Jetour G700: Australia-bound LandCruiser rival updated as Chinese brand heads upmarket

Chery Group brand Jetour has yet to launch in Australia, but one of the models it intends to bring here has been updated – only a year after it went on sale in China.

The Jetour G700 is a large, plug-in hybrid off-road SUV that’ll compete in a growing segment of such models in Australia, alongside the likes of the Denza B8, GWM Tank 500 PHEV, and upcoming Geely Battleship 700.

The updated model features a revised grille, new wheel designs, and body-coloured bumpers and side skirts, giving it a more elegant look. Some of these changes were already previewed on a special G700 shown at the Beijing motor show in April.

Newly available is Huawei’s Qiankun Intelligent Driving ADS 5 active safety and driver-assist technology, powered by an array of radars, sensors and a LiDAR unit, but the vehicle is mechanically unchanged.

It's powered by a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with 155kW of power and 340Nm of torque, mated with 210kW/360Nm front and 300kW/435Nm rear electric motors, and a dedicated hybrid transmission.

Total system outputs are 665kW and 1135Nm.

The G700 incorporates an 800V electrical system and can be had in China with either a 34.13kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery or a 59.45kWh ternary lithium pack, giving it electric-only range of 150km or 260km, respectively, on the CLTC cycle.

It also has vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability, allowing you to power small electrical appliances at up to 6.6kW.

The G700 comes standard with three differential locks and full-time four-wheel drive, plus a wide range of selectable off-road modes. Wading depth is 900mm.

Suspension is double-wishbone front and rear, with air suspension and continuous damping control available on the top-spec G700 in China.

While it measures 5198mm long, 2050mm wide and 1956mm tall on a 2870mm wheelbase, most G700 variants in China come only with five seats. A three-row configuration is available, however.

Inside, there’s a 35.4-inch panoramic digital display at the base of the windscreen, plus a 15.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system and available 17.3-inch ceiling and 8.8-inch rear climate displays.

All variants feature leather or Nappa leather seat upholstery, with heating, ventilation and power adjustment standard for the front seats and available for the rear seats.

Sound systems range from 12 to 20-speaker units, while available luxury equipment includes a refrigerated compartment that can sterilise its contents, plus an intelligent fragrance system.

The G700 has already been confirmed by Jetour as one of the models it plans to introduce here. It was previously expected to be launched here during the second half of 2027, following the launch of less capable but more affordable models like the T1 earlier in the year.

Late last year, the G700 became the first SUV in history to cross the Yangtze River, using amphibious technology – including a six-axis gyroscope that keeps the SUV balanced – to travel across approximately 1.2km of water surface.

It took approximately 22 minutes to cross the river, cruising at approximately 7km/h while dealing with currents ranging from 5-10km/h.

Jetour says the G700 has reached global sales of over 30,000 units in the 11 months following its launch, becoming the best-selling Chinese luxury SUV in eight countries including Saudi Arabia and Mexico.

As part of its recently announced Globalization 3.0 strategy, Chery said it will “[focus] on promoting the high-end development of the Jetour brand and creating a more globally competitive off-road brand”.

The G700 and related F700 dual-cab ute represent a push upmarket for the brand, which was initially launched in 2018.

Unlike previous Jetour models, which have all been crossover SUVs with car-like unibody underpinnings, these two vehicles – sold under the Zongheng sub-brand – feature more rugged, body-on-frame underpinnings.

Chery has another brand with premium aspirations, Exeed, which was founded at roughly the same time as Jetour. But while its vehicles are exported to markets such as the Middle East, Exeed hasn’t been confirmed for an Australian launch, though one of its vehicles – the Yaoguang/RX – is sold here under the Omoda Jaecoo brand (the Omoda 9).

Jetour and Exeed sit within a sprawling range of brands owned by Chery, which includes the namesake Chery brand, as well as export-only marques such as Lepas and Omoda Jaecoo, and other recently established brands such as iCaur and Freelander.

By the end of 2027, Chery will have six brands in Australia alone: Chery, Omoda Jaecoo, Lepas, iCaur, Freelander and Jetour. However, Jetour is being treated as a different entity in Australia, with separate distribution and a different back office.

MORE: Jetour T1, T2 launching in Australia in early 2027, burly G700 off-roader and F700 ute to follow