GWM Jolion vs Jetour T1 i-DM

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — we cover price, performance, petrol economy, safety and what it'll actually cost you to own each one long term.

GWM Jolion in South Africa

GWM Jolion

1.5T Hybrid LT Hybrid Automatic
ZAR 519,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 115 kW 🔧 250 Nm ⛽ 5.6 km/l
VS
Jetour T1 i-DM in South Africa

Jetour T1 i-DM

T1 i-DM Hybrid Automatic
ZAR 689,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 100 kW 🔧 220 Nm ⛽ 1.1 km/l
Add a 3rd car

At a Glance — Who Wins What

Performance T1 i-DM
Fuel Economy Jolion
🛡 Safety Tie
📦 Practicality T1 i-DM
🔑 Ownership T1 i-DM
Jolion starts ZAR 689900 cheaper Jolion from ZAR 409,900 · T1 i-DM from ZAR 689,900

Key Specs Side by Side

The specs that matter most — highlighted where one car leads.

Spec Jolion T1 i-DM
Engine Power 115 100
Torque 250 220
Engine Size 1497 1499
Claimed Mileage 5.6 1.1
Ground Clearance 190 190
Boot Space 340 574
Airbags 6 Front, front side, and front/rear curtain airbags
Kerb Weight 1500 Not Applicable
Seating Capacity 5 Not Applicable
Warranty 5 -

= leads in this spec

The Bottom Line

Both Jolion and T1 i-DM are extremely closely matched, making the final choice dependent on buyer preference.

Where They Actually Differ

Performance T1 i-DM +3 pts
Efficiency Jolion +8 pts
Safety Equal
Practicality T1 i-DM +9 pts
Ownership T1 i-DM +12 pts

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

Jolion

Strengths
  • Better fuel efficiency
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Less practical in daily usage
  • Shorter warranty coverage
Best suited to: Fuel Efficiency
🏆 Overall Winner

T1 i-DM

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • More practical for daily use
  • Better long-term ownership value
Weak Spots
  • Lower fuel efficiency
Best suited to: Highway Driving Family Usage

Which One's Right for You?

Jolion

  • Buyers looking for better fuel efficiency

T1 i-DM

  • Drivers who prioritise strong highway performance and overtaking power
  • Large families needing more practicality and usability
  • Long-term owners valuing warranty and ownership peace of mind

Full Specs, Side by Side

Spec Jolion T1 i-DM
0–100 km/h 115 sec Not Applicable
0-100 km/h 115 sec Not Applicable
Acceleration 0 100 115 sec Not Applicable
Active Engine Braking No -
Active Exhaust Not Available -
Engine Aspiration Turbocharged Not Applicable
Battery Capacity 1.8 kWh 18.4
Cylinder Bore 72.5 mm 72 mm
Compression Ratio 10.5:1 12:1
Cylinder Layout Inline 4 (I4) Not Applicable
Cylinders 4 4
Displacement 1497 cc 1499 cc
Engine 1.5L GW4B15A + Electric Motor Hybrid 1.5TD hybrid-dedicated engine
Engine Code GW4B15A SQRH4J15
Engine Config 1.5L GW4B15A + Electric Motor Hybrid Not Applicable
Engine Cylinders 4 4
Engine Displacement 1497 cc 1499 cc
Engine Displacement Cc 1497 cc 1499 cc
Engine Displacement Litres 1.5 l 1.5 l
Engine Position Front Transverse -
Engine Power kW 115 kW 100 kW
Engine Torque Nm 250 Nm 220 Nm
Engine Type Inline 4 Cylinder Turbocharged Petrol 1.5TD hybrid-dedicated engine
Engine Type Config Inline 4 Cylinder (I4) DOHC 16-Valve Turbocharged Not Applicable
Engine Valves 16 4
EV Range 120 km 100 km
Fuel Grade Required Petrol Hybrid
Fuel System Direct Injection Not Applicable
Induction Turbocharged Not Applicable
Max Power kW 115 kW 100 kW
Maximum Engine RPM 6,000 rpm -
Max Torque Nm 250 Nm 220 Nm
Maximum Power 115 kW 100 kW
Maximum Torque 250 Nm 220 Nm
Motor Power 75 150
Motor Torque 250 310
Engine Oil Capacity 5.5 l -
Power 115 kW 100 kW
Power Assisted Steering Electric Power Assisted -
Power 154 bhp 134 bhp
Power kW Rpm 5,500 rpm 5200
Power @ RPM 5,500 rpm 5200
Piston Stroke 90.8 mm 92 mm
Top Speed 188 km/h >180 km/h
Torque 250 Nm 220 Nm
Torque Nm Rpm 1,500-4,000 rpm 2500
Torque @ RPM 1,500-4,000 rpm 2500
Turbo Type Turbocharged Not Applicable
Turbocharger Yes Not Applicable
Valves per Cylinder 16 4
Variable Valve Timing Yes -
AC Charging Time - 6.6kW AC 30-100% in 180 minutes
Combined System Power - 250
Combined System Torque - 530
Spec Jolion T1 i-DM
360 Degree Camera Yes Yes
Adaptive Cruise Control Yes Yes
Adaptive Cruise Control Yes Yes
Around View Monitor Yes Yes
Attention Assist Yes -
Autonomous Emergency Braking Yes Yes
Automatic High Beam Yes -
Auto Highbeam Yes -
Auto Lights Yes -
Auto Park Assist No -
Auto Wipers Yes -
Blind Spot Monitoring Yes Yes
Blind Spot Warning Yes Yes
Cruise Control Yes -
Drive Modes Yes -
Driver Fatigue Alert Yes -
Eco Mode Yes -
Emergency Braking Yes -
EV Mode Yes -
Forward Collision Warning Yes Yes
Front Camera Yes -
Lane Departure Warning Yes Yes
Lane Keep Assist Yes Yes
Park Assist Yes -
Parking Distance Sensors Front and Rear -
Parking Sensor Front and Rear -
Parking Sensors Front and Rear Front and rear
Pre-Collision System Yes -
Rain Sensor Wipers Yes -
Rear View Camera Yes -
Rear Cross Traffic Alert Yes Yes
Rear Parking Sensors Yes Front and rear
Rear View Camera Yes -
Reverse Camera Yes -
Reverse Camera Type Yes -
Reversing Camera Yes -
Sport Mode Yes -
Surround View Camera Yes Yes
Traffic Sign Recognition Yes -

