SPEC SHOWDOWN: Jetour Ice Cream vs. Wuling Macaron

Mini-electric vehicles (EVs) are slowly becoming popular in the Philippines.

These little runabouts offer clean and green mobility, without having to spend thousands of pesos on fuel. These vehicles will cost you very little to charge, with an estimate of around ₱170 to get them from zero to 100 percent.

They also offer you a number-coding exemption, meaning you can use them all days of the week. 

Enter Wuling Philippines and Jetour Philippines, who have brought their own mini EVs into the country through the Wuling Macaron and the Jetour Ice Cream. They may look like twins, but have minor differences that make choosing hard.

That said, we will compare these mini EVs to help you decide which one to get, as they are the same in terms of specifications and are very close in price. 

Seeing double?

You aren’t seeing double when you see these two vehicles side by side. 

They carry the same two-door boxy hatchback styling, with the differences beginning with the headlights. The Wuling has a more rectangular set with projectors, while the Jetour has a U-shaped design and a projector lighting setup. 

The bumpers are also different, as the Wuling has a lower grille and a set of foglights that isn't present in its Jetour counterpart. 

Other changes can be spotted with the wheels, as they come with different covers, and the C-pillar, which is notably blacked out in the Macaron to give it a floating roof effect for select colors. 

Since the two vehicles are very similar in design, we will put it at a tie as it boils down to your preference. The Macaron is slightly more subtle, giving a commuter car vibe instead of the Ice Cream’s youthful and toy-like appearance. 

Simple but colorful interiors

Seeing both vehicles back to back, we noticed that they had colorful interiors.

Their cabins are color-keyed with the exterior paintwork, which brightens up the inside, giving it an airy and youthful vibe.

After all, both vehicles are aimed at the younger car buyer who wants to shift to electric mobility at a more affordable price point.

Regarding their technology features, both vehicles are spartan, with manual air conditioning controls with no touchscreens. A digital display is available, but it primarily shows your speed and remaining range.

Regarding connectivity, you only get Bluetooth, but at least both vehicles have an AM/FM radio and two speakers. 

As there is barely any difference between the two aside from the more horizontal layout of the Wuling, we will yet again make it a tie. 

Electric power

Here is another category where both vehicles are on the same playing field. 

Under the hood, both mini EVs are powered by a permanent magnet synchronous motor. They both produce 20 kW, which is equivalent to around 27 PS, and 85 Nm of torque. 

The Wuling Macaron and the Jetour Ice Cream come with a 13.9-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which is good for an estimated 170 kilometers worth of range.

Both vehicles also charge via a 220-volt socket, so you can charge almost anywhere with a wall outlet. 

Charging time for both EVs is around 8 hours, from zero to 100 percent.

Their top speeds are also the same at around 100 km/h. But Wuling told AutoFun Philippines that the official top speed of the Macaron is 105 km/h, according to their product specialist.

It's another tie as the Macaron and the Ice Cream have identical drivetrains and battery packs.

Which has the better warranty?

Both vehicles already look like twins – it's time to look at their warranties to determine which car is worth getting.

The Wuling Macaron comes with a 3-year or 100,000-kilometer warranty and a 5-year warranty for the battery pack.

The Jetour Ice Cream, on the other hand, has the same vehicle warranty of 3 years or 100,000 kilometers, but has an 8-year or 120,000-kilometer warranty on its battery pack. 

This makes the Jetour the more appealing purchase as the warranty of the battery pack covers more years and will likely still apply to the car after your use. 

It also helps that Jetour Philippines is set to open 16 new dealerships nationwide for better parts accessibility, compared to the single dealership that Wuling Philippines is set to open this year. 

Pricing and verdict

We have already established that the Jetour Ice Cream has better warranty coverage, but another important factor a car buyer needs to consider is the price of the vehicle.

Below are the SRP of both mini EVs:

• Jetour Ice Cream – ₱699,000
• Wuling Macaron – ₱663,000

We have to disclose that Wuling Philippines had a promo running until June 30, 2023, lowering the price of the Macaron to just ₱593,000. However, after the promo period ends, the price reverts to normal. 

The Macaron is cheaper, but has shorter warranty coverage for its battery. This gives the Ice Cream the advantage and the win as battery warranties are going to be an essential part of EV ownership.

Which of these two baby EVs would you pick?

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