What's the difference?
Yep, it’s yet another new brand. And, yes, it’s from China.
You can be forgiven for not keeping up with the influx of new car brands in recent years, even as a professional I can find it challenging at times. But that’s why we’re here, to help you determine which brands to pay attention to and which ones you can probably ignore.
So which one is Jaecoo?
Well, the good news for the brand is that it comes from one of China’s biggest and most successful car companies, Chery, which has been a leading exporter for more than two decades, so it has a reasonable understanding of international markets.
Jaecoo is designed to be a separate, stand-alone brand from Chery, and in Australia will be sold at specific Omoda-Jaecoo dealerships (as the Omoda 5 is also spun-off into yet another ‘new’ brand). The Jaecoo J7 we’re driving here is its first model, a mid-size SUV that will compete directly against the likes of the BYD Sealion 6, Toyota RAV4, Hyundai Tucson and more.
Because despite management referring to Jaecoo as a “luxury” brand and calling the J7 a “premium SUV” that’s all within the context of the Chery universe. Jaecoo is simply a more premium alternative to Chery, not a true luxury brand that will challenge the likes of Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and the rest on quality and, as you’ll soon see, price.
We’ve already sampled the entry-level J7 2WD but now we’re getting to experience the 4WD and range-topping SHS, which stands for Super Hybrid System, but is better known as a plug-in hybrid. The SHS is the model we spent the most time in and that’s what we’ll focus on in this review.
Chery/Jaecoo executives say that what it calls ‘new elites’ - people that are “moving up in the world” and are looking for a “fashionable” and “cool” car - are the target market. But as we’ll explain, the market for the J7 is likely to be much broader than just the fashionable elite and cool kids.
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.
Based on our initial drive I certainly think the J7, especially the SHS Summit, does make a pretty compelling case to be on the consideration list for anyone looking to buy a mid-size hybrid SUV - plug-in or not.
It has a polished design, loads of tech and a fuel-efficient powertrain that provides adequate performance. But the real selling point is the price, which undercuts its key rivals to ensure it has your attention, especially in these days of increasingly expensive family vehicles.
And while the J7 certainly has appeal to design-oriented buyers and people that want something ‘cool’ or just different, the value it offers gives it mainstream appeal.
Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with accommodation and meals provided.
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.
Design is an interesting subject to discuss with the J7, as it manages to simultaneously have a bold and distinctive look from some angles and yet has clearly been inspired by some other, more famous, premium brands from others.
To be blunt, from certain angles - namely the side profile and rear three-quarter - the J7 could be mistaken for a Range Rover Evoque at a distance. Obviously taking inspiration from rivals is nothing new in the car industry and the Jaecoo designers have also managed to give the J7 its own look when you get a bit closer and notice the details.
The most noticeable of these is the ‘waterfall-like’ grille, that the brand says symbolises “the life force of nature”, but also gives it a front profile that can’t be mistaken for anything else. Especially with the prominent ‘Jaecoo’ badge large and proudly placed in the middle of the grille - leaving you in no doubt what this is.
Overall, I’d call the exterior look of the J7 cohesive and leaving a more premium impression that what we’ve seen with Chery.
Inside, Jaecoo has followed the modern trend of going digital, with a small digital instrument display and then a larger central touchscreen. It provides a clean, modern look that leaves a good impression.
The Jaecoo designers also focused their attention on the touchpoints, elements like the door handles and arm rests, to try and give them a more premium feel. The trims used inside are also a cut above what we’ve experienced on other Chery models, and while not at a true luxury level, do stand out for what is a mainstream SUV.
One other major element of the SHS interior design worth mentioning is the central console, between the front seats. That’s because it’s unique in the SHS, offering a completely different layout to the petrol-powered models. The SHS moves the gear selector to the steering column, freeing up more small item storage space and cup holders, as well as a split-opening central storage box (instead of a rear-hinged one).
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.
From a space perspective the J7 offers up reasonable room for an SUV of this size, but falls short of the class-leaders in a few key areas. The front seats are nice and comfortable, and while the rear seats are well-appointed (with air-con vents and USB inputs) space is adequate rather than generous.
The same can be said about the boot, at least on the SHS grade. It’s on the smaller side for an SUV of this size, measuring 500 litres, compared to 542 litres offered by the RAV4 and 574 litres in the Sealion 6. And it’s even more disappointing when you factor in the lack of a spare wheel, with only a tyre repair kit under the floor.
Thankfully the 4WD offers the same space (500L) but gets a full-size spare, while the 2WD models have a claimed 584L and a temporary spare.
As for the technology, the decision to go for the one big central screen for all infotainment provides a hi-tech, clean look but it does lead to some obvious compromises.
Namely, the lack of any physical buttons (save for the hazards, unlocking and EV function) is disappointing from a user experience perspective. As many brands have found, screens have a ‘wow factor’ and save on the cost of buttons but are more challenging to operate when you’re on the move and that’s the case with the J7.
Obviously having Apple CarPlay or Android Auto makes for a familiar experience, but if you have to dive into the extensive Jaecoo-specific menus it can become difficult and distracting.
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 J7 line-up will consist of four grades initially, the 2WD Core, 2WD Track, AWD Ridge and SHS Summit, with the choice of two powertrains.
The range will begin at just $34,990 drive-away for the 2WD Core and $37,990 drive-away for the 2WD Track. These are powered by a 137kW/275Nm 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and powering the front wheels.
