JSW Motors Could Enter Indian Car Market with a Rebadged Chinese SUV

JSW Motors is preparing to enter the Indian passenger vehicle market under its own identity and gearing up to launch its first car in the country later this year. According to a media report, the debut product will be the Jetour T2 SUV, marking JSW’s first independent step as a carmaker outside its joint venture with MG Motor.

Importantly, the SUV will not carry Jetour branding in India. Instead, it is expected to be sold under a JSW badge with a new model name, signalling the group’s ambition to build a standalone automotive brand.

The vehicle will be locally assembled at JSW’s upcoming greenfield manufacturing facility in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Maharashtra. Market launch is likely by the third quarter of the year.

In line with JSW’s stated focus on sustainable mobility, the India-spec T2 will be offered exclusively with a plug-in hybrid powertrain. While international markets get petrol-only versions, India is expected to receive the T2 i-DM, which pairs a 1.5-litre petrol engine with electric assistance.

The plug-in hybrid is available globally with both front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive configurations, though JSW has not yet confirmed which setup will be introduced locally.

Design-wise, the T2 adopts a bold, boxy silhouette with strong SUV proportions, drawing visual comparisons with the Land Rover Defender. Despite its rugged appearance, the T2 uses a monocoque chassis rather than a traditional ladder-frame construction. The SUV measures approximately 4.7 metres in length and 2 metres in width.

Details regarding pricing and positioning remain under wraps. For reference, the five-seat front-wheel-drive T2 i-DM is priced at roughly ₹35 lakh in the UAE, suggesting that the India-spec model could sit in the premium midsize SUV segment.

Jetour, the brand behind the T2, was established in 2018 by Chinese automaker Chery. While it focuses primarily on SUVs, it has also sold rebadged Chery models in some markets. Jetour currently operates in China and several international regions, including the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America.

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