The JETOUR brand is nothing short of miraculous.
Since its launch as a new brand series under Chery in 2018, it has achieved a cumulative sales volume of 240,000 vehicles in just over two years. After the JETOUR X70 was launched in August 2018, its sales reached 7,777 units in September, achieving sales of over 10,000 units in just three months.
In September of this year, the all-new JETOUR X90 was launched. In addition to quickly capturing sales of 8,000 units, it also helped JETOUR to some extent to elevate its brand identity above the X70. JETOUR officials stated that the brand’s sales this year are expected to be 10% -15% higher than last year.
So why is this brand, which was initially not seen as promising by the industry, able to demonstrate such amazing explosive power?
X90’s weapons
If the X70 is JETOUR’s present, the X90 is JETOUR’s future.
In terms of product, the X90 has several obvious features:
First: large space
As a mid-to-large SUV, the X90 is 4,840mm long, 1,925mm wide, 1,780mm high, with a wheelbase of 2,850mm, equipped with a 2.21-meter mobile “big bed”, and can choose a 5, 6, or 7-seat layout. In comparison to same level products, the X90’s vehicle interior space is rare among its rivals.
Second: high configuration
It is hard to imagine that a product at this price point would be equipped with a complete L2-level smart driving assistance system, AEB active braking, ACC adaptive cruise control, and SLA traffic limit sign recognition. In addition, the X90’s in-vehicle system also has high configuration, with hardware consisting of dual 12.3-inch full LCD screens and a 9.7-inch air conditioning touch screen combination, using Chery Lion Intelligent Cloud system and iFLYTEK intelligent voice interaction system. In addition, X90 also has user-friendly features such as panoramic imaging and HMA smart high beam assist system.
Third: solid large pieces
The all-new X90 is equipped with a 1.6T turbocharged engine and a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission. It is worth noting that the X90’s 7DCT transmission is supplied by Chongqing Qingshan Industry Co., Ltd., which was established in 1965 and is known in the industry as “China’s Aisin”.Currently, in addition to Chery Jetour, many mainstream domestic passenger car users such as Changan Automobile, Dongfeng Motor Corporation, SAIC-GM-Wuling, BAIC Group, and GAC Group have applied the Qing Shan 7-speed wet DCT gearbox. This year’s popular product, the Changan UNI-T, is equipped with Qing Shan’s 7-speed wet DCT gearbox. It is reported that the Qing Shan DCT gearbox production line was built in 2017, equipped with 25 fully automatic Kistler (Key Stone) servo cylinder press systems, and 11 KUKA (KUKA) automatic robots to achieve automation of components/assembly operations.
In actual driving experience, the X90’s 7DCT gearbox has good smoothness, and the understanding of the driver’s intention is also relatively accurate. Overall, the combination of the 1.6T engine and 7DCT gearbox is not weak compared to joint venture products of the same level and relative price.
Fourth: Strong Cost Performance
Finally, the cost-effectiveness must be mentioned. Previously, the hot sales of X70 were largely related to Jetour’s pricing, and although the new generation X90 has further raised the brand interval, the price of 89,900-135,900 yuan maintains Jetour’s consistent advantage in cost performance. In addition, the X90 implements a 10-year 200,000-kilometer whole vehicle quality assurance and engine lifetime quality assurance, which is undoubtedly a very attentive product for target users.
Jetour’s Password
Next, let’s answer a question, why can Jetour succeed?
Personally, I think two factors are very important:
The first is strategic positioning:
Compared with Chery’s other new brand, Xingtu, Jetour appears to be more clear. It is very clear that it focuses on entering fourth, fifth, and sixth-tier cities and surrounding cities with rural areas. In these areas, Jetour’s products are like the upgrade of consumption, and Jetour mainly promotes the “travel+” concept. It has cooperated with resources such as Fantawild, ToJoy, and Ctrip. For example, car owners can enjoy VIP treatment while visiting Fantawild, staying at ToJoy, or ordering from Ctrip, which is very attractive to the target audience.
The second is product positioning:
With a budget of less than 100,000 yuan, you can buy a product with sufficient space, high configuration, sufficient power, and a good brand name. Why not? Some people say that Jetour’s products do not have many advantages, but it is precisely this comprehensive and average quality, coupled with a suitable price, that often can accurately enter the target market.Just like the recently popular pure electric car, Wuling Hongguang mini EV, which is convenient for urban residents to get a license plate and for short-haul travel, and precisely replaces the elderly mobility scooter for short trips in fourth, fifth and sixth tier cities, with low cost of pure electric driving and a price of around 30,000 yuan, you cannot ask for more from it. On the contrary, if you add various configurations and increase the price, it may not sell well. Therefore, like Jetour, the product positioning is accurate enough.
In the past two years, the Chinese automobile market has undergone rapid changes. According to data from China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, from January to September 2020, the overall sales of the automobile market decreased by 6.9% year-on-year, and it is expected that the annual sales will still decline by around 10%. After several years of continuous growth, brands and products need to think clearly about what they want in order to break through.
Nowadays, Jetour has already figured it out.
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.