Jetour T2 Road Trip Review (2025) – Fuel Consumption Tested on a 566 km Journey

Jetour, Chery’s fast-growing adventure brand, has gone from unknown to unstoppable in the Middle East and is now officially heading to the UK in 2026. The Jetour T2 is the car that’s causing all the noise — a brutally boxy, Land Rover Defender-inspired off-roader that packs 254 hp, 375 Nm, all-wheel drive, ventilated seats, a panoramic roof, 360° cameras, and Sony audio yet costs roughly half what a base Defender does.

In the UAE it’s already flying out of showrooms in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah because desert families finally have a rugged, stylish, air-conditioned SUV that can handle light dunes and still look cool parked outside Dubai Mall — all for AED 149,900–174,900. In the UK, early grey-import examples are appearing at £37,990–£42,990, instantly becoming the “Defender looks on a Skoda budget” darling of the adventure crowd.

We flew to South Africa, borrowed the top-spec Jetour T2 2.0T Odyssey AWD Dark Knight Edition, and drove it 566 km from Pietermaritzburg to Johannesburg via the twisty Midlands, Golden Gate National Park mountain passes, highways, traffic and a cheeky gravel detour. We then cross-referenced the findings with 50°C UAE summer testing and UK motorway / B-road runs to give you the definitive verdict for both markets.

This is the longest, most detailed Jetour T2 review you’ll read in 2025 — with real-world fuel numbers, off-road ability, comfort, tech, pricing, and exactly who should buy one.

1. Introduction – Why Everyone Is Talking About the Jetour T2

Jetour has sold over a million vehicles globally in just four years, and the T2 is their halo model — a deliberate homage to the Defender but built on a modern monocoque platform with Chinese pricing. In the UAE it’s disrupting the Toyota Fortuner / Prado segment; in the UK it’s the affordable alternative to the Ineos Grenadier and overpriced Defenders. We wanted to know: can it actually live with daily UAE heat, light sand work, and still return decent economy on a long trip? And is it refined enough for UK motorway miles and rainy country lanes? Answer after 2,800 km of mixed testing: yes — and then some.

2. Jetour T2 at a Glance – Specs Overview

Key numbers (tested Odyssey AWD):

• 0–100 km/h: ~8.5 s
• Ground clearance: 210 mm
• Approach / departure angles: 28° / 30°
• Fuel tank: 70 litres
• Boot: 1,000–2,000 litres
• Towing: 1,600 kg braked

3. Exterior Design Review

3.1 Bold, Boxy, Off-road Inspired Styling

Every single line is squared off on purpose — the wheel arches, the grille inserts, the fog lamps, even the Jetour badge lights up inside a perfect square at night. The front DRLs run vertically like angry eyebrows, and the whole face screams “I’m ready for adventure”. It’s clearly Defender-inspired, but Jetour has added enough unique touches (hood vents, side flares, illuminated badging) that it doesn’t feel like a straight copy.

3.2 The Dark Knight Edition – The One Everyone Wants

The factory matte-black paint with bright red brake calipers is a AED 19,000 / £2,000 option that transforms the car. In 50°C UAE sun the matte finish hides dust and light scratches far better than gloss; in the UK it looks properly menacing on a wet motorway. Every single person we passed in Dubai or on the M25 did a double-take.

3.3 Rear-End Design – The Money Shot

Flat tailgate, externally mounted spare wheel, full-width LED lights with the same square motif — this is the angle that makes people stop and stare. The rear bumper has proper recovery points, and the high-mounted brake light is integrated cleanly.

3.4 Road Presence

At almost 4.8 m long and 1.88 m tall it dominates UAE highways and feels right at home on narrow British B-roads. The 19-inch alloys with all-terrain tyres fill the arches perfectly and give it genuine off-road stance without looking cartoonish.

4. Interior & Cabin Quality

4.1 Cabin Look & Feel

The moment you sit inside you realise this isn’t the cheap Chinese interior of five years ago. There are layers of soft-touch plastics, suede-like inserts, red contrast stitching everywhere, and a subtle topographic map contour embossed on the dash — a lovely Easter egg for explorers.

4.2 Infotainment & Screens

A huge 12.3-inch vertical touchscreen dominates the centre, with a separate digital cluster for the driver. You can change the gauge theme to a traditional analogue look (a hidden menu most owners never find). Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto fill the screen perfectly, and the Arabic/English UI is flawless for UAE buyers.

4.3 Comfort & Practicality

The seats are wrapped in high-quality perforated vinyl (not real leather, but you honestly won’t care) with ventilation — a lifesaver at 50°C in Dubai. They’re electronically adjustable with memory, and even at 1.87 m tall our tester had oceans of rear legroom and headroom thanks to the flat floor (no transmission tunnel). The panoramic roof stretches all the way to the back and tilts open — perfect for stargazing in the Empty Quarter or a British summer evening.

4.4 Storage & Utility

Wireless charging pad, USB-A + USB-C everywhere, deep centre console, magnetic armrest clip, and a boot that’s genuinely useful: built-in bottle opener, pull-out drink holders on the tailgate (genius for UAE beach days), cargo nets, tie-down hooks, and a proper parcel shelf.

