Whether you’re eyeing your very first car or need a tiny urban runabout, the Philippine car market has plenty of choices.

There are various small hatchbacks like the Mitsubishi Mirage, the Toyota Wigo, and the Suzuki S-Presso. But Chinese carmaker Jetour, a subsidiary of the Chery Holding Group, is wading into battle with something completely different.

The Jetour Ice Cream EV is a three-door battery-electric vehicle (EV) that can seat four people and travel up to 170 km before needing a full charge.

This mini EV is also the only vehicle of its type to receive support from a non-gray market importer – Jetour Auto Philippines offers a six-year/unlimited-mileage General Vehicle warranty for it along with an eight-year, 120,000-km battery pack warranty.

Given that its ₱699,000 price tag is meant to sway people to hop onto the electric revolution, how would the Ice Cream EV fare against its cheapest gasoline counterpart?

Here’s our AutoFun Philippines Spec Showdown of the 2023 Jetour Ice Cream EV and the 2023 Suzuki S-Presso GL.

Cutesy looks

The Jetour and the Suzuki may follow different design approaches, but they sure look cute as a button.

The Ice Cream EV is a tiny three-door that comes in delectable colors like Vanilla, Strawberry, and Mint. Meanwhile, the S-Presso is a small five-door with bold colors like orange and blue.

Comparing the dimensions, the Jetour makes the Suzuki look like a giant. However, the S-Presso’s rear doors and bigger size make it a roomier and more practical choice.

In terms of style, both may look adorable, but the Jetour looks that little bit nicer, especially with its beady-eyed headlights and cute wheels.

Room for 4

Cars this small can only really seat a driver and three passengers, especially those with fairly narrow bodies.

Interior space may be well-utilized in the Ice Cream EV, but bigger passengers will feel the smaller real estate compared to the S-Presso. Cargo space is also non-existent in the EV if carrying four passengers.

The Jetour and the Suzuki offer standard entry-level equipment, including power steering and electric windows. However, the S-Presso has the advantage of alloy wheels and a bigger head unit that, unlike in the Ice Cream EV, can be adjusted by all passengers.

The Jetour may have the cooler-looking interior, but the Suzuki is the more capable hauler.

City-bound performance

This is where things get really heated.

The Jetour is a mini EV with a 13.9-kWh battery pack that powers a rear-mounted electric motor, thus making the Ice Cream EV rear-wheel drive. This is mated to a 1-speed automatic transmission.

Meanwhile, the Suzuki uses traditional unleaded fuel for its 1.0-liter, twin-cam, 12-valve inline-4 engine. Typical for this class, it has a 5-speed manual gearbox that sends power to the front wheels.

The S-Presso may pack more horses under the hood, but the Ice Cream EV produces all its power and torque from a dead-stop, providing rather spirited performance at speeds up to 60 km/h.

However, even I must admit that the S-Presso stands a far better chance when taken out on the expressway, especially since the Ice Cream EV’s top speed is only 100 km/h.

Keep your trips in the urban jungle, though, as the Ice Cream EV’s 170-km range is enough for most journeys. And because EVs have very few parts and electricity is cheaper than gasoline, the Jetour should have lower running costs than the Suzuki.

Safety gap

Entry-level cars don't usually carry the most sophisticated safety gear.

But the Jetour and the Suzuki are closely matched, with the S-Presso just having one more front airbag than the Ice Cream EV.

In this department, the little Suzuki edges slightly ahead of the Jetour.

To EV or not to EV?

So, is the Jetour Ice Cream EV finally your relatively affordable ticket to zero-emission mobility that’s cute and easy to park?

Well, it certainly is going in the right direction with its lower price (it used to be ₱888,000 through the gray market) and relatively good equipment levels. However, the Ice Cream EV is still ₱136,000 more than the ₱563,000 S-Presso GL. But with that price, the Ice Cream EV comes with a 6-year General Vehicle Warranty and an 8-year or 120,000-km battery warranty. The Suzuki maintains a basic 3-year, 100,000-km warranty.

Given that many buyers in this segment are highly cost-sensitive, the Ice Cream EV doesn’t offer quite enough in terms of specs and performance to sway them into EVs, especially when compared to more established ICE vehicles like the Suzuki S-Presso.

It will, however, attract those who are adamantly into EVs, who are looking for a second (or third, or more) urban-only ride, who are after financing options and warranty reassurances, and those who see the potential of the fast-growing technology in the coming decades.

Perhaps one day, we might see mini EVs offering better value than their gasoline counterparts.

Which would you go for?

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