How far they’ve come
If you told me even as late as 10 years ago (when I started as a motoring journalist) that Chinese cars would be commonplace on our roads, you would have heard my howls of laughter from Jupiter.
That’s because I’m old enough to remember the catastrophes that befell the first wave of Chinese automakers on our shores. They severely undercut the prices of established Japanese and South Korean brands, providing tantalizing options for Filipinos who wanted to save money without resorting to buying second-hand cars.
But alas, all that glitters is not gold – many buyers (both private and fleet) got burned when they discovered that their new rides were as durable as a wet table napkin. As breakdowns and warranty claims piled up, these poor souls likewise discovered the shambolic aftersales of these upstart brands, leading many to swear off Chinese cars for life.
But much has changed in a decade – the likes of the all-new 2025 Jetour T1 Lightning i-DM sport-utility vehicle (SUV) prove why the People’s Republic has finally earned a place in the hearts and garages of Filipinos nationwide.
Copycats no more
There was once a time that Chinese automakers didn’t just take inspiration from established marques, but downright copied them.
The very first Chery Tiggo sold in the Philippines was a barely redone, second-generation Toyota RAV4 (even down to the external spare-tire cover and side-opening tailgate). And the Lifan 320 (remember those?) had an uncanny resemblance to the first generation of the modern MINI, particularly the lights, grill and roofline.
It got to the point that other automakers sued Chinese car companies for blatant copyright infringement. But today, the People’s Republic has invested heavily in developing innovative design departments, often poaching big names from Europe to steer their brand’s aesthetic direction.
Happily, this has resulted in models like the T1 Lightning i-DM. Its original styling includes exciting flourishes like the crosshair-style LED headlights and taillights, along with the pulsating LED grill light that makes this SUV look like K.I.T.T. from the famous American T.V. show Knight Rider.
Dazzling interiors
The first Chinese car that I ever stepped into was the notorious Chery QQ hatchback – and it absolutely reeked of glue.
This noxious trend was par for the course in the first decade of production for Chinese automakers, along with cabin materials that wouldn’t pass muster in a Little Tykes Coupe. But as mentioned earlier, those fancy design departments started offering new models with cabins that rivaled the pomp and circumstance of European marques.
Indeed, there is no Japanese, South Korean or American SUV with an interior that is quite as splendid as the one in the T1 Lightning i-DM. Besides using eco-friendly leather upholstery and soft-touch materials all over, the big Jetour comes standard with the kind of toys that would require you to spend hundreds of thousands of pesos more to have in non-Chinese brands.
These include the 15.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system with 1080p resolution and 9-speaker Sony surround-sound system, the electrically adjustable and air-conditioned front seats with driver’s side memory, the panoramic moonroof and the customizable ambient lighting that really adds dazzle to your nighttime drives.
Electrifying lead
Although the Japanese and the Americans were among the first to explore hybrid-electric and battery-electric powertrains, the Chinese have absolutely slingshot into the lead.
For instance, the Jetour i-DM system in the T1 Lightning combines a 1.5-liter, twin-cam, 16-valve inline-4 gasoline engine producing 154 horsepower and 220 Newton-meters of torque with a 150-kW electric motor and a 26.7-kWh battery pack, which the carmaker claims can be charged from 30 to 80 percent in just 30 minutes with a DC fast charger.
Besides offering a good battery range of around 100 kilometers, the big Jetour achieves fuel-economy figures that are simply impossible in even the most frugal hatchbacks – our tests recorded 33 to 36 kilometers per liter in the city and 20 to 23 kilometers per liter on the expressway.
Kudos as well to Chinese carmakers for making full use of their technological might in developing adaptive driver-assistance systems. For instance, the T1 Lightning i-DM comes standard with life-saving features like adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, active braking and rear-cross-traffic alert.
What’s next?
Once again, the Philippines has been bitten by the Chinese-car bug.
We now turn to the People’s Republic for cars that promise unparalleled value for money, thanks to highly advanced, well-equipped and supremely energy-efficient models that have left established carmakers scrambling to catch up. But will these upstarts last and will Chinese automakers be there for us in our darkest hours?
Although time will tell how reliable Chinese cars are, Jetour Auto Philippines Inc. is committed to their customers by offering the local car industry’s best vehicle warranty, as of press time – 6 years or 1,000,000 kilometers (whichever comes first).
The T1 Lightning i-DM also gets a 10-year engine warranty and an 8-year/150,000-kilometer power battery warranty (whichever comes first) – all this helps make this SUV one of the best cars I drove in 2025.
And as the new year approaches, I look forward to what groundbreaking brands like Jetour have in store for us.
