GWM Jolion vs Jetour T1

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 in South Africa

Jetour T1

Odyssey 2.0TD+7DCT 4WD Petrol Automatic
ZAR 634,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 180 kW 🔧 375 Nm ⛽ 9.0 km/l
Add a 3rd car

At a Glance — Who Wins What

Performance T1
Fuel Economy T1
🛡 Safety Tie
📦 Practicality T1
🔑 Ownership Jolion
Jolion starts ZAR 514900 cheaper Jolion from ZAR 409,900 · T1 from ZAR 514,900

Key Specs Side by Side

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

Spec Jolion T1
Engine Power 115 180
Torque 250 375
Engine Size 1497 1998
Claimed Mileage 5.6 9.0
Ground Clearance 190 190
Boot Space 340 574
Airbags 6 Front, front side, and curtain airbags
Kerb Weight 1500 Not Applicable
Seating Capacity 5 5
Warranty 5 -

= leads in this spec

The Bottom Line

T1 has a slight advantage, but Jolion remains highly competitive.

Where They Actually Differ

Performance T1 +35 pts
Efficiency T1 +1 pts
Safety Equal
Practicality T1 +11 pts
Ownership Jolion +9 pts

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

Jolion

Strengths
  • Better long-term ownership value
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Lower fuel efficiency
  • Less practical in daily usage
Best suited to: General Use
🏆 Overall Winner

T1

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Better fuel efficiency
  • More practical for daily use
Weak Spots
  • Shorter warranty coverage
Best suited to: Highway Driving Fuel Efficiency Family Usage

Which One's Right for You?

Jolion

  • Long-term owners valuing warranty and ownership peace of mind

T1

  • Drivers who prioritise strong highway performance and overtaking power
  • Buyers looking for better fuel efficiency
  • Large families needing more practicality and usability

Full Specs, Side by Side

Spec Jolion T1
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 -
Cylinder Bore 72.5 mm 80.5 mm
Compression Ratio 10.5:1 10.2:1
Cylinder Layout Inline 4 (I4) Not Applicable
Cylinders 4 4
Displacement 1497 cc 1998 cc
Engine 1.5L GW4B15A + Electric Motor Hybrid Turbocharged petrol
Engine Code GW4B15A SQRF4J20
Engine Config 1.5L GW4B15A + Electric Motor Hybrid Not Applicable
Engine Cylinders 4 4
Engine Displacement 1497 cc 1998 cc
Engine Displacement Cc 1497 cc 1998 cc
Engine Displacement Litres 1.5 l 2 l
Engine Position Front Transverse -
Engine Power kW 115 kW 180 kW
Engine Torque Nm 250 Nm 375 Nm
Engine Type Inline 4 Cylinder Turbocharged Petrol Turbo petrol
Engine Type Config Inline 4 Cylinder (I4) DOHC 16-Valve Turbocharged Not Applicable
Engine Valves 16 4
EV Range 120 km -
Fuel Grade Required Petrol Petrol
Fuel System Direct Injection Not Applicable
Induction Turbocharged Not Applicable
Max Power kW 115 kW 180 kW
Maximum Engine RPM 6,000 rpm -
Max Torque Nm 250 Nm 375 Nm
Maximum Power 115 kW 180 kW
Maximum Torque 250 Nm 375 Nm
Motor Power 75 -
Motor Torque 250 -
Engine Oil Capacity 5.5 l -
Power 115 kW 180 kW
Power Assisted Steering Electric Power Assisted -
Power 154 bhp 241 bhp
Power kW Rpm 5,500 rpm 5500
Power @ RPM 5,500 rpm 5500
Piston Stroke 90.8 mm 98.12 mm
Top Speed 188 km/h 180 km/h
Torque 250 Nm 375 Nm
Torque Nm Rpm 1,500-4,000 rpm 1750-4000
Torque @ RPM 1,500-4,000 rpm 1750-4000
Turbo Type Turbocharged Not Applicable
Turbocharger Yes Not Applicable
Valves per Cylinder 16 4
Variable Valve Timing Yes -
Spec Jolion T1
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 Not Available
Auto Lights Yes -
Auto Park Assist No -
Auto Wipers Yes Yes
Blind Spot Monitoring Yes Yes
Blind Spot Warning Yes Yes
Cruise Control Yes No
Drive Modes Yes Not Available
Driver Fatigue Alert Yes Not Available
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 Not Available
Parking Distance Sensors Front and Rear -
Parking Sensor Front and Rear -
Parking Sensors Front and Rear Not Available
Pre-Collision System Yes -
Rain Sensor Wipers Yes -
Rear View Camera Yes Not Available
Rear Cross Traffic Alert Yes Yes
Rear Parking Sensors Yes Yes
Rear View Camera Yes -
Reverse Camera Yes Not Available
Reverse Camera Type Yes -
Reversing Camera Yes -
Sport Mode Yes -
Surround View Camera Yes Yes
Traffic Sign Recognition Yes Not Available

Overall Verdict Score

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

Weighted / 100
Verdict readout

T1 leads by 10 points

T1 has a slight advantage, but Jolion remains highly competitive.

Winner 70 /100
Lead 10 points
Data 72% confidence
70
#1 Winner

T1

72% data confidence 3 strong categories
Best at Safety 94 Check Efficiency 38
Performance 77
Efficiency 38
Safety 94
Practicality 71
Ownership 56
Leads by 10 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 +35 Efficiency T1 +1 Safety Level Practicality T1 +11 Ownership Jolion +9

Moderate difference between the models.

Why this score View full breakdown
Overall Winner

T1

Performance 77/100
Efficiency 38/100
Safety 94/100
Practicality 71/100
Ownership 56/100

Jolion

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

So, Which One Should You Buy?

🏆 Jetour T1 wins with 70 pts vs 60 pts for Jolion

In structured scoring, T1 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 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 38. 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 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 56. 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 71. This covers boot space, seat flexibility, and day-to-day usability — not just interior dimensions on paper.

Performance scores: Jolion 42, T1 77. 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 edges the overall ownership score, but check whether either variant includes a service plan — that changes the monthly maths significantly.

The T1 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 in South Africa evaluates performance, efficiency, safety, practicality and long-term ownership value.

Performance: Jolion scores 42 vs 77.

Efficiency: Jolion scores 37 vs 38.

Safety: Jolion scores 94 vs 94.

Practicality: Jolion scores 60 vs 71.

Ownership: Jolion scores 65 vs 56.

Final structured scoring gives T1 the advantage in this comparison.