Jetour T2 2.0TD XWD Review: Actually Pretty Good

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It may be often labelled as a faux-fender, but the other thing the Jetour T2 is is a surprisingly good car.

A little confession before beginning this review: the Jetour T2 was actually one of the cars this writer had heard other automotive media go absolutely bananas for. People whose opinions and critiques he took into account had praised this boxy Defender double as one of the best cars they had driven this year, while the fact that it won DSF’s SUV of the Year 2026 further added some credibility to the praise.

Then again though, this writer unfortunately does not have all that high a regard for anything coming out of the Chery Group. While they may be a dime a dozen on the road these days, it is nevertheless unfortunate that, be it Chery, iCAUR, Jaecoo or Omoda, none of its products have really struck a chord with him enough to warrant a genuine recommendation with no strings attached.

So then, where does this Jetour T2 fit into all of this?

Well, having now spent some time with this boxy 4×4, this writer has to admit that it has somewhat won him over, to the point that he has no qualms saying it could actually be one of the finest products to come out of the Chinese car conglomerate to date.

Exterior

Starting first on the exterior, and there really is not much else to say other than Defender-esque in its exterior design. But that is no bad thing, is it?

There are also some small details that are worth a mention, like the rather cool Hyundai Parametric Pixel-esque fog lights protruding from its front bumperettes and holographic 3D-effect rear light signature. The Jetour script on the front grille also lights up, which would probably come across as tacky on other cars but somehow looks rather classy on this one.

Though if being really nitpicky here (and this writer must), perhaps it is worth noting that the square box on its tailgate looks slightly awkward, especially when one is used to the usual round wheel cover. It also does not actually open easily for extra storage à la iCAUR 03, with it instead simply being used to house the space-saver spare tyre.

Interior

Clambering inside the T2 meanwhile, and you are greeted with a rather nice cabin. The overall design is chunky yet classy, with plenty of straight edges to match the exterior. It gets to the point where even the steering wheel is octagonal, to match the similarly boxy gear lever.

On the kit front, physical climate controls and door handles are nice to have in this current age of button-less cabins. Having no physical mirror controls, however, is not so much… though owners will likely only have to frustrate themselves digging deep into the menu once or twice in their lives for it.

Strangely, despite all the bells and whistles that are now typical of a Chinese car too, the T2 still gets a rather basic manual-dipping rear-view mirror. There is also no keyless lock/unlock button on the exterior passenger door handle, which seems like a rather odd omission on a car otherwise so generously equipped.

Space-wise, there is actually a decent amount of it in this very large car… for passengers, at least. There is ample room up front, while rear occupants in particular are treated to near MPV-like levels of space.

When it comes to carrying things however, its square-box design somehow does not actually afford it a particularly large boot. Perhaps that is the reason why more practical SUVs these days have gradually moved towards the less boxy shapes they currently wear.

Also, for such a large car, its boxy body shape does mean that the rear door apertures are smaller than one might initially think. Getting in and out of the back therefore requires a little more finesse and limberness than expected.

Driving Experience

Moving back up front and focusing on how this T2 drives now, you do sit as high as you would in some pickup trucks, while its upright body and huge greenhouse afford amazing visibility. Save for the rather small rearward view, that is, thanks largely to the spare-wheel box. So despite its ginormous size, the T2 is actually relatively easy to drive.

Rather surprisingly too given its rugged persona, ride and handling are rather decent as well. Perhaps its truck-like driving position gives it a bit more leeway in this regard, but the T2 is nevertheless generally a comfortable place to be while on the road.

That general sense of comfort is also helped by the T2’s decent noise suppression, while the Sony sound system sounds perfectly adequate too. What is noisy though is all the bings and bongs from the proximity sensors, which seem far too sensitive to surrounding objects and do not have an easy mute button to hand.

As for the actual go bit, the 2.0-litre turbo is competent enough to get this brick moving at a fair pace. Power delivery for this boosted 4×4 is also fairly linear, though getting off the line does require some patience before it eventually gets a move on.

And yes, to those asking about the aerodynamics of this brick on four wheels: wind resistance only really feels like a dominating factor impeding continuous forward motion after exceeding the national speed limit. Fuel consumption is also fairly reasonable, with around 8 km/l recorded on mixed city-highway driving with a moderately light load.

Interestingly, the T2 also has a rather curious tendency to hold its revs rather than let them fall away naturally after coming off the throttle. It almost feels as if it is stuck on cruise control, giving the impression that there is a little more pep in its step than there might ordinarily be as there is always power on tap. The trade-off however is having to use the brakes more often when you expect the car to be slowing down while coasting, only for it to continue surging forward as it holds on to its revs.

One more major critique, on the other hand, is the consistent, light bit of judder upon pulling away from stationary, which feels almost as if the clutch is slipping in its dual-clutch transmission. The T2 also still rolls forward a little on inclines and declines, further contributing to the feeling that this DCT is perhaps a throwback to some of the really early European dual-clutch units.

With the fact that this powertrain combo still feels a little unpolished relative to the rest of the car, it would hence be curious to see how the newly launched PHEV fares. With even more go on tap and a slightly dim-witted gearbox out of the picture, that could actually be the final piece of the puzzle to push this T2 from already pretty good to actually great.

Conclusion

And perhaps having spoiled the conclusion somewhat with the preceding paragraph, the Jetour T2 is overall a decent car. Sure, it has a few quirks, but it is generally competent enough to earn the nod of consideration.

So for those who want a chunky off-roader lifestyle on a moderate budget, here is something definitely more aspirational (read: cool) than the usual Hondas and Mazdas.

And while on the topic of cool, it would be remiss not to address the Defender in the room. Such is because while some, especially those in the Land Rover legal department, may turn their nose up at this Chinese copy, it nevertheless has to be said that Jetour is currently offering those who want to live the Defender life but only have modest means a chance to do so.

Driving a Defender is really an experience that is rarely replicated, but Jetour has managed to carve out a way of offering that experience to more people. Democratising this sort of experience is a good thing in this writer’s book, at least.

Yes, there are a few bits that are still rough around the edges, but that just means there is still a reason for those with the means to go with the real McCoy. And nice as the T2 may be, there is still something about driving a Defender rather than a faux-fender… especially one with a roaring V8 under its hood.