Jetour Dashing Prime Review: Left Field, Right Choice

The Jetour Dashing Prime provides the best value for money in its segment

The SUV segment in Malaysia has been very saturated lately. From electric vehicles (EVs) to hybrids and even in the internal combustion engine (ICE) market, the humble SUV has seen a massive surge in options all across the board and the newest entry to the Malaysian market, the Jetour Dashing, may just be the most value for money option of them all.

Now while we do have our usual suspects, the Honda CR-V (it is a wee bit bigger but let’s ignore that fact), the Mazda CX-5, and the Proton X70, the new arrivals from China either undercut the price of all these cars or offer so much more tech and features for a slightly higher price but the Jetour Dashing does both.

Not only is the Jetour Dashing cheaper than all the aforementioned rivals, but it also does everything it is supposed to do fairly well while still offering many useful features and tech while also offering warranty packages that are far better than almost every other automaker in the country, while also looking, well, very dashing.

Moreover, in such a saturated market, most buyers simply do not care about gimmicks and will get back to the essence of what the car needs to be. In that regard, the Jetour Dashing actually delivers. It is a great family SUV, in almost every way. In fact, I would say, this car is fundamentally the best family SUV that is just a family SUV.

Performance

However, just like everything else, the Jetour Dashing is not perfect and while it does so many things right, it simply cannot keep up with more performance oriented SUVs to save its life. Powered by a humble 1.5-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder petrol engine that makes 156PS of power and 230Nm of torque, this car is definitely not a sleeper.

While no one ever expects a family SUV to be as sporty as a coupe or even put the fear of God in the driver when flooring the accelerator pedal, there are SUVs that do just that. Think of the Lamborghini Urus, for example. A practical and spacious family SUV that can also somehow keep up with a Chevrolet Corvette on the roads.

Now of course, the exorbitant price tag that comes with the Urus is many times more than the very meagre by comparison RM116,800 asking price of the top spec Jetour Dashing here in Malaysia so the two SUVs definitely can’t be compared. Yet, the strange choice to include paddle shifters will suggest the Dashing should be far more sporty than it actually is.

Of course, the Jetour Dashing prime is more than capable on the road and its power is more than sufficient to avoid the dreaded high beams of certain cars on the right lane of the highway but for a car that looks so stunning on the outside and has paddle shifters on the inside, I think the fact that the car is as sluggish as it is is very counterintuitive.

On the other hand, fuel efficiency seemed to be a bit concerning as we never really went all out and spent most of the first half of our drive driving quite sensibly, yet the fuel tank kept depleting steadily. This is not surprising though as the Jetour Dashing Prime weighs 1,553kg and a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine will definitely struggle to push all that weight.

We never managed to take the Jetour Dashing to its highest speed but we did do enough to at least overtake most lane hoggers on the highway but the throttle response is very sluggish and this car, if anything, relies more on momentum once it gets going rather than acceleration to maintain higher speeds.

Now, I understand that performance is not very high on the priority list of prospective family SUV buyers but I honestly think that there is not enough of a difference in how the Jetour Dashing Prime drives when in sport mode vs the default eco mode. Switching between the two modes is another hassle as well but we’ll circle back to that later.

Design

Obviously, there are another 2 or 3 small quirks that make the Jetour Dashing a tad less pleasant but one area in which the car unequivocally does not disappoint is its design. Both inside and out, the Jetour Dashing oozes style and despite being a very practical family SUV, one simply cannot help but gawk at the beauty of the Jetour Dashing, no matter the angle.

The mecha inspired design on the front fascia of the Jetour Dashing gives it a very unique look here in Malaysia, so no one would ever mistake it for anything else. The side is balanced and well proportioned while catching the eye with its sharp lines and high ground clearance while at the back, the integrated brake lights on the spoiler add a touch of class.

In short, the exterior of the Jetour dashing is nothing short of breathtaking, and this pattern repeats itself on the inside as well. From the colours to the ambient lighting (only available on the Prime variant) to the overall layout which was inspired by ancient Chinese architecture, everything just looks great.

