A seven-seat crossover at AED 145 a day
The Jetour X70 with us starts at AED 145 a day, 7 seats, a 197 hp engine. It is one of the most affordable options in the fleet among cars with a third row, and the natural question from anyone planning a trip to Hatta or the desert is whether it can handle the route. The answer depends on what exactly you mean by a trip to Hatta or the desert, and it is worth splitting that into two genuinely different scenarios.
What the Jetour X70 actually is
The X70 is a comfort-oriented family crossover, not an off-roader in the classic sense. It has decent ground clearance for a city crossover, but no low range gearbox, no locking differential, and a suspension tuned for asphalt and light gravel rather than loose sand. It is built for a family of 5 to 7 with luggage who mostly drive around the city and occasionally head out on a normal road.
The road to Hatta: asphalt and the mountain route
The route from Dubai to Hatta is fully paved, including the mountain road with switchbacks near the end. On this stretch the X70 feels confident: 197 hp is enough for the climbs, and seven seats with a roomy cabin keep the whole family comfortable. The Hatta Dam viewpoint, the mountain lookout points, cafes and parking along the route are all reachable in the X70 without any restrictions, and here it does the job just as well as a bigger, pricier SUV.
Light gravel: doable, with care
Around Hatta and on the way there, you will find dirt roads and graded gravel sections leading to viewpoints or campsites. On these sections, driven carefully, the X70 generally manages fine thanks to ground clearance that is sufficient for even, ungouged dirt. That is not an invitation to seek out tougher terrain on purpose though: without a low range gearbox or true four wheel drive, the car is not built to get itself unstuck if it does.
Real dunes: not its job
For actual dune driving, say toward Al Qudra or Al Lahbab, the Jetour X70 is not suited, and it is worth saying that plainly rather than promising more than the car can deliver. Sand dunes need four wheel drive with a low range gearbox, often a locking differential too, experienced sand driving technique and correctly lowered tyre pressure. The X70 has none of that, and taking it onto a dune is very likely to end with the car stuck in the sand, and getting towed out of the desert is neither quick nor free.
What we recommend instead for real desert driving
For dunes we carry the Nissan Patrol Titanium 2025 from AED 450 a day with 275 hp and 8 seats, the Nissan Patrol Platinum 2024 from AED 550 with 400 hp, the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado 2024 from AED 400 with 278 hp, the Toyota Land Cruiser GXR 2024 from AED 520 with 409 hp, and the top of the range Land Cruiser 300 VXR 2024 from AED 600 with 409 hp. All of these have four wheel drive with a low range gearbox, built specifically for sand and serious off-road use, which is exactly why these models are what organised desert safaris use. If a desert drive is a real part of the plan and not just an asphalt run to the edge of a dune to watch the sunset, it makes more sense to book a Patrol or Land Cruiser from the start.
| Route | Jetour X70 | What to take for dunes |
|---|---|---|
| Paved road to Hatta and the mountain route | Handles it fully | not needed |
| Light gravel to viewpoints | Manages it carefully | not needed |
| Real dunes, Al Qudra, Al Lahbab | Not built for it, risk of getting stuck | Nissan Patrol or Toyota Land Cruiser |
What to keep in mind if you take the X70 to the desert edge
Many tourists are not heading deep into the dunes but to viewpoints at the edge of the asphalt and the sand, for instance the spots people use to photograph a sunset over the dunes. That is realistic in the X70 if you stop carefully on firm, compacted ground and do not push further onto loose sand. A sensible rule: if the wheels start spinning or the sand is clearly loose underfoot, stop and go no further. It is also worth carrying water and not heading into the sand alone without phone signal, which applies to any car, but especially to one that is not built to get itself out of sand.
The difference between the X70 and a real off-roader is not only the drivetrain
Beyond four wheel drive with a low range gearbox, the Nissan Patrol and Toyota Land Cruiser sit higher, have a sturdier frame and a suspension built for off-road loads rather than just the occasional bump on asphalt. They also carry more power, 275–409 hp against the X70's 197, which matters when accelerating through soft sand, where keeping the revs up is what keeps you from bogging down. The X70 is not a worse car for it, as a city and highway crossover it is just built for a different job.
Rental terms
Standard terms apply to the Jetour X70: minimum rental 1 day, no deposit, age 21 with at least 1 year of driving experience, 250 km of mileage a day included, insurance included in the rate. An important point: our insurance does not cover off-road damage on a car that was not built for it, so taking the X70 onto dunes risks not only getting stuck but paying for repairs yourself.
Seven-seat comfort against off-road capability
There is a flip side to choosing between the X70 and a real SUV. The Nissan Patrol and Land Cruiser are heavier, use more fuel and cost noticeably more to rent, from AED 400 to AED 600 a day against the X70's AED 145. If the whole trip is asphalt to Hatta, the mountain road and a couple of stops at viewpoints, paying extra for four wheel drive with a low range gearbox buys capability you will never use. The logic is simple: paying for dune capability only makes sense when dunes are actually on the route.
Bottom line
The Jetour X70 is an excellent choice for a family heading to Hatta to see the dam, the mountains and make a few stops along the way, entirely on asphalt and light gravel. If real desert driving with dunes is on the agenda, whether a safari, a sunset photo session among the dunes or simply wanting to experience driving on sand, book a Nissan Patrol or Toyota Land Cruiser instead: these are different jobs, and it is more honest to say so upfront than to promise something the car cannot deliver.