Overall Verdict Score

Decision-grade view of the winner, score gap and category strengths.

Weighted / 100
Verdict readout

T1 i-DM leads by 3 points

Both Jolion and T1 i-DM are extremely closely matched, making the final choice dependent on buyer preference.

Winner 63 /100
Lead 3 points
Data 73% confidence
63
#1 Winner

T1 i-DM

73% data confidence 2 strong categories
Best at Safety 94 Check Efficiency 29
Performance 45
Efficiency 29
Safety 94
Practicality 69
Ownership 77
Leads by 3 points
60
#2

Jolion

97% data confidence 1 strong categories
Best at Safety 94 Check Efficiency 37
Performance 42
Efficiency 37
Safety 94
Practicality 60
Ownership 65
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance T1 i-DM +3 Efficiency Jolion +8 Safety Level Practicality T1 i-DM +9 Ownership T1 i-DM +12

Very close match. Final decision depends on buyer preference.

Why this score View full breakdown
Overall Winner

T1 i-DM

Performance 45/100
Efficiency 29/100
Safety 94/100
Practicality 69/100
Ownership 77/100

Jolion

Performance 42/100
Efficiency 37/100
Safety 94/100
Practicality 60/100
Ownership 65/100

So, Which One Should You Buy?

🏆 Jetour T1 i-DM wins with 63 pts vs 60 pts for Jolion

In structured scoring, T1 i-DM emerges as the stronger overall package. However, Jolion may appeal to buyers prioritising different factors. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

Buyers Also Looked At These

Other comparisons that people in the same boat tend to check out.

Questions Buyers Usually Ask

On our scoring the T1 i-DM edges ahead overall. That said, the right choice depends on what you actually use the car for — the breakdown above shows exactly where each one wins and loses.

Efficiency scores: Jolion 37 vs T1 i-DM 29. In the real world, diesel variants of either car will beat the claimed figure on long highways and fall short in Joburg traffic.

Safety scores: Jolion 94, T1 i-DM 94. Check each model page for NCAP ratings and which trim levels include AEB and blind-spot monitoring — those features aren't always standard.

Long-term ownership scores: Jolion 65, T1 i-DM 77. Service intervals, parts availability in SA, and whether a service plan is bundled all factor in — check the individual variant specs for that detail.

Practicality scores: Jolion 60, T1 i-DM 69. This covers boot space, seat flexibility, and day-to-day usability — not just interior dimensions on paper.

Performance scores: Jolion 42, T1 i-DM 45. This looks at real-world pace — 0–100 kph, highway flexibility, and how either car feels when you actually need to overtake on an N-road.

Resale varies with colour, spec, and market timing, but Japanese brands — and Toyota specifically — have a strong track record in SA. Check current used prices for both on AutoTrader to see the real gap right now.

Ground clearance and 4WD availability are what matter most here. Scroll to the spec table above to compare both side by side — if either model offers a 4WD variant, that's the version worth comparing.

Fuel, insurance, and service costs are the big three. Diesel variants of both models typically save R800–R1,500/month in fuel at current SA pump prices. The T1 i-DM edges the overall ownership score, but check whether either variant includes a service plan — that changes the monthly maths significantly.

The T1 i-DM scores better overall, but neither car is a bad buy here. It comes down to what features matter to you — check the full spec table above to see exactly what you gain and lose at each price point.

In Depth — Breaking It All Down

The comparison between Jolion and T1 i-DM in South Africa evaluates performance, efficiency, safety, practicality and long-term ownership value.

Performance: Jolion scores 42 vs 45.

Efficiency: Jolion scores 37 vs 29.

Safety: Jolion scores 94 vs 94.

Practicality: Jolion scores 60 vs 69.

Ownership: Jolion scores 65 vs 77.

Final structured scoring gives T1 i-DM the advantage in this comparison.