The triple air con vent in the middle of the dashboard along with the twin screen digital driver display and central infotainment screen setup look very modern while the entire car itself flows together. The black semi bucket seats with red stitching and the off white pillars and roof on the inside of the Jetour Dashing create an airy and spacious feel as well.

Practicality

For this segment, let’s start at the back. The Jetour Dashing has a very spacious cabin, both for front and rear passengers but the real highlight is the 486L boot, which becomes an even more impressive 977L when the rear seats are folded down. Essentially, you can fit a whole weekend’s worth of luggage for a whole family in the boot and still have space for 5 people in the car.

The cubby spaces in the door card, centre console and boot are all also impressive and Jetour also pointed out how one could even fit a folding umbrella into the side compartment located at the door card which is a very useful feature given the unpredictability of our weather here in the land of nasi lemak.

Now Jetour is also very proud of how spacious the Dashing is in comparison to it’s rivals, and the brand even pointed out that this car is exceptionally wide for its segment. Measuring 1,900mm in width, 1,685mm in height, 4,590mm in length and sporting a 2,720 wheelbase, the Jetour Dashing certainly makes good use of these proportions to maximise space for occupants.

On top of that, when I was driving, I’m about 5’7 for reference, our buddy Keshy from Piston.my, who is 6 feet tall, mentioned that he had quite a bit of room and didn’t feel that legroom or head room was lacking in any way. Jetour also mentioned that its seats are 20mm longer than its closest rivals which add to the comfort.

Comfort

Speaking of comfort, most people looking to buy a family SUV will likely prioritise comfort and the Jetour Dashing is very comfortable, from wide and soft seats that hold your body in place, to a very impressive suspension system that somehow glides over bumps even at higher speeds, sitting in this car is always going to be a pleasure.

Of course, we are not encouraging anyone to simply ignore speed bumps and drive over them like they aren’t there but at least for a family car, the Jetour Dashing will make sure that everyone stays planted and comfortable when inside. Oh, and the air con system works flawlessly as well and rear passengers get a rear air con vent to keep cool too.

Tech

While we are on the topic of cool, the Jetour Dashing stays up to date with all the modern requirements of a family SUV with the newest technology and an abundance of ports, both USB-C and USB-A to keep all your devices charged up even on very long rides. The inclusion of wireless ANdroid Auto and Apple CarPlay is also much appreciated.

Sadly, the central infotainment screen which definitely does a good job is also a detriment at times. Remember when I mentioned there was little difference in how the car drives in sport and eco mode? Well, there isn’t a button to press, instead one has to navigate a few different menus on the touch screen to do it. This could be a safety hazard while driving.

Safety

Naturally, safety is a very important factor when it comes to buying a family car and the Jetour Dashing does not disappoint at all with 6 airbags and a whole host of ADAS features such as Blind Spot Detection, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Change Warning and Door Opening Warning, just to name a few.

Refinement

Another reason I believe many Malaysians will choose the Jetour Dashing over its competitors is the simple fact that this car is very well refined. The fit and finish inside is seamless and the entire ride overall is very comfortable, although in the rear cabin, tyre noise may be a bit prevalent and up front, the engine, which is a screamer (and she definitely ain’t shy), is a tad loud.

Of course, these are very small issues and many Malaysians will be more than inclined to look past them once the 10 year or 1 million kilometre engine warranty and 7 year or 150,000km vehicle warranty that Jetour offers come into play. Another highlight of the standard package is the 5 times free service for labour and parts which many will appreciate.

Conclusion

In short, the Jetour Dashing ticks all the right boxes and focuses on doing all the necessary things right. It is a very practical, stylish and bang for your buck option for anyone in the market for a family SUV on a budget, and once again, if one is willing to ignore the 2 or 3 small quirks, it is plain to see that the undeniable value of this SUV far exceeds the rivals.
But don’t just take my word for it. Head on over to your nearest Jetour showroom and test drive the Dashing today.