Hyundai Staria vs Jaecoo J8

What's the difference?

The Staria Load HEV offers numerous advantages over its diesel equivalent including superior fuel economy, lower exhaust emissions, higher power output and a bigger payload. However, it also has a higher purchase price and no tow rating, so careful analysis of your specific work requirements will determine if Hyundai’s new hybrid van is fit for purpose.

It is hard to argue with the sheer amount of stuff you get in the J8 for the price. And that long warranty and capped price servicing program remove the stress of buying into a new brand.

The J8 might be more car than most people need due to its size and lack of third row seating.

It’s okay to drive but isn’t class leading and no hybrid option will count it out for the ever increasing number of Aussies looking to petrol-electric power.

The J8 is a solid machine and well worth a look if you are after glitz and glamour on a budget.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with meals provided.

The updated Staria Load range brings mild styling revisions of the headlights and front bumper along with a more conventional and (in our eyes at least) stylish grille design.

The roomy and practical cabin has also been refreshed with a new four-spoke leather-trimmed steering wheel and a more spacious and versatile centre console (see Practicality).

The refreshed Staria Load is available only in a two-seater configuration, as the five-seater ‘crew’ variant with a bench seat in the cargo bay has been discontinued.

The J8 looks familiar but it's hard to remember where you’ve seen it before. There are shades of Mazda, Mercedes-Benz and Range Rover scattered throughout.

The J8 looks more native Jaecoo than the smaller J7, but either way it's a handsome machine in the metal.

Its large, prominent front grille with thick vertical slats gives it presence on the road. This is paired with a big JAECOO badge on the grille and dynamic LED headlights and DRLs.

It has a sleek side profile and does away with gaudy panel creases and sharp edges, which helps project its premium persona. This design is highlighted by its hidden door handles, well integrated roof rails and rear spoiler.

There is a rear light bar, which is the current must have styling item, and connects the tail-lights

Inside is where the action is.

It looks proper luxe, with soft touch and textured inserts all over. We spent the majority of our time in the Ridge AWD and on top of the dash is a type of soft synthetic suede and there are wood veneer-type inserts that give it a touch of class as well as some piano black highlights and plenty of premium feeling materials.

Even in the back seat, where some brands can cut costs, the J8 has a quality feel to it.

It is an impressive space for circa-$50,000.

With its peak kerb weight of 2091kg and 3130kg GVM, our test vehicle has a one-tonne-plus payload rating of 1039kg which is slightly higher than its diesel sibling (997kg). And it can legally carry up to 100kg of that payload on the roof.

However, unlike the diesel version which is rated to tow up to 2500kg of braked trailer, our HEV variant is not rated for towing. Obviously, this could be a deal breaker for tradies and other users who rely on being able to haul trailers to get the job done.

The cargo bay is 2500mm long and 1640mm wide with (according to our tape measure) 1250mm between the rear wheel housings, which means it can carry up to two 1165mm-square Aussie pallets or up to three Euro pallets, secured by a choice of eight load anchorage points.

It can also accommodate load heights up to 1436mm and offers a total (VDA) load volume of 4935 litres. That’s a snip under 5.0 cubic metres which is significantly less than the 6.2 cubic metres offered by the segment-leading Toyota HiAce LWB. Walls and doors are lined to mid-height and there’s a rubber load floor covering.

The cargo bay is accessed through sliding doors on each side with 870mm openings (just wide enough for a Euro pallet) or through the rear via the standard swing-up tailgate. However, for working roles that need rear forklift access, optional twin-swing doors with 180-degree opening are available. Our example is also equipped with a sturdy mesh-type cargo barrier from Hyundai’s genuine accessories range.

The cabin is a comfortable and practical workspace with its work-focused vinyl floor (ours also has genuine accessory all-weather floor mats), dark fabric-trimmed seats and wipe-clean hard surfaces.

There’s also plenty of storage courtesy of a glovebox, two overhead shelves, wide-opening doors with three tiers of storage including large-bottle holders, long shelves on either side of the dash plus a cup-holder next to the driver’s instrument display.

The centre fascia adds a wireless phone-charging pad, two USB-C ports, 12V socket and more small bins while the new centre console between the seats provides a cavernous open bin and two cup/small-bottle holders.

Having only five seats in a car this big feels like a waste of space, and in reality it is. You’re now driving a very big and bulky car without the people carrying pros.

Very rarely will you need to use the giant 738-litre boot, but the ability to carry children’s friends or extended family is probably a more useful and regular scenario.

Up front there are plenty of storage options with lots of nooks and crannies in the centre console, including a sizeable and deep bin and good size pockets on the doors. Cupholders for both rows are a plus, too.

USB charging points for both rows are great. If you like to connect to Apple CarPlay via a cord and not wirelessly the port is down near the front seat passengers right foot, which is hard to access.

Additionally the wireless device charger is on the passenger side of the console. Both are hallmarks of a car originally designed to be driven on the other side of the road.

The back seat is huge, there is ample leg, shoulder and head room and it can easily accommodate adults or large teenagers.

