When it comes to being different JMC has it down to the tee, instead of introducing a slew of crossovers, MPVs, and sedans they chose to offer purely pickups for the Philippine market. While this strategy is bold it seems to be paying dividends already as the brand is selling well already in the provincial area.
Curious about their pickups, I borrowed the mid-variant Grand Avenue to see if they had a fighting chance in the super-contested pickup market.
JMC Grand Avenue Exterior
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Just like the name, the Grand Avenue’s exterior design takes cues from the American market, which isn’t bad considering it is a huge pickup market. it is very boxy and square in its looks, but the modern touches like the grille and the LED headlights bring it up to date.
Another apparent exterior trait of JMC the Grand Avenue is its physicality, it imposes even while stopped the size is huge and it takes up a lot of space. Apparently, it is the longest and widest in the segment which already makes it worth something in the pickup world.
Interior
The interior of the Grand Avenue is plain but functional, covered in black and silver trims it is clean and for the most part very straightforward.
It has no out-of-this-world features or design cues that are worth discussing but the interior panels are decently made and the materials used on the panels are of quality and don’t feel flimsy. Features-wise the Grand Avenue is decently equipped, it has a massive touchscreen infotainment system with (joy of joys) Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as an automatically adjustable driver seat.
What is a huge plus is the interior space, we’re used to having cramped pickup interiors, but the Grand Avenue has copious amounts leading to a comfortable seating experience for all occupants.
Performance and Safety
The JMC Grand Avenue is powered by a 2.3-liter turbocharged diesel engine making 177 Ps and 450 Nm of torque, it is paired with a 8-speed automatic transmission.
Safety in this 4×2 variant comes in the form of ABS, EBD, hill descent control, and many others. While the Grand Avenue 4×2 comes with cruise control, it isn’t adaptive.
Driving Impressions
What surprised me about the Grand Avenue is that it felt like a refined old-school pickup, it has a reassuring amount of weight feel through the steering and the body, but it was assisted enough to be easy to maneuver in the tight city streets. I also appreciated how solid the whole chassis and platform felt, not once did it creak or make unwanted noises as I drove over the worsening roads of Metro Manila.
Taking it out on the highway is where JMC the Grand Avenue makes more sense, it can settle down and cruise along at a decent pace while also being quite a refined experience. I attribute the refinement to the fact that the JMC Grand Avenue is actually very much related to the Ford Ranger, especially in the engine department, and I believe Ford makes one of the smoothest diesel engines in the world.
I wouldn’t say that there’s nothing to write home about when it comes to driving, but to expect spectacular driving dynamics from a pickup truck is a mistake. The JMC Grand Avenue is normal in a world of overcomplicated vehicles, and I like how approachable the driving dynamics are.
In fact, when we shot the photos for this review, it was a day before typhoon Carina wreaked havoc on the Luzon island. Throughout the day the Grand Avenue was our capable and reliable vehicle, traversing through all roads and weather conditions without as much as breaking a sweat.
Points for improvement
Kelvin and I made a shocking discovery while driving the Grand Avenue, for a pickup in this day and age it was quite surprising that a mid-variant model only has 2-speakers for the sound system. We know that costs need to be kept as low as possible, but this in a way is taking it too far, I don’t know of any mid-variant pickup that has only 2 speakers in 2024.
Next up is the ride, for a non-4×4 model it was quite harsh, it could use a bit more softening up. Lastly, the turning radius could be improved as well, I found it hard to park in certain areas because of this, the size alone makes it hard, the lack of turning radius makes it a chore.
Price and Verdict
The 2024 JMC Grand Avenue 4×2 AT comes in at PHP 1,476,000, which is actually quite pricey for a mid-variant pickup considering its chief competitor the GWM Cannon is more than 100,000 pesos cheaper and slightly better equipped.
This is disappointing because the Grand Avenue has all the ingredients to be the decent, approachable, and reliable pickup option for those who want the capabilities, but the price might be an issue for some.
On the plus side, if you just need a pickup that you can use every day without any fuss, plus having the biggest overall size then the JMC Grand Avenue is a solid choice.