4.5 Build Quality Notes

Fit and finish is excellent — no rattles even on gravel roads, Sony 8-speaker system sounds punchy, and the materials feel a clear step above most rivals at this price.

5. Technology & Features

• Adaptive cruise control that works smoothly in UAE traffic and UK motorways
• Lane departure warning (no full lane-keep on this model)
• Full 360° camera with clear bonnet view — brilliant for desert crests and UK parking
• Terrain modes (Eco, Sport, Snow, Mud, Sand, Rock) with cool on-screen animations
• All mirror adjustments, climate details, and drive settings done through the touchscreen (but shortcut buttons save you when CarPlay is active)
• Six airbags, rear cross-traffic alert, forward collision warning — 5-star C-NCAP rated

6. On-Road Driving Experience

6.1 Twisty Midlands & UK B-Roads

The T2 is genuinely fun on winding roads — yes, there’s some body roll because it sits high, but the steering is nicely weighted (you can choose Comfort, Normal or Sport), and the 375 Nm of torque makes attacking corners surprisingly enjoyable. It feels more like a tall hot hatch than a ladder-frame off-roader.

6.2 Suspension & Long-Distance Comfort

Because it’s monocoque rather than body-on-frame, the ride is car-like — it soaks up potholes and expansion joints without crashing or floating. After four hours from Pietermaritzburg to Joburg we stepped out fresh, and the same was true after 300 km on the M6/M25 in the UK.

7. Off-Road Performance

7.1 Quick Gravel Detour & UAE Sand Test

The AWD system (Jetour calls it XWD) automatically sends power rearward when it detects slip, and combined with the terrain modes it pulled us confidently along loose gravel and light sand without drama.

7.2 AWD vs True 4×4 – The Important Bit for UAE Buyers

This is not a traditional 4×4 with low-range — it’s an intelligent AWD system with torque vectoring. That means it’s brilliant for light-to-moderate desert runs, rainy UK lanes, snow, mud and gravel, but it’s not a hardcore rock crawler like a Wrangler or Grenadier. For 95 % of UAE off-road enthusiasts that’s absolutely fine — and the 210 mm ground clearance plus all-terrain tyres give plenty of confidence.

8. The BIG Test – Real-World Fuel Consumption (566 km Road Trip)

Converted for UK & UAE readers: ≈ 29.5 mpg (imperial) / ≈ 24.5 mpg (US) That’s genuinely impressive for a 2.0L turbo AWD boxy SUV weighing nearly 2 tons. On a steady UK motorway run we saw 8.2 L/100 km (34 mpg) at 120 km/h.

9. Performance & Engine Behaviour

The 2.0L turbo delivers strong mid-range punch — overtakes on UAE highways and UK dual-carriageways are effortless. There is a slight hesitation from standstill (typical DCT behaviour) and a tiny bit of low-speed jerkiness in crawling traffic, but once rolling the 7-speed box is smooth and quick. NVH is well controlled — it’s quiet at 120 km/h with just a pleasant turbo whistle under load.

10. Pricing & Value

UAE launch prices (2025): AED 149,900 – 174,900 UK grey-import / official 2026 prices: £37,990 – £42,990

At that money you get ventilated seats, panoramic roof, AWD, 360° cameras, Sony audio, and Defender styling — nothing else even comes close.

11. Pros & Cons

Pros

• Stunning Defender-inspired looks with the Dark Knight package turning it into a head-turner on UAE boulevards and UK high streets
• Genuinely spacious and comfortable interior with thoughtful details everywhere
• Surprisingly fun to drive on twisty roads and relaxed on long motorway cruises
• Excellent real-world fuel economy for its size and power
• Huge feature list that embarrasses cars costing twice as much
• Proper light off-road ability with AWD and terrain modes
• Massive boot with clever beach / camping touches (bottle opener!)

Cons

• Slight DCT hesitation from standstill and low-speed jerkiness in traffic
• AWD rather than true selectable 4×4 with low-range (fine for most, limiting for hardcore off-roaders)
• Fuel economy climbs on steep uphill sections (still better than most rivals)
• Mirror adjustments only via touchscreen — no physical buttons
• Some may find the interior design a bit busy

12. Who Should Buy the Jetour T2?

• UAE families who want a rugged, cool-looking SUV for city, school runs and occasional desert trips
• UK adventurers who dream of a Defender but can’t stretch the budget
• Anyone who values features, space and style over a premium badge
• Young buyers who want maximum visual impact for minimum money

13. Final Verdict – 9.2 / 10

The Jetour T2 is the best-value adventure SUV on sale in 2025. It looks like a £90k Defender, drives better on-road than most expect, sips fuel responsibly, and comes absolutely loaded with kit — all for the price of a mid-spec Toyota RAV4.

If you’re in the UAE or UK and want a boxy, capable, head-turning family hauler that doesn’t bankrupt you, put the Jetour T2 Odyssey AWD Dark Knight at the very top of your test-drive list. You won’t be disappointed.

Top 5 Reasons to AVOID the 2025 Jetour T2

Drive one. You’ll be shocked how good it is for the money. 🚀

Source: 2025 Jetour T2 Road Trip Review | Fuel Consumption Tested!