The J8 comes in two grades: the two-wheel drive Track variant and the all-wheel drive Ridge. The variant names are tied into the brand’s adventurous image.

The Track is priced at a national $49,990 drive-away, which is about $5000 and $8000 cheaper respectively than the base Kia Sorento or Hyundai Santa Fe.

Jaecoo has thrown everything at the J8, except a third row of seats.

The Track grade has 20-inch alloy wheels, heated and ventilated front seats wrapped in real leather and topped off with a massage function.

There are dual 12.3-inch displays, one for the multimedia and the other for the driver. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, sat nav and a 12-speaker Sony stereo are other highlights.

There are some clever functions too. When on a phone call it projects sound only through the two headrest speakers giving more privacy.

Three different scents can be diffused through the cabin, which might help override the drive-through food or old sports bag aroma in the boot.

It also has a panoramic sunroof, dual-zone climate control, power adjustable steering wheel, a head-up display (that projects vital information such as your travelling speed on to the windscreen in front of the driver) and a wireless device charger.

There isn’t much room left on the $54,990 drive-away Ridge AWD’s equipment sheet, but it manages to squeeze in a suede headliner, heated and ventilated rear window seats, privacy glass and electric door handles.

The Ridge also adds all-wheel drive grip with multiple drive modes such as 'Sport', 'Eco' and 'Normal' as well as 'Mud', 'Snow', 'Sand' and 'Off-Road' to best handle different conditions.

A more advanced active suspension system adjusts each wheel independently according to driving conditions to smooth out the ride.

In a win for buyers, both variants have a full size spare tyre hidden under the boot floor.

The Staria Load HEV is powered by Hyundai’s 1.6 T-GDi (Turbocharged-Gasoline Direct Injection) hybrid drivetrain, which comprises a 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine producing 132kW at 5500rpm and 265Nm across a wide peak torque band between 1500-4500rpm. It also has combined CO2 emissions of 147g/km which is lower than the diesel’s 183g/km output.

This engine is paired with a single electric motor that produces up to 54kW of power and 304Nm of torque. Their official combined power output is rated at 180kW (50kW more than the diesel’s 130kW) but there’s no official combined torque figure, given the petrol engine and electric motor do not produce their peak torque values at the same time. Even so, based on our test drive, its torque is ample for mid-size van duties.

The six-speed automatic transmission replaces the conventional hydraulic torque converter with a hybrid electric motor/engine-disconnect clutch assembly. However, it still shifts and behaves much like a conventional auto, including the choice of sequential manual shifting.

It also offers three drive modes comprising ‘Eco’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Smart’ with the latter offering the best balance of performance and fuel efficiency which we mostly used during our test.

The hybrid system is also equipped with what Hyundai calls ‘e-Motion Drive’ which incorporates a series of automated control strategies for the electric motor that actively enhance chassis dynamics to optimise ride quality, handling and stability.

New front subframe bushings bring additional rough-road comfort while rear hydro bushings allow for more natural body movement over bumps. NVH (Noise/Vibration/Harshness) has also been addressed with greater noise insulation within the dash structure and body mountings.

Power comes from a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-petrol engine that makes 183kW and 385Nm, which is matched to an eight-speed automatic driving either the front or all four wheels.

That’s a decent amount of grunt and is on par with a Volkswagen Golf GTI, but the J8 weights about 1800kg in 2WD guise with AWD adding 100kg.

Those numbers are also short of the 206kW/422Nm delivered by the Santa Fe’s turbo-petrol motor but are better than the 200kW and 333Nm made by the Sorento’s non-turbo V6.

The lack of a hybrid option at launch, which is popular in rival machines, could prove to be a misstep.

Jaecoo said a plug-in hybrid version was under consideration, but is likely to come at a decent premium.

Hyundai claims HEV combined consumption of only 6.5L/100km and the dash display was close to that at 6.8 when we stopped to refuel at the completion of our test. We covered a total distance of 339km comprising our usual mix of suburban, city and highway driving, of which more than 100km was carrying a heavy payload.

Our own figure, calculated from fuel bowser and tripmeter readings, came in slightly higher at 7.1L/100km. Even so, that’s outstanding economy for a mid-size commercial van in real-world use, given the much higher figures we recorded with a Toyota HiAce LWB (10.7L/100km) and Staria Load diesel (10.9L/100km) during our most recent tests of those models using similar test procedures.

So, based on our numbers, you could expect an extensive real-world driving range of around 900km from its 65-litre petrol tank, which is 10 litres less than its diesel sibling.

Jaecoo claims on the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle the J8 Track 2WD will drink 8.3L/100km and the Ridge AWD will gulp 8.6L/100km, which is better than its similar sized rivals. But those rivals also have hybrid options that are more powerful and drink less fuel.

It also requires premium unleaded fuel, while the others drink the cheaper stuff.

A 65-litre fuel tank gives it a theoretical driving range of 755km in its thirstiest guise.

