Q&A: ‘We’re thinking of switching exclusively to Jetour’
A brand experiential trip to China wows celebrity couple Camille Prats and VJ Yambao
Interview by Joyce Reyes-Aguila
LESS THAN two months after signing on as endorsers of automaker Jetour, Camille Prats-Yambao and husband VJ Yambao recently took a deeper dive into the brand. The couple, who are proud owners of a Jetour Dashing (Lightning i-DM), joined the Jetour Global Travel + Conference 2024 in Fuzhou, China. The itinerary included a tour of Jetour’s production facility and test drives of the T2 (including its i-DM or PHEV version which is still not yet in the country), and the smaller T1 (also not yet here). Toward the end of the trip, “Velocity” had an exclusive chat with the couple — fresh from a test of the T1 and T2 on Pintang Island. Camille and VJ talked about how they discovered Jetour, and later fell in love with the brand.
Here are excerpts from our interview.
VELOCITY: How did you discover Jetour?
Camille: We were really looking for an (electrified) vehicle. Actually, I was stalking Jetour’s (social media) account. I reached out to them and said we’re very interested to check out their cars. ‘If you’re looking for someone to collaborate with, (we’re here),’ I said. They replied and it all started from there.
What drew you to the brand?
VJ: I really like the aesthetics of their cars, and the Dashing Lightning i-DM (a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle [PHEV]) was even more interesting. The design is really nice, and when I checked the car’s performance, I felt that the quality is premium.
Camille: We would spend some nights just watching YouTube videos, car reviews of different Jetour cars. We were actually choosing between the T2 and the Dashing (Lightning i-DM).
What made you decide on the Jetour Dashing Lightning i-DM?
VJ: We were looking for a car that Camille can drive. She found the T2 too big, so we chose the Dashing Lightning i-DM.
Camille: We struggled to choose, but the Dashing i-DM is a really good choice. It’s very comfortable. We really wanted a hybrid electric vehicle.
What do the kids think about your vehicle?
VJ: They are crazy about it! They no longer want to ride our other vehicles, to be honest. They like the “Hello, Jetour” voice command control, and like saying “Hello, Jetour, can you open the sunshade?” or “Can you open the windows?” They like the ambient lighting as well. Nala, our only daughter, would press the buttons to change the colors!
Camille: They also know how to operate the massage function. They would ask me to recline, and they would press the massage controls and ask me if it’s good. We like to take them around the village with the sunroof open. VJ sent me a video of the kids laughing, enjoying the breeze from the open sunroof. They really had so much fun!
One time, we were going out and I was the designated driver. I told them we’d be using the other car because it had been a while since we last drove it around. They complained! “We don’t like! We want to get on the Jetour!” they said. We ended up using the Dashing. They really love it.
After attending the Jetour Global Travel + Conference, is there anything new that you learned about the brand? Anything that surprised you?
Camille: I had already been in love with our Jetour. I’m very impressed with it and I have compared the Dashing with other vehicles. But the things I learned here — from seeing the assembly line and all — strengthened my belief in just how strong the brand is. The experience of seeing how they make the cars — how small parts are put together to make an actual vehicle — amazed me. It’s a different experience to witness how the car you drive comes to life.
VJ: I saw how rigid the manufacturing process is. I really saw Jetour’s thrust. It made me feel that they make reliable cars. I really look for durability and reliability in a vehicle. And when I saw how they make cars, it really affirmed my belief that it is a good brand.
Camille: We’ve come to a point that VJ wants to sell all our cars and replace them with Jetour vehicles. We’re literally considering that, and I kind of agree with him.
VJ: We’re really considering it. Let’s stick with Jetour. Their future plans excite me, including what we saw during this trip, and things that I cannot say more about right now.
Camille: What they have coming up will be very good for our country. We struggle with the impact of weather systems and the impact of these that are beyond our control. Jetour is planning to create a car that is made for adverse conditions. We’re very excited for that.
If there’s one car that you want to bring home from your recent trip with Jetour, what would it be and why?
Camille: The T5. I feel it’s a leveling-up of the T2.
VJ: The T7. I cannot wait to be able to get my hands on it. It’s the ultimate car by far that was ever built. And it’s built by Jetour. I cannot wait to have it in my garage!
Camille: I feel that (the T7) is something that we just imagined before, and now it’s going to come true. It was right there in front of us!
