersome traits, I could be persuaded to sacrifice interior finishes and tech features.

The Jetour X70 Plus may perfectly suit your budget and sensibilities; in that case, it may be the car for you. But I would implore you to do an extensive test drive of the X70 Plus and its more established rivals before making your final decision.