Comparison: Daehan Shehzore vs JAC X200

The demand of commercial vehicles in our market has grown to a great extent in recent times. Many automakers are offering products in different configurations to cater to the ever increasing demand of these vehicles. Two key products that lock horns in the 1-ton commercial vehicle segment are the Daehan Shehzore by Dewan and the JAC X200 by Ghandhara.

Related: Daehan-Dewan Shehzore: Booking Open

Earlier in February, Dewan marked their comeback in the vehicle production in Pakistan with the launch of Shehzore 1-ton pickup. The Shehzore was a very popular commercial vehicle in its class during the previous decade. Back then Dewan had ties with South Korean automaker Hyundai and the Shehzore was sold under Hyundai brand name.

It was actually the third generation of Hyundai Porter (also known as H100) which was produced internationally between 1996-2004. The current Shehzore model is the fourth generation Porter, although a Daehan product, it carries the same Hyundai engine and is a much identical product to the original Hyundai H100.

Related: Ghandara Begins Assembling the JAC X200 Pickup Locally

On the other hand there is JAC X200, 1-ton pickup being offered by Ghandhara Nissan Limited (GNL). The vehicle was initially available as a CBU import, however GNL since the beginning of April 2018 has been producing the X200 locally in collaboration with JAC Motor of China.

So in order to find out which one is a better product we headed to CarsClub Karachi. It couldn’t have been better to see two competitors standing right next to each other, thus making the comparison & analysis much easier.

The Appearance:

In terms of looks, the JAC X200 has a much better overall appearance. It may not look outlandish or too futuristic, obviously since these are commercial vehicles and looks aren’t the primary selling point, still the X200 has a decent appearance and is better to look at.

The Daehan Shehzore has large vertically oriented crystal headlamps but it gives the vehicle sort of a ‘worried face’. But on the plus side, the Shehzore gives you fog lamps enclosed in the front bumpers, as well as the side mirrors with integrated turn signals.

At the sides the Shehzore has the iconic navy blue branding strip with its name written in both Urdu and English languages. Towards the back, the Shehzore has three separate pieces of lamps on either side, comprising of indicators, stop lamps and reverse lights independently. On the other hand, the JAC X200 has a large unified rear combination lamp, one on either side. For the front wheels, the JAC X200 comes with full wheel caps, the Daehan Shehzore comes without.

The Interior:

Ghandhara claims that the JAC X200 offers sedan-like comfort for its occupants, and it literally does. Once you step inside, it doesn’t seem to be a cabin of a commercial loader. It’s a very decent looking interior, has good quality materials used, the seats are extremely comfortable, the dashboard and door panels are soft to touch and have a quality finish. The speedometer cluster as well as the instrument panel is also very wall laid out.

The interior of Daehan Shehzore leaves a lot to be desired. Although it comes with power windows, which the X200 comes without. Still the Shehzore has very hard seats, the quality of door panels and dashboard is too rigid and coarse, there were some uneven gaps here n there and it felt as if it was put together in a hurry.

The quality itself was a major difference between the two, not just us but a couple of potential buyers who inspected the two vehicles during our stay there, were clearly of the opinion that the JAC X200 is a much better option when it comes to quality, finishing and more importantly the comfortable cabin!

The Disappointment

One of the main disappointing factor is the set of rear tires that are being provided with the new Shehzore. At front there are 195/70 R15 tires, however at the rear there are small 145 R13C tires two on either side. This makes the vehicle tilt awfully backwards when loaded. This issue has been faced by quite a few (new) Shehzore owners and according to CarsClub, few owners have ditched the Shehzore in favor of the X200 within just a couple of weeks of usage.

Related: Hyundai-Nishat Not Happy With Daehan-Shehzore

On the other hand, the X200 comes standard with 195/70 R15 tires both at front and rear which helps keep the balance even when the vehicle is loaded. It is the same setup that was found in the legendry Hyundai Shehzore sold by Dewan during the previous decade. The uneven tire setup is really ‘killing’ the performance & customer satisfaction of the new Daehan Shehzore.

The Equipment

As far as the equipment is concerned, the Shehzore has an edge as it offers power windows, as well as power steering, auto locks and as mentioned earlier front fog lamps and side mirrors with integrated turn signals.

The JAC X200 offers power steering, central locking, auto lock, folding keys and MP3 player with USB input, but misses out power windows, outside mirrors with embedded turn signals and front fog lamps.

The Dimensions & Loading Deck

Dimension wise the Shehzore is marginally longer than the X200, however the latter is slightly wider and stands a tad taller than the Daehan counterpart. The Shehzore however, has a longer wheelbase of 2,720mm compared to the 2,470mm of X200.

Both Shehzore and X200 offers 3-way loading deck that offer easy cargo loading & unloading with similar loading capacity. However the Shehzore has a slightly longer cargo deck of 10.1 ft compared to 9.2 ft of the JAC X200.

The Engine

The Daehan Shehzore comes equipped with a 2.6 liter diesel engine producing 78hp at 4,000 rpm and 167Nm of torque at 2,200rpm. The JAC X200 has a 2.7 liter diesel engine delivering 77hp at 3,600 rpm and 174Nm of torque at 2200rpm.

The Warranty

Ghandhara offers a 2 year/ 100,000km warranty with the JAC X200 pickup. Whereas Daehan is offering a 1 year/ 50,000km warranty with the new Shehzore. (Whichever occurs first in both the cases).

The Price & Availability

As far as the price is concerned there is quite a significant difference between the two. Daehan Shehzore is priced at PKR 18.99 lac, whereas Ghandhara has priced the JAC X200 at just PKR 16.2 lac, which makes the X200 nearly 2.8 lac cheaper than the Daehan Shehzore.

Both the vehicles have a waiting period of nearly 2 months should you book the vehicle today, which results in the added premium/own amount for instant delivery on top of the ex-factory price mentioned above.

The Verdict

Comparing these two, in our opinion, the JAC X200 stands as a clear winner. With better looks, better interior, better overall built quality, more powerful engine, 100,000km warranty and a difference of 2.8 lac rupees in price, makes the JAC X200 a much better option go for. Although it doesn’t carry the Shehzore brand tag, it is the one actually continuing the legacy!

Related: DLG Reviews: The JAC X200 Loader

A more detailed review of both these vehicles will be published after a few months with an in-depth performance & ownership experience.

Daehan Shehzore

JAC X200

UsmanAnsari

A computer animation professional with over 23 years of industry experience having served in leading organizations, TV channels & production facilities in Pakistan. An avid car enthusiast and petrolhead with an affection to deliver quality content to help shape opinions. Formerly written for PakWheels as well as major publications including Dawn. Founder of CarSpiritPK.com