Sara-Jayne Makwala King23 May 2025 | 4:51

Jetour Dashing: China’s bold new 5-seater strikes a chord with SA motorists

Brands like Jetour, BAAIC, Omoda and Chery are making a confident, and increasingly competitive, entry into the South African market.

Jetour Dashing: China’s bold new 5-seater strikes a chord with SA motorists

CapeTalk's Sara-Jayne Makwala King is joined by City Press motoring journalist Melinda Ferguson and Neville Anders, Jetour Sales Manager at William Simpson Tokai.

Listen below:

Sleek, bold, and turning heads on South African roads, the Jetour Dashing is the latest Chinese SUV making waves in the local market.

Like many Chinese-made cars in South Africa, the Dashing combines high-end looks with an accessible price tag.

Anders tells Makwala King that this newcomer is challenging established rivals with customers seeking to trade in their Renaults, VWs and Kias for this new kid on the block.

It's even drawing comparisons to luxury heavyweights like Porsche and Lamborghini, although, of course, at a fraction of the cost.

"It comes in two derivatives, the Momentum and the Deluxe - they're both 1.5 turbo engines, running with a dual-clutch transmission... the price difference between the two is only R30 000."
- Neville Anders, Jetour South Africa/William Simpson Tokai
"The Duluxe is R469 900 and the Momentum is R439 900... if you're looking to drive an affordable premium brand, that is what Jetour is offering."
- Neville Anders, Jetour South Africa/William Simpson Tokai

Ferguson says the Dashing is turning heads for all the right reasons.

"There is this incredibly attractive look about this car. People are talking about Lamborghini, people are talking about Porsche."
- Melinda Ferguson, Motoring journalist - City Press

And it's not just Jetour which is producing head-turners, she says, noting the strategic approach behind the sleek look of many new Chinese vehicles.

"That's where manufacturers from China are being really clever, they're paying designers from VW, from BMW, Porsche... and they are producing the most beautiful looking cars."
- Melinda Ferguson, Motoring journalist - City Press

Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the full conversation from Weekend Breakfast with Sara-Jayne Makwala King.