THIS past weekend, I laid to rest ntatemogolo of the family, in the North West province.
Proceedings went all well, until my younger brother insisted we take the Jetour T1 XWD Odyssey model, for a ride, and you guessed it right, the mourners turned heads, so did the preachers.
They were in awe of the stylish monochrome SUV, that solicited a mild tongue-lashing “I told you to use another entrance”, as we looked for a shade to park- thanks to soaring heat.
The front design is inspired by Hu architecture.
Striking 19-inch alloy wheels, spotting a global design that threatens anything on the road, and broad barn-sided lines with a road presence that makes you feel invincible, that’s the exterior of the T1, in greyish colour.
Loved its squared-off silhouette, wide stance and assertive body lines, thanks to its length: 4, 705mm, width: 1,967mm and height: 1, 843mm
As for the interior, the cabin is modern and generously equipped. A commanding 15.6-inch infotainment screen anchors the dashboard, which is complemented by a 540-degree panoramic camera system, dual-layer soundproof glass, and cloud-like ergonomic seats.
The nine-speaker Sony sound system adds a premium flourish, however, the tech is a little complicated, with menus that are difficult to navigate, only manageable if you’re a passenger.
As we made our way with family members on Thursday evening to the funeral, I could hear it has been fitted with 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine (not diesel), the only snag though: the throttle and transmission programming needs to be improved on the T1.
As for power delivery its perfect, loved it.
The layout is open and convenient to pack as many passengers as possible, so is the luggage.
It offers 7- feature drive modes from city and sport to snow, mud, sand, rocks, and Eco mode. I used sport mode, until hitting off-road that meant had to switch to sand mode, but at times kept fiddling with the rotating drive modes.
It stands tall, wide and proud a deliberate design choice rooted in Jetour’s global “Travel+” philosophy, which celebrates exploration, mobility and freedom, hence its ground clearance that comes at 190mm- it was convenient for the person of my stature.
The T1 is offered with two turbocharged petrol engines – a 1.5-litre (125 kW/270 Nm) and 2.0-litre (180 kW/375 Nm) – both paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
On fuel economy, T1 claimed 12.4 L/100km and 14 litres/100km.
The range-topping Odyssey derivative features Jetour’s XWD intelligent all-wheel-drive system, designed to balance everyday comfort with light off-road confidence.
According to Jetour SA, having launched both T1 and T2 respectively in Cape Town, last year, T1 has thus far sold over 900 units, and still counting.
Its no-wonder its popular on our roads.
The T1 XWD Odyssey retails for R 634 900 at the time of publishing.
Verdict
Performance 1-10 (8)
Fuel 1-10 (7)
Rest eternally in Peace- ntatemogolo Jan Butinayana ‘Kwena’ Kgomongwe!
All images SLM (The stylish monochrome SUV Jetour T1 a definite head-turner).
