MANILA: Looking for a new family car in time for your Christmas road trip? Well, you’re in luck. JAC Motor Philippines is aggressively expanding its portfolio. And because they know our penchant for SUVs and SUVs, from the JAC T8 pickup truck, they are now set to launch an all-new crossover—the 2020 S4, just in time for the holidays.

Designed in Turin, Italy, the JAC S4 is a compact SUV with elegance, turbo, safety, and intelligence in mind while also taking into consideration price as a differentiating factor from more popular competitors. It is the first car from the JAC Motors portfolio that integrates a comprehensive application of the Volkswagen VDA quality system. This means that the JAC S4 fully complies with German automotive standards.

Unlike the T8, the JAC S4 has a more muted front chrome hexagonal grille with a small JAC badge sitting on the top center. It is flanked by headlamps on the top and fog lights at the bottom that adds a sporty look.

At the rear is a thin chrome bar sitting across the hatch that connects the two taillights with another JAC badge at the center. At the tailgate below is a wraparound LED rear fog light for added safety when driving in inclement weather. The exterior look is made complete by a floating roofline design, black body cladding, and an 18-inch alloy wheels wrapped in 225/45/R18 tires.

Inside, the design is simple yet stylish. No fancy digital instrument cluster—just the traditional gauges. But the S4 made up for it with a multi-function steering wheel and a touchscreen panel for the AC and volume adjustments.

There is also a floating touchscreen infotainment system mounted at the center of the dashboard powered by JAC’s in-house QNX system. In terms of safety features, the S4 is equipped with airbags, 360° panoramic image & CTA, Lane Departure Warning System, and Blindspot monitor (BSD).

Under the hood, the JAC S4 will get a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine that churns out 147 hp of power and 210 Nm of torque. The engine is mated to a CVT gearbox. In China, a 1.6-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine is available but JAC has not confirmed if they will also offer that engine variant here in the Philippines.

Prices for the JAC S4 will be released on a later date. But the top-of-the-line variant is expected to be near the Php 1 million price range. This could mean that the base model would be around the Php 900,000 mark. If this is the case, the new 2020 JAC S4 will be one of the most affordable crossovers in the market.

Also Read: JAC Motors Philippines looking to take on the pickup truck segment, to offer T8