New affordable luxury Chinese SUV confirmed for Australia: 2025 Jaecoo J8 sets its sights on the Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento and Nissan Pathfinder

Jaecoo has announced a new five-seat SUV model for Australia, the J8, which will officially go on sale in June.

Arriving in two variants, the range will kick off at $49,990 drive-away for the two-wheel-drive Track, rising to $54,990 for the all-wheel-drive Ridge, meaning it will significantly undercut rivals such as the Hyundai Santa Fe ($53,000), Kia Sorento ($50,880) and the Nissan Pathfinder ($59,945 - all priced before on-road costs).

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The most notable specification difference between the two grades is the presence of a torque-vectoring AWD system, additional drive modes (Snow/Mud/Sand/Off-road) and continuous damping control on the Ridge.

Both variants will carry dual 12.3-inch LCD displays with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a 14-speaker sound system, leather seats with heating, ventilation and massage functions in the front row, a surround-view camera, 20-inch alloy wheels, a full-sized spare wheel, LED headlights and day-time running lights, and a tyre-pressure monitoring system.

The Ridge will add heating and ventilation functions to the second row, a suede headliner, rear privacy glass, an in-built fragrance system, an automated parking function and ambient lighting.

Both variants will come equipped with Jaecoo’s latest suite of advanced driver safety assist systems, including adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, blind spot detection, lane departure prevention, emergency lane keeping and a driver monitoring system.

The J8 also qualifies for an eight-year/unlimited km warranty. Overseas, the J8 is offered with seven seats, suggesting the door is ajar for a three-row version in the future.

Interested buyers will be able to test drive the J8 from the middle of May.

The Chery-owned Jaecoo sub-brand launched in Australia earlier this year with the smaller plug-in hybrid and petrol-powered J7.

The Chinese brand is also in the midst of spinning its Omoda models off as a sub-brand, while the door may also be open to its other international sub-marques, like iCar or Jetour as hinted at the Shanghai motor show.