Is this the cut-price 4WD Aussies need? Ford Bronco and Land Rover Defender challenger takes shape with Chery owned Jetour Traveller

It feels like every Chinese brand is coming to Australia, but there are plenty more than could make a big impact Down Under.

Chery’s off-road brand, Jetour, is one of them.

Details of its upgraded Traveller rugged SUV have been revealed by the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), which is a necessary step before public sales.

The Traveller gives off strong Land Rover Defender vibes with its chunky styling, vertical tail-lights, side-hinged tailgate with a big square spare tyre housing, wide wheel track and pinched cabin design.

It rides on 19-inch alloy wheels and has big J-E-T-O-U-R badging on the front grille.

According to the MIIT filings it will be powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine that makes 187kW and 390Nm and is paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

It’s almost identical in size to the Land Rover Defender 110 at 4785mm long, 2022mm wide and 1910mm tall. The distance between the front and rear wheels is about 200mm shorter, which means the cabin is likely more cramped than the Defender's.

Its 26-degree approach and 28-degree departure angles fall well short of the Defender, which means it’s likely less competent in really rough terrain.

The Jetour Traveller joins the GWM Tank 400 and BYD’s Fang Cheng Bao 5 that would appeal to the Aussie car buyer.

The Traveller isn’t the only desirable vehicle in Jetour’s range. The Shanhai T1 is a mini Toyota LandCruiser rival with plug-in hybrid power.

It features cool, chunky styling with a hint of the new Santa Fe in the front-end treatment, especially the pixel-like headlights and lights that run along the grille.

Australians holding out for a Jetour will have to wait as Chery’s local boss Lucas Harris told CarsGuide earlier this year the brand was not ready for export markets.

“Jetour is not in the plans at this stage. They’re cool looking cars, but they’re not an international export at this point,” said Harris.

“There’s gotta be a business case,” he said. “It’s not a cheap exercise to redevelop from left-hand drive to right-hand drive.

“Expansion is important and offering consumers options is important. We’ll be led by consumers.” 

Instead Chery is preparing to launch the luxury-focused Jaecoo brand in Australia next year.