MANILA: Triesenburg Auto Corp. (TAC), official country distributor of JAC passenger and light commercial vehicles in the country, will enter the highly competitive compact SUV segment with the launch of the JAC S4 on July 5. Headquartered in Hefei in China’s Anhui Province, JAC is also known for its trucks and buses.

In a statement, TAC expressed confidence that “the vehicle will stand out for two reasons: specs and pricing. Before bringing in the unit into the country, TAC took its time to compare the vehicle… with all the current vehicles in the segment and the overall package of S4 stood out.” The S4’s looks were jointly developed by the company’s R&D centers in Turin and Tokyo.

Under the hood of the JAC S4 is a turbocharged 1.5-liter engine with i-VVT. “It adopts a low- inertia supercharger to realize improved power performance and a quick response,” reported TAC. The power plant delivers 147hp and 210Nm.

The generous output is said to help allow the vehicle to “adapt to different driving needs (while ensuring) the right power output on different road conditions.” The engine is mated to either a six-speed manual or Continuously Variable Transmission.

Inside, the S4’s Intuitive Touch Control Panel eliminates buttons and knobs for the AC control and other functions. The vehicle’s infotainment system with a 10.25-inch multimedia touchscreen is “linkable to any smart phone.” From the touchscreen, users can also cornering lamps, vehicle positioning lighting, and more. In place of usual cluster gauges for the tachometer and speedometer is an interactive 10.25-inch LED instrument panel with animation and three views available.

The S4 also boasts smart entry and a push start/stop system. The automated tailgate can be operated through the remote key or through its sensor under the bumper.

JAC says the S4 boasts “high-technology safety features,” using Volkswagen’s VDA quality system. Aside from front dual airbags, the JAC S4 also has front side airbags and side curtains. Its suite of safety tech includes front collision warning, anti-lock brakes, electronic brakeforce distribution, blind spot monitoring, electronic stability control, hill-start assist, brake override system, lane departure warning and more.

The front fascia of the crossover sports a wing grille, and the vehicle body use lots of straight-line and angular cues. A double-waist line is said to look like a bow at full draw, while the rear line gradually widens from top to bottom.

The JAC S4 will be launched officially to the public through TAC’s official page, JAC Motors Philippines (https://www.facebook.com/jacphilippines) on July 5, 2020 6 p.m. through a Facebook Live feed. The online event will feature JAC Motors International officials GM Davide Zhang, Head of JAC Overseas Automobile Research Institute Kong DeXing, and Head of JAC Design Center Brian Li. Meanwhile, attending from TAC are Group General Manager Dan Rudolph Navarro and Marketing and Sales Director Brian Badilla.

The JAC S4 will be made available in four variants: Luxury (MT), Luxury with CVT, Intelligent with CVT, and Ultimate with CVT. Pricing starts at P878,000, with the top model at P1.098 million.

Photos from TAC