BYD Atto 2 vs Jaecoo J8

What's the difference?

There has never been a better time to be shopping for an electric SUV in Australia, with the avalanche of Chinese brands constantly smashing through the price floor as they bid for the title of Australia’s cheapest.

MG led the charge with its S5, which is $40,490, drive-away. Then Leapmotor upped (or downed?) the ante with its B10 with a $38,990, drive-away, price tag. And now BYD has knocked them both out with its Atto 2, officially Australia’s cheapest electric SUV (at least for now), with a MSRP of $31,990, which, in NSW, translates to a drive-away cost of less than $35K.

Cheap is one thing. But cheerful? Let’s find out, shall we?

The Jaecoo J8 is an odd car.

It’s hard to place exactly where it sits in the market. It’s premium, but very affordable. It's very big but only has five seats. And it’s petrol only, at least for now, in a world that is obsessed with hybrid or electric power.

You’ve probably never heard of Jaecoo. That’s alright it’s only new, but it’s a fresh Chinese brand with big ambitions. A more accurate description is it’s Chery’s premium sub-brand.

And the J8 is its new flagship SUV that has found a little niche that's been left in Australia’s overflowing SUV segment.

It’s about the same size as the Kia Sorento or Hyundai Santa Fe family SUVs, but the J8 is five seats only and ditches the third row for a big boot.

The interior wouldn’t look out of place if it had a three-pointed star on the bonnet but the price tag will have you thinking you can buy two for the price of one.