Jetour T2 facelift revealed with 2.0T 8AT and 782 PS PHEV

Jetour has opened order books for the facelifted T2 at Chengdu Motor Show, introducing revised petrol and plug-in hybrid variants with new powertrain and interior upgrades.

The refreshed "box" SUV arrives with a more refined front end, featuring circular headlights replacing the square ones and a light strip joining them across the grille. The bumper has been made flush and painted in body colour, dispensing with pseudo-off-roader lights and tow hooks. At the rear, vertical four-point taillights are joined by a new spoiler and smoother D-pillar trim, while the bumper receives a simpler design and new auxiliary lights.

Inside, the basic architecture appears retained but every part has been tweaked, dispensing with many macho design details. A cleaner dashboard is bookended by new integrated dual vertical air vents finished in chrome. The centre console has been made neater, though physical switchgear including air-con controls and a rotary selector for seven drive modes remains. Dual smartphone holders with a Qi wireless charger also feature. New ten-way power-adjustable comfort seats with 12-layer construction and eight-point massage are joined by a 23-speaker surround sound system and 256-colour ambient lighting. Quilted upholstery adds to the plush cabin, while chunky grab handles maintain a sense of ruggedness. A new steering wheel from the larger G700, now with a round top, completes the look.

Under the bonnet, the T2 launches with a 2.0 litre turbo four-cylinder engine, dispensing with the base 1.5 litre option. Outputs are not quoted, but it should offer the same 254 PS and 390 Nm as the outgoing Chinese-market model, 9 PS and 15 Nm more than in other countries. The seven-speed dual-clutch transmission has been replaced by an eight-speed automatic, hitherto reserved only for the top-spec model.

The plug-in hybrid has been upgraded, still with a 1.5 litre turbo four but with stronger dual motors combining to push out 782 PS and 835 Nm. It is claimed to offer 245 km of electric range on the CLTC cycle, up from 212 km currently, and a combined range of 1,400 km.

All models come with highly-autonomous city and highway driving functions, though from different suppliers. Petrol variants feature Chery's own Falcon 500 technology, while the PHEV upgrades to Huawei's Qiankun ADS5 system.

These upgrades come as the T2 notched cumulative global sales of over 550,000 units, contributing to Jetour's total worldwide sales of 2.45 million units.", "table": [["Variant", "Engine", "Transmission", "Power", "Torque", "EV Range (CLTC)", "Combined Range"]], ["Petrol 2.0T", "2.0L turbo four", "8AT", "254 PS", "390 Nm", "-", "-"], ["PHEV", "1.5L turbo four", "N/A", "782 PS combined", "835 Nm", "245 km", "1,400 km"]]