Chinese vehicle brand Jetour faces fresh questions over T1 and T2 payloads
A new test has raised concerns about how much a vehicle can carry, while one of the revised ratings is still under review.
Jetour South Africa’s payload controversy has taken another turn after independent weighbridge testing found that one T2 derivative fell below the company’s newly announced 475kg carrying capacity.
Testing conducted at the Clayville Testing Centre in Gauteng found payload figures ranging from 455kg to 538kg across five T1 and T2 derivatives, according to the Automobile Association of South Africa (AA).
The T2 2.0T Xplora recorded the lowest figure at 455kg, 20kg below Jetour’s revised 475kg rating. The AA and the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications were present during the testing.
The results follow Jetour South Africa’s announcement in August that the approved payload capacity for relevant T1 and T2 models had increased from 300kg to 475kg, inclusive of the driver.
Jetour said the revised rating followed engagements with its head office and the NRCS and applied to both new and existing vehicles covered by the approval. The company also said no mechanical, structural or component changes were required for the increased payload.
T2 falls short in weighbridge test
The AA’s testing recorded the following payload figures:
- T1 2.0T Odyssey: 538kg
- T1 1.5T PHEV: 508kg
- T2 2.0T Odyssey: 500kg
- T2 1.5T PHEV: 478kg
- T2 2.0T Xplora: 455kg
The AA has asked Jetour to clarify the Xplora result and questioned how the payload rating could increase by almost 200kg without mechanical or structural changes to the vehicles.
The association has called for independent testing of the revised ratings and urged the NRCS to suspend the 475kg approval pending further investigation.
T1 rating still under review
The NRCS has confirmed that Jetour’s application for the revised T1 payload rating is still being processed. According to the AA, the original homologated 300kg rating therefore remains applicable to T1 vehicles while the application is under review.
This differs from Jetour South Africa’s August statement that the approved 475kg payload applied to the relevant T1 and T2 model range.
The AA says increasing the payload by almost 200kg, or 58%, without mechanical or structural changes raises safety concerns for local owners.
Meanwhile, new and existing T1 customers remain subject to the original 300kg homologated rating while Jetour’s application is being processed by the NRCS.
Jetour previously stated: “Based on the approval obtained from the NRCS, Jetour South Africa confirms that the approved payload capacity applicable to the relevant Jetour T1 and T2 model range is 475kg, inclusive of the driver.”
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The post Jetour T1 and T2 payloads under scrutiny after independent testing reveals discrepancies appeared first on CAR Magazine.
