Jetour T2 owners would have felt both ends of the emotional scale lately.
Beaming with pride at the recent clinching of a South African Car of the Year (COTY) victory, countered by worry over a widely shared post on social media highlighting its limited payload.
Storm in social media tea cup or valid concern?
The T2, classed as an SUV — and advertised as an adventurous lifestyle partner — has a payload of between 300kg and 375kg. In theory, this could be easily exceeded with five passengers, their luggage and other paraphernalia should the vehicle be used for outdoorsy pursuits.
The T2’s payload is bested by many smaller, compact crossovers and hatchbacks. In addition, the direct rival to the T2, the GWM Tank 300, offers a payload double that of its competitor.
An X post by Cape Town software engineer Petrus Theron, concerned about overloading circumstances and potential voiding of the warranty or insurance claim repudiation, went viral. Theron did not respond to a message for more insight into what prompted him to look into the payload of the vehicle.
Par for the course
Despite this, Jetour SA contends its T2 is “in line with many competitors in the segment” and said the payload calculation is subject to different homologation standards applicable to various manufacturers.
This position was circulated via the South African Guild of Mobility Journalists (SAGMJ), who were addressing queries posed around testing methods at its Car of the Year competition. We have published both sets of feedback in entirety in the last section of the article.
Jetour SA was approached separately with these questions:
- Why is the T2’s payload comparatively limited?
- Is there an upgrade on the cards for South African market vehicles?
- Will owners risk voiding their warranties should they sustain defects after loading the vehicle as depicted in promotional materials?
The company did not respond to the questions but said the response circulated by the SAGMJ could be used.
Understanding payload
Earlier this year we attended the annual Volkswagen Group Africa Indaba, which included a tour of the testing centre at plant Kariega. We saw a Polo Vivo packed with water-filled containers, part of an extended suspension and durability programme.
I approached the manufacturer for insight on payload, why it matters and how a locally developed car might be optimised for South Africa-specific conditions.
Rashid Jappie, head of full vehicle development at Volkswagen Group Africa’s product development department, responded to my queries.
“Payload is the additional weight a vehicle is designed to carry. A vehicle has its own weight, but it is also designed to carry people, luggage and other items. The combined weight of those passengers and items is known as the payload. In simple terms, payload is the load you add to the vehicle.
“Payload is calculated by subtracting the vehicle’s unladen mass from its gross vehicle mass, or GVM.
“GVM is the maximum legally permitted weight of the vehicle when fully loaded.
“Unladen mass refers to the vehicle’s weight without passengers, luggage, or cargo, while including the necessary fuel and fluids required for normal operation.
“Drivers should not exceed a vehicle’s payload because overloading can affect safety and vehicle durability.
“An overloaded vehicle may have reduced stability and handling, longer braking distances, increased tyre wear or tyre failure risk, and greater strain on the suspension, brakes and other components as well as an increased risk of damage to the vehicle.
“It is also important to note that overloading a vehicle is illegal in South Africa. Staying within the permitted payload helps ensure the vehicle performs as designed and remains safe for occupants and other road users.”
Addressing a question on development of the Polo Vivo, Jappie said vehicles are designed to accommodate a wide range of occupants, with consideration given to seating position, steering reach, ergonomics, comfort and safety.
“In vehicle weight and payload calculations, 75kg per occupant is commonly used as a standardised reference mass, particularly in European type-approval practice. This does not mean every occupant is expected to weigh 75kg; rather, it provides a consistent basis for regulatory and engineering calculations.”
Occupant mass is a particularly interesting topic in relation to development for local conditions.
A 2024 Human Sciences Research Council study found that almost 50% of adult South Africans are overweight or obese, with a body mass index greater than 30.
Jappie said local testing of the Polo Vivo and other Volkswagen models is exhaustive, from suspension tuning and rough-road durability to assessment under various loads.
“The objective is to ensure that the vehicle is robust, comfortable and safe for local customers while remaining within its approved design limits, including payload and GVM.”
T2 payload in relation what rivals offer
The range-topping T2 in 1.5T i-DM plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) guise has a payload of 300kg, while the base model 1.5T Aspire has a 375kg payload.
The same figure applies to the 2.0T Xplora with all-wheel drive, based on the GVM and unladen weight figures: (2,255kg-1,880kg).
The cheapest Jetour, the Dashing 1.5T Momentum, also has a payload of 300kg.
For the sake of reference, a Polo Vivo 1.4 base has a payload of 467kg (GVM of 1,530kg minus unladen mass of 1,063kg).
Even a compact crossover such as the Chery Tiggo Cross LiT has a superior payload to the T2 models at 397kg.
The direct rival mentioned earlier offers greater potential where load-lugging is concerned.
The GWM Tank 2.4T Luxury (this is the base model) has a 610kg payload.
