Plug-in hybrid powertrain makes Jetour T2 even more appealing
· Citizen
Boasting runaway sales and a Car of the Year award in the short time since its local arrival, there was little more the Jetour T2 could do to make it any more popular.
Yet its stock is set to rise even further with the addition of a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain. Mind you, South Africa is the first right-hand drive market to receive the PHEV.
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At launch towards the end of last year, the Chery-owned Chinese manufacturer offered the Jetour T2 with a choice of two powertrains, both turbocharged petrol units. A 1.5-litre that sends 125kW of power and 270Nm of torque to the front wheels and 180kW/375Nm 2.0-litre in four-wheel drive guise. Both are mated to automated dual-clutch transmission.
PHEV fixes problems
But like The Citizen Motoring noted in our driving impression of the flagship 2.0T Odyssey XWD in March, the Jetour T2 is not immune to troubled Chinese throttle calibration. First there is nothing when you stomp on the accelerator. Then is plenty. Then you learn to live with the initial lag. And figure out the sweet spot to avoid wheel spin.
As much as iffy throttle calibration is a common feature of non-hybrid Chinese cars, the complete lack thereof is the general denominator in hybrid offerings for the People’s Republic. The Jetour T2 PHEV is no exception.
Officially called the i-DM by Jetour, the T2 PHEV model combines the 1.5-litre mill from the entry level petrol model with an 18.4kWh battery pack and two electric motors. The engine itself makes 100kW/220Nm, the front electric motor 75kW/170Nm and the one at the rear 90kW/220Nm. For once, a don’t need a degree in rocket science to work out the system total, but only a calculator. It all adds up to 265kW/610Nm.
The Jetour T2 borrows a number of styling cues from the Land Rover Defender. Picture: Jaco van der MerweSupersmooth Jetour T2
Unlike the 2.0T Odyssey model it is based on, the i-DM is sent to the front wheels only and not all four corners. This is done by three-speed dedicated hybrid transmission (DHT), which is key to the whole transformation in the PHEV ridding itself of calibration issues.
With a fully charged battery, which takes three hours at a conventional AC outlet, electric power is instant like in any fully electric car. The delivery is supersmooth and you’ll be hard-pressed to notice that there are three gears instead of only one.
While the power outputs might look good on paper, the Jetour T2 PHEV is definitely not a rocket. At 2 138kg, 228kg more than the 2.0T Odyssey XWD, you can feel the weight of the SUV, especially under hard braking.
Managing the energy
The T2 offers three PHEV-specific energy modes; EV, HEV and Power-saving/charge mode. In EV mode, the car runs only on electricity, in HEV mode it uses a combination of engine and electric power and only on engine power in power-saving mode to charge the battery.
What we liked is that the T2 gave a detailed breakdown of both the electricity consumed and fuel burned. Over the course of 578km, our power consumption was 5.2kWh/100km and fuel consumption 6.9L/100km. In comparison, we could hardly keep the 2.0T Odyssey under 10L/100km.
A 15.6-inch infotainment system takes centre stage in the cabin. Picture: Jaco van der MerweWe could have saved fuel if we charged up every day, which is kind of the idea behind a PHEV. A fully charged battery provides an electric range of 90km, which is less than the average commuter travels per day.
Preserving battery power
Similar to BYD products, you can choose a state of charge percentage for the battery which will then be maintained. We kept it at 30%, but can’t tell how this would have affected the energy and fuel consumption.
Jetour also claims a range of 1 200km is possible on a fully charged battery and full 70-litre fuel tank. We did not put it to the test.
In addition, the car also supports vehicle-to-load (V2L) of up to 3.3kWh.
Jetour T2 PHEV attractive alternative
At R779 900, the i-DM comes at a R100 000 premium over the 2.0T Odyssey XWD. While it loses out on four-wheel drive, it makes huge gains on the power front, fuel consumption and overall driveability. All the more reason that the PHEV will make the Jetour T2 even more popular.
