Slick new JMC does what China does best. And it works!
Chinese double-cabs have spent the past couple of years trying to reinvent the wheel. Battery-electric bakkies, over-complicated tech showcases and pipe dreams that wholly miss the local point. But as we recently pointed out with the extended-range Changan Hunter, chasing real-world utility is where the true fight lies.
Enter the JMC Grand Avenue. A proper full-size double-cab that actually does what Chinese automakers ought to do best: copy what already works. Instead of dabbling in wet dream EV drivelines, JMC has taken dead aim at South Africa’s market heavyweight to match, or better the benchmark Toyota Hilux in every possible way.
It does so punch-for-punch, from power and torque outputs to general dimensions and load and hauling capacity. But with one eye-watering difference. The JMC does it at a price tag to shock any buyer, from family man to fleet manager.
BOLD STYLING, CONTEMPORARY PROPORTIONS
This new arrival steps into the big league with the presence, hardware, and intent to upset the applecart. There’s no missing the Grand Avenue on the road; it is massive, broad-shouldered, and sports an assertive, square-jawed American-truck snout, this one finished in a handsome metallic green.
Towering 235 mm over the ground on a lofty 3,270 mm wheelbase, it dwarfs most traditional rivals. Our test unit came fitted with an aftermarket canopy and enormous black mag wheels with aggressively offset all-terrain rubber. While the otherwise practical canopy looked slick, it made the rearview mirror redundant.
As for those superfluous rims, they certainly don’t appeal to all tastes. Worse still, we’re confident that they alter the rolling ratios to the detriment of this JMC’s performance. We’ve said it before, aftermarket add-ons tend to mar a good bakkie more than they contribute. Which is why we prefer to evaluate bone-stock vehicles.
PUNCHY DIESEL BACKS UP THE BRAWN
Under the imposing bonnet sits a 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel cranking out 155 kW and a massive 500 Nm of twist. Those are exact benchmark 2.8 GD-6 figures, mated to ZF’s venerable eight-speed automatic transmission and a proper BorgWarner selectable four-wheel-drive system with low range. Again, just like Hilux…
Strap on the VBox, and Grand Avenue gets off the mark with genuine intent. Despite lugging those punishing, drag-inducing off-road wheels, it rushed to 100 km/h in 9.24 seconds and cantered through 400 metres in 16.49 seconds at 133.1 km/h. Half a second quicker than Old Number One in its latest guise.
On stock factory 17-inch wheels and standard rubber, there’s no question that this is an honest sub-9-second bakkie all day long. Which once again, sits slap bang in Hilux territory. Yip. Copy. That’s what the Chinese do best. And JMC does it at just about half the price, too.
HIGHWAY COMFORT VERSUS CHASSIS REFINEMENT
Settle down into an open-road cruise, and the Grand Avenue reveals a remarkably calm and comfortable cabin environment. In-gear urge is strong, dispatching the vital 80–120 km/h overtaking sprint in a brisk 6.8 seconds.
The ZF eight-speed ‘box shifts smooth in traffic, keeping the big turbodiesel right in the meat of its torque band without hunting for it. Unladen ride quality on poor surfaces remains typically firm on its leaf-sprung rear, but it settles noticeably with speed and handles road imperfections with reassuring heft.
Steering feedback is light and slightly numb – yes, it’s still Chinese – yet it tracks true on the highway without demanding constant micro-corrections. Cabin insulation is commendably sorted, keeping harsh wind buffeting and road drone to modest levels on long cross-country hauls.
A REAL ALTERNATIVE TO PRICE MADNESS
Inside, the cabin layout is clean, modern, and substantially more functional than the overly minimalist button-free trend sweeping modern crossovers. Digital displays are modern and pretty avant-garde for a Chinese car.
And believe us when we tell you that it beats Hilux hands down in tasks as mundane as Car Playing your iPhone. Inside, the leatherette upholstery is plush, the seats are standout comfy, and generous cabin room ensures occupants front and rear are well catered for on long treks. Safety-conscious family buyers will however note that it only packs four airbags in an era where seven or eight is the class norm.
Crucially, however, this JMC Grand Avenue delivers the stats that count on the farm, family driveway or job site. An 870 kg payload and a full 3,500 kg braked towing pull no punches, yet while badge snobs will pay around a million for equivalent traditional mainstream metal, this JMC delivers the exact same muscle for under R580K.
Which all goes to show that when Chinese carmakers stop building joke battery bakkies and focus on copying the winning bakkie formula, they can deliver exceptional value. If you can live without the sacred badge, you simply cannot afford to ignore this one.
Here’s one Chinese bakkie that certainly has to have its traditional rivals sitting straight up with their eyes wide open. For it asks some huge questions on how, exactly, so much bakkie can possibly cost so little. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what you call a game changer. – Michele Lupini
Images & Testing: Giordano Lupini
ROAD TESTED: JMC Grand Avenue 2.5TD DC GL 4WD
Engine: 155 kW 500 Nm 2.5-litre turbodiesel I4
Drive: 8-speed automatic 4x4
Load Capacity: 870 kg
Max Braked Trailer: 3,500 kg
TESTED:
0–60 km/h: 3.82 sec
0–100 km/h: 9.24 sec
0–120 km/h: 13.05 sec
80–120 km/h: 6.86 sec
400m: 16.4 sec @ 133 km/h
CLAIMED:
VMax: 165 km/h
Fuel: 7.2 l/100 km
CO2: 1 196 g/km
Warranty/Service: 5y/200K km/5y/100K km
PRICE: R579K
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