Finding the local GVM figure for the entry-level version of the similarly sized BAIC B30, the 1.5T Elite Adventure, proved difficult. The company lists kerb weight (1,575kg) but no GVM figure. Its communications department did not take our call or respond to a message enquiring further.
The price range of the Jetour T2 (R569,900-R779,900) also puts buyers into SUV prospects such as the Mahindra XUV700 2.0T AX7 (613kg payload), Mitsubishi Destinator 1.5T Exceed (590kg payload), Mazda CX-5 2.0 Dynamic (490kg payload), Subaru Forester 2.5i Field (628kg payload) and Toyota Fortuner 2.4GD-6 manual (610kg payload).
Potential insurance risk?
I approached Discovery Insure, asking whether overloading would result in claim repudiation and if the Jetour T2 in particular would be a high-risk vehicle from an insurance perspective, given that owners may unintentionally exceed its limited payload.
Precious Nduli, chief commercial officer, responded.
“Every claim is assessed on its own merits and in line with South African law. As with any motor claim, we look at the specific circumstances of the incident.
“If there is evidence that a vehicle was overloaded, the key question is whether that contributed to causing the accident.
“We don’t make decisions based on a single factor in isolation. Vehicles sold in South Africa are required to meet the country’s regulatory and safety standards.
“Regardless of the vehicle model, motorists should always operate their vehicles within the manufacturer’s specifications and legal requirements.
“Our approach is to assess every claim fairly, based on the facts of the incident and whether any factor materially contributed to the accident before making a decision.”
Jetour T2 as SA’s 2026 Car of the Year
Thami Masemola, chair of the SAGMJ Car of the Year programme, responded to queries about the organisation’s testing programme and T2 payload concerns.
In addition to racetrack and road driving, did the SAGMJ incorporate other forms of suspension testing at COTY 2026, for example, corrugated surfaces and Belgian paving strips?
As the only Car of the Year competition in the world that conducts actual physical tests through a consistent, repeatable system (editor’s note: this is an unverified claim), suspension testing is performed in a controlled environment (Zwartkops Raceway) and on public roads where owners spend their time driving cars sold in South Africa. As part of the controlled environment tests at the Zwartkops Raceway, certain finalists are subjected to off-road driving. However, due to a serious rainstorm during this year’s first testing day at Zwartkops, this was cancelled for the safety of jurors as well as to avoid possible damage to finalist vehicles.
Is there a towing/laden operation component involved in testing, particularly in the case of SUV and pickup models?
No, there is not a towing/laden assessment done during the test days. However, most jurors do have access to finalist media units before testing days. The make-up of the jury panel includes members who perform such tests. It is important to note that most jurors also spend seven days with each finalist during their assessment, and this does translate to their scoring as part of COTY. Additionally, payload considerations are not regarded as standalone scoring criteria but are assessed within the broader context of each vehicle’s intended use case and segment positioning.
Does the competition include feedback from real-world owners regarding issues encountered, after-sales service and surveys around general product satisfaction?
For the 2025 and 2026 COTY, there has been feedback from some owners, which culminates in the public vote award. Additionally, the automated scoring component takes actual vehicle sales into account. However, time sensitivities, given that the competition rewards newly launched vehicles, mean that a long-term durability evaluation component is not possible under this environment.
In the SAGMJ’s view, is the limited payload of the Jetour T2 (vs direct rivals) potentially problematic, given that this is a family vehicle likely to experience full-laden usage?
In terms of South African legislation, the certificate of roadworthiness is governed by the National Road Traffic Act, which is the sole responsibility of the national department of transport (DoT). All vehicles sold in South Africa go through this test before being issued with a certificate of roadworthiness. The COTY competition then regards the approval by the DoT of the Jetour T2 as compliant with the load-carrying regulations in South Africa.
Jetour SA on T2 payload concerns
This comment from the communications team of Jetour SA was circulated to TimesLIVE motoring via the SAGMJ:
Different OEMs may calculate and report these figures using slightly different homologation standards, making like-for-like comparison important.
Payload is determined by GVM minus kerb weight (the vehicle in running order, including a 75kg driver, fluids, 90% fuel, and standard equipment). On this basis, the Jetour T2 delivers a real-world usable payload of about 300kg.
Depending on the calculation methodology used, the T2’s total load-carrying capacity ranges from 300kg to 445kg. The 445kg figure includes the driver (with a weight of 75kg) and a 90% tank of fuel, while the 300kg figure represents the remaining available payload after these factors have been accounted for in the homologation calculation.
This places the T2 broadly in line with many competitors in the segment. In addition, the T2 also offers a braked towing capacity of up to 1.6 tonnes, which is separate from and in addition to the vehicle’s payload capability.
All Jetour vehicles are fully homologated and comply with all relevant regulatory requirements.
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