We didn’t get to spend enough time behind the wheel to do a thorough real-world test, and the majority of our drive was spent on high-speed arterial roads or motorways where petrol cars are at their most efficient. So we’ll reserve judgement until we undertake a more comprehensive test drive.

Driving a hybrid van is no different to driving a non-hybrid van. Apart from accelerating, braking and switching between drive modes, the driver has no input in how the vehicle performs as it continuously monitors and distributes outputs from the petrol engine, electric motor and hybrid battery to ensure sufficient charge, good response and optimum fuel efficiency at all times.

So, the driver only needs to concentrate on driving while the hybrid components talk among themselves. You can feel and hear the smooth transitions between petrol and electric power which are also visually tracked by information on the digital screens.

Although the HEV has more power than its diesel sibling, we didn’t sense a dramatic performance increase given its kerb weight is also higher.

Even so, it’s an energetic performer with good acceleration from standing starts combined with surefooted handling and braking. The unladen ride quality is firm, as you’d expect given its one-tonne payload, but with enough suppleness to maintain acceptable ride comfort.

To test its GVM rating we forklifted 650kg into the cargo bay which with driver equalled a total payload of around 750kg. The rigid-beam axle/leaf-spring rear suspension only compressed about 20mm under this weight which ensured it had plenty of wheel travel remaining to avoid any bottoming-out on our test route.

It hauled this payload with ease which included our 13 per cent gradient, 2.0km set climb at 60km/h. Engine braking on the way down, in a manually selected second gear, was not as robust but within expectations given its relatively small 1.6-litre displacement restraining a heavy payload. Overall, this hybrid drivetrain is well calibrated for commercial van use.

However, for potential buyers doing regular highway travel, we recommend fitment of Hyundai’s genuine accessory solid bulkhead between the cabin and cargo bay, to insulate occupants from considerable tyre noise emanating from the rear wheel housings at these speeds.

There is a clear line of demarcation between the Chery brand and Jaecoo, and the J8 drives substantially better than Chery’s line of budget-friendly Tiggo SUVs.

We spent most of our time in the Ridge AWD and the fancy active suspension makes a huge impact. It keeps the vehicle in check through corners, exerting excellent body control. It's a bit unnerving how flat the car sits through the bends with next to no body roll.

Despite riding on giant 20-inch wheels the J8 soaks up bumps and road imperfections with ease.

The Track 2WD falls off noticeably in this regard without the active damping.

The steering is light and a bit floaty, which saps confidence when entering corners as there isn’t a lot of feedback on what is happening underneath you.

The steering ratio seems a bit wide of the mark, the wheel needing more input than we'd like.

The engine delivers decent grunt and it's tuned for leisurely acceleration rather than performance. 

There was the odd occasion when the transmission and the motor weren't quite in sync and you might get a bit of hesitation and then too much oomph all at once.

It has no problems getting up to speed on the motorway and handles overtaking with ease. 

Jaecoo, and its parent company Chery, have worked hard on the safety tech calibration and it's much less intrusive on the J8 than some earlier models. This applies especially to the lane keep assist, which only steps in when needed. There are far fewer bings and bongs than before.

You sit up nice and high in the J8, which gives you a good view of the road ahead, but the sloped rear window restricts vision out the back compared to boxier shaped SUVs.

It is a big rig and you feel that on the road, even the Jaecoo team said you’d notice the width of the J8 on the road, which might be an issue if you live in compact inner city areas or deal with cramped car spaces.

The J8 hasn’t been tested by ANCAP yet, but it is expected to get the same five-star score as the J7.

One thing that jumps out is the AWD version gets two more airbags than the 2WD variant.

The Ridge AWD adds two side airbags to the rear row, while the Track 2WD makes do with curtain airbag protection only in the back seat.

It covers all the bases for active safety with auto emergency braking, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert with auto braking, blind-spot detection, speed recognition, active cruise control and door opening alert.

The Staria Load HEV comes standard with a five-year/160,000km warranty and a separate eight- year/160,000km warranty covering the hybrid battery. There’s also 12 months of complimentary roadside assistance which is renewable annually with scheduled Hyundai dealer servicing.

Scheduled servicing is every 12 months/15,000km whichever occurs first. Hyundai offers a five-year pre-paid servicing plan covering the first five scheduled services but pricing is calculated from a participating dealer's scheduled servicing prices at the time the plan is purchased, rather than a national standard set by Hyundai (hence the lower score in this segment).

Jaecoo backs its cars for eight years and unlimited km, which is one of the most comprehensive in the business. MG, Mitsubishi and Nissan all have 10 year warranties but are not unlimited km and Mitsubishi and Nissan need you to only service at their dealerships.

Jaecoo backs this up with an eight-year capped priced servicing program, which costs $2952 for the Track 2WD and $3452 for the Ridge AWD. That’s slightly on the expensive side but better than being at the whim of the mechanic after five years.

Keep in mind the fourth and eight year services are biggies, costing $699 and $799 in the Ridge AWD and $499 and $599 in the Track 2WD.

You also get eight years of roadside assistance if you service your car at the dealership.