Chinese automaker JETOUR used this week’s Auto China exhibition in Beijing to outline its global expansion plans, presenting an expanded lineup of hybrid SUVs and a branding approach focused on lifestyle positioning for overseas buyers interested in adventure-oriented vehicles with lower fuel consumption.
During a multi-day media programme attended by international journalists, dealers and content creators, the marque showcased a dual-brand structure built around JETOUR and affiliated urban-mobility brand SOUEAST. Executives said the move is designed to cover a wider range of customers, from family SUV users in cities to buyers interested in premium off-road capability.
The centrepiece of the presentation was JETOUR’s updated “Travel+” strategy, which seeks to position vehicles not only as transport products but as part of a broader leisure and outdoor lifestyle ecosystem. Chinese automakers increasingly use such branding themes as competition intensifies at home and as they expand abroad.
At the Beijing show, that strategy was translated into metal and hardware. The company displayed the T-series, positioned as light off-road models, and the higher-end G-series, aimed at buyers wanting more rugged credentials. SOUEAST, meanwhile, was presented as a practical urban SUV brand focused on family use.
From a reporter’s perspective on the ground, JETOUR’s most commercially significant message was less about slogans and more about technology. The company emphasised hybrid powertrains, intelligent four-wheel-drive systems and chassis engineering intended to make larger SUVs more usable in daily driving while preserving off-road image appeal.
That was most visible during the media drive event held outside Beijing, where invited journalists sampled several vehicles across paved roads, technical obstacles and demonstration areas. The flagship G700 drew particular attention. A large six-seat SUV with three locking differentials, air suspension and a plug-in hybrid setup, it appears designed to compete in a segment where consumers increasingly want premium interiors alongside serious terrain capability.
On the test route, the G700 felt notably composed for a body-on-frame style product, with strong low-speed torque delivery and refined cabin isolation. The contrast between rugged exterior styling and luxury-focused interior equipment suggests JETOUR sees opportunity in customers who previously might have considered more established Japanese or European nameplates.
Also shown was the T2 i-DM, a hybrid version of one of the brand’s more recognizable boxy SUVs. It combines electric-first urban drivability with mechanical hardware suited to light off-road use, reflecting a growing trend in China’s SUV market: electrified adventure vehicles aimed at younger buyers who want design character without abandoning efficiency.
SOUEAST’s S08 DM rounded out the presentation with a softer proposition — a three-row family-oriented hybrid SUV intended for export markets where practicality and value remain decisive factors.
JETOUR said cumulative global sales have exceeded 2.26 million vehicles and that it now operates in around 100 countries and regions. While those figures could not be independently verified, the scale of the company’s overseas ambition was evident from the breadth of media attendance and multilingual presentations throughout the event.
For China’s rising car exporters, the next challenge is no longer simply entering foreign markets, but building brands that resonate locally. In Beijing this week, JETOUR’s answer was clear: combine hybrid technology, SUV theatre and lifestyle marketing into a package it hopes can travel well beyond China.
