Articles by Tom White

Hyundai's long-awaited new Venue is revealed - but what's the catch?

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Chery’s Jetour G700 has been priced in China as an emerging rival to the incoming BYD Dezna B8, Toyota Prado and Tank 500.The plug-in hybrid 4x4, which measures over five-meters long and over two meters wide, hits the Chinese market in five variants and it doesn’t have the kind of entry-level pricing Chery is usually known for.Starting from the equivalent of A$71,000 and spanning to a whopping $151,000 for the flagship 'Supreme Voyage Edition'.To account for this relatively high cost the G700 is equipped with a new plug-in hybrid system consisting of a 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder engine, which produces 155kW/340Nm, and is mated to electric motors on each axle. The front axle mates engine power to an electric motor via a dedicated hybrid transmission (210kW/360Nm for the internal motor), while the rear axle has an independent motor drive unit producing 300kW/435Nm.Total combined system power is 560kW/795Nm, and the system functions closer to the range-extender-style hybrid system in BYD’s Shark 6 ute.The G700 maintains locking differentials on both the front and rear axles, as well as up to 970mm of wading depth. It also features various terrain modes and a hill descent control system, with variable height air suspension and adaptive damping.It has a 34.13kWh CATL battery providing up to 150km of range (to the more lenient CLTC protocol), while a 100-litre fuel tank has the brand claiming up to 1400km of combined range. Jetour said the G700 will consume as low as 7.95L/100km even when the battery is drained.The brand said it can even fast charge the battery in just 10 minutes thanks to ultra-fast 170kW DC charging speeds, and it can discharge via a vehicle-to-load system at up to 6.6kW.Inside, the G700 features a similar toughed-up design vibe to the Denza B5, with squared-off panels to match the boxy exterior look. The interior features a 15.6-inch multimedia touchscreen, but also a 35.4-inch digital instrument cluster, which spans the entire length of the dash. Outside, the 4x4 is equipped with either 18- or 20-inch wheels with off-road tyres.Chery’s rampant expansion in Australia (up 220 per cent year-on-year) has seen it also launch an array of its sub-brands, like Omoda, Jaecoo, and Lepas, however the off-road focused Jetour, which seems like a natural fit for the Australian market, has yet to be confirmed.Originally, this was said to be because it was focused on left-hand drive for the time being, but it seems as though this could change before long, with multiple executives from both Chery and Omoda/Jaecoo saying the brand is keen to get tougher 4x4 models on the market as soon as possible.

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