Jetour had three cars in tow when it first arrived in the Philippines: there’s the Ice Cream EV, the Dashing crossover, and the X70 crossover. I’m sure you know about the first two, but not about the third—that’s about to change.
The X70 is a 7-seater crossover middle-child in Jetour’s lineup. Often forgotten, it’s overshadowed by the cute Ice Cream EV that’s available in a variety of pastel colors, and the Dashing crossover which is clearly inspired by modern Italian automotive aesthetics.
Filling a glaring gap in the market is the new Jetour X70 Lightning i-DM. This 7-seater plug-in hybrid is the answer to those seeking a more attainable and greener crossover for friends and family. It builds upon the former X70 Plus which adds not just a hybrid powertrain but updates here and there.
First of which is a much-needed design update. They retained the Jetour branding at the edge of the hood but revisions cascaded from there. The front grille of the X70 Lightning is bigger and with a subtle touch of LED trim on the frame itself. During the day it looks like a normal accent but a bit of shade from the clouds reveals a nice LED highlighting that border. It’s flanked by the same headlights and low position DRLs as in the previous iteration.
Its back has understated sportiness thanks to the design of the bumper. They changed the glossy faux diffuser with a textured one giving it a sportier vibe. Without that, the rear section would be purely premium because the taillight assembly looks European, like what an Audi might wear. They also hid the exhaust under the car and totally removed the former Bluetooth quad-pipes at the back. Overall it’s less pretentious and more elegant.
Colors in the cabin depend on the exterior color. Coral White and Marble Gray will come with the Mocha/White theme, while the Jade Green and Pebble Gray have the Burgundy/Black theme. Apart from that, changes in the cabin are a bit harder to spot. In front, the trio of air vents are more cohesive in design with one another, instead of looking like three separate and bulky vents. The cupholders were also moved and in its original place is a powerful 50-watt wireless charger. The rear was also updated via the removal of the cubby hole by the rear air vents. That allowed Jetour to move the charging ports higher, allowing for easier access. It also has a 60-watt USB Type-C port which is another nice touch.
Connection is a bit tricky at the start. The X70 Lightning comes with a dongle that allows you to use Apple CarPlay and Android Auto via Bluetooth. That is separate from the infotainment system’s own Bluetooth so once you use Spotify in AA/AC, there’s no audio coming out of the Sony speakers. You’d have to connect to the infotainment’s own Bluetooth system for it to do so. Once you get over this hurdle though, it’d be smooth sailing and it reconnects easily.
My favorite feature in the cabin, apart from the seat control on the door panels, is the adjustable butterfly headrests on the front seats. Say goodbye to sore necks since it keeps your head in a straight position. The headrests on the rear seats, including the third row, have a bit of contour as well to help keep your head in place.
Out on the road, the X70 Lightning has a different concept for comfort. I was weirded out at first by how firm the throttle was but later I understood why—it’s so you don’t make the car jump out. The X70 Lightning has a 1.5-liter turbo engine, two electric motors, and a 19.34 kWh battery that combines for 271 horsepower and 395 Nm of torque. If you’re keeping score, that’s diesel levels of torque; not easy to tame if the throttle was too light.
I also noticed that the car prioritizes using the batteries when in hybrid mode. We had minimal gas consumption on NLEX and SCTEX because the car seldom used the engine. This was smart since full throttle overtaking typically consumes a lot of fuel. In addition, in the X70 Lightning, you don’t have to fumble or change drive modes. Just press the throttle and go. The car will do all the thinking and adjustment. Maybe that’s the car’s secret for getting 1,200 kilometers of combined range with the fuel and batteries.
Cabin comfort is also next level. Even with my portly size, I don’t have to bow down much to reach the ports at the rear. The door panels and center armrests are also at the right height for the average Filipino. I also wish more carmakers emulate Jetour (and by extension, Mercedes-Benz) by placing the seat controls on the door panels. This cabin is also quiet even at the speed limit despite the panoramic sunroof.
Space is also generous up to the second row. There’s a lot of wiggle room and foot room on both ends. The third row, though, is a bit of a compromise, given the size of the car, but still enough for kids. The good thing about it though is it folds flat and flush to the flooring of the cargo area, giving you versatile cargo space should you need it.
Add to all of that the X70’s plethora of tech. It has Sony 8-speaker sound system, full ADAS suite that includes Adaptive Cruise Control, Autonomous Emergency Braking, and Lane Keep Assist among others, a high-resolution 360-camera system, and Tire Pressure Monitoring System.
The Jetour X70 Lightning i-DM seems like the appropriate solution to those seeking for a greener but more attainable 7-seater in the country. There are other 7-seater hybrids in the country but none of them are priced at P 1,648,000, or anywhere near that. The X70 Lightning i-DM has the looks, comfort, tech, and capability to go the distance without burning a big hole in your budget.
Words and Photos by Vincent Villa.
The base variant of the DFSK E5 7-seater PHEV only costs P1,588,000.
ReplyDeleteAC control panel comes with Chinese subtitles?
ReplyDeleteMr author this is the perfect car. No criticism in this article but all glazing. Next time to make it more believable put a little bit of criticism. The new shirt, jacket and 2 piece fried chicken must have really inspired you to write about the perfect car
ReplyDelete