Jaecoo J7 vs Skoda Karoq

What's the difference?

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.

This new entry-level Karoq gives the already accomplished mid-size SUV an even sharper value-for-money edge. On top of that it's space efficient, hugely practical and economical. Safety's up to speed, the ownership package is solid and it's a quiet, refined drive. Before joining the RAV4 queue, we'd suggest giving this Skoda some serious thought.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with accommodation and 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).

Skoda's distinctively broad, vertically slatted grille stands the brand apart, and even after six years in market the Karoq looks crisp and contemporary with chiselled character lines and jagged head and tail-lights blending successfully with more gently curved surfaces along the car's flanks and turret.

It might be a subconscious side-effect of knowing Skoda is part of the VW Group, but I can't help seeing hints of Tiguan here and there, particularly around the side windows and rear end.

But cool touches like aero-influenced inserts in the 18-inch alloy rims reinforce the Karoq's individual look.

Move to the inside and while the 8.0-inch central media touchscreen and 8.0-inch digital instrument display are on the pace the overall design shows the car's age.

Quality trim materials lift the tone, the cloth seats with contrast stitching look (and feel) great, but the understated dash design in particular is 'traditional', the vibe accentuated by liberal use of piano black highlight elements.

That said, the mix of on-screen functions and physical controls works well ergonomically and the leather-trimmed, partially-perforated, flat-bottom steering wheel is hard to fault.

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.

In terms of dimensions, at just under 4.4m long, a bit more than 1.8m wide and a fraction over 1.6m tall the Karoq is a relatively small medium SUV.

Yet, its 2638mm wheelbase means there's enough space between the axles for generous accommodation front and rear with enough room left over for a decent boot.

There's ample room for me, at 183cm, in the front with plenty of breathing space between driver and co-pilot. Not