The AWD Ridge is priced from $42,990 and has the same 1.6-litre engine, with the same performance but obviously powering all four wheels. The range is topped by the SHS Summit, priced from $47,990 drive-away.
For context, the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid (which isn’t a plug-in) is priced between $42,260 and $51,410, while the BYD Sealion 6 PHEV starts at $48,890 - so it’s clear where Jaecoo is hoping to woo buyers from.
Standard equipment on the J7 Core includes 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, LED daytime running lights, a 10.2-inch digital instrument display and a 13.2-inch infotainment touchscreen, which incorporates wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Track trim level adds a power tailgate, front parking sensors, 360-degree surround-view monitor, heated front seats, ambient lighting, dual-zone climate control, plus a wireless smartphone charger and an eight-speaker Sony sound system.
Stepping up to the AWD Ridge brings torque vectoring all-wheel drive, 19-inch alloy wheels, a full-size spare, a panoramic sunroof, heated and ventilated front seats, in-built dashcam and a 14.8-inch infotainment touchscreen.
The SHS Summit matches much of the specification of the Ridge, but gets unique 19-inch ‘aero’ alloy wheels, a head-up display and perforated synthetic leather seats.
All models are equipped with ‘Hello Jaecoo’, the brand’s voice-activated assistant.
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 J7 range has a choice of two powertrains, an internal combustion engine and the plug-in hybrid.
The 2WD and AWD are powered by the same 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine that makes 137kW and 275Nm. It’s paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, with the only major difference between the two models (obviously) being the driven wheels.
The SHS combines a newly-developed 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, which makes 105kW, with a 150kW electric motor and a single-speed transmission.
Despite the electric motor, the SHS isn’t what you’d call ‘fast’ with a 0-100km/h time of 8.5 seconds, which the 2WD can reportedly better by taking just 8.1 seconds.
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.
The SHS is equipped with an 18.3kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery that provides a claimed 90km of electric-only driving range and helps the J7 achieve a claimed fuel consumption figure of just 1.0L/100km.
Jaecoo also quotes an EV-only range of up to 106km, but that is on the NEDC cycle, which is not as relevant for real-world driving than the WLTP test cycle that returns the lower figure. Even with the lesser number, 90km of EV-only driving will be more than enough for most people to do their daily commutes.
Jaecoo claims the SHS has a theoretical driving range of 1200km, thanks to its 60-litre fuel tank. However, to achieve that economy you need to run the J7 in its hybrid state, so somewhere closer to 1000km is more realistic - if you have a really light right foot.
As for the petrol-only models, the 2WD uses a claimed 7.0L/100km and the AWD 7.8L/100km.
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.
This is one area where the entire Chinese car industry, not just Chery/Jaecoo, have a ways to go to become not only competitive but genuinely stand out. Dynamically the J7 is average, not bad, just very ‘mid’ as the kids say. It doesn’t do anything particularly badly, but nor does it do anything particularly well.
The steering is nice and light, which will be good for navigating traffic and car parks, the ride lacks control but isn’t uncomfortable and the performance of the SHS powertrain is smooth but not spectacular, at least from a performance perspective.
This might sound like a ‘motoring journalist’ argument, but we’ve seen in the past when brands, specifically Hyundai and Kia, hired local experts to fine-tune the ride and handling of vehicles it resulted in a better experience and helped translate into sales.
With some more fine-tuning to improve the ride, and therefore the comfort, the J7 could be near the top of the class not only in terms of value but also the driving experience.
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.
Safety across the range includes autonomous emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control and lane departure warning. However, notably the 2WD Core is equipped with seven airbags, but the Track, Ridge and SHS models all have an additional driver’s knee airbag, something to be mindful of if you’re on a budget.
However, having active safety systems, and having active safety systems that are well-calibrated and usable are different things, especially given the sub-par experience we had with the Chery Tiggo 4 Pro and its erratic lane keeping assist.
Thankfully, part of the more premium Jaecoo experience is a smoother, better calibrated safety system. The lane keeping was much more capable of holding the J7 in the centre of the lane, providing a more seamless driving experience.
The driver attention system also seemed well calibrated, capable of tracking eye movement through sunglasses, and didn’t seem as hyperactive as many of these systems can be.
However, given the complex nature of the central infotainment screen, there is a chance you’ll set the attention alert off if you have to start looking through the various menus. That’s obviously a good thing, to keep your eyes on the road, but adding some physical buttons for the air-con and stereo would feel like a better, safer solution.
The J7 hasn’t been crash tested by ANCAP but Chery’s previous models have received five stars, so anything less would be a shock result given the premium positioning of the brand. Chery knows which boxes ANCAP likes ticked, so don't be surprised if it gets top marks from the safety body.
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.
Jaecoo is giving would-be buyers every reason to take a chance on a new name. The J7 will be covered by an eight-year warranty, which again, adds to the premium experience as that’s an extra year to what Chery offers.
Jaecoo is also offering eight years of capped-price servicing and roadside assistance for J7 buyers. The vehicle will require annual services, but you’ll be paying $3372 to keep the SHS maintained those first eight years.
Naturally, the less-complex 2WD and 4WD models are slightly cheaper, with the 2WD servicing tallying $2952 and the 4WD setting you back $3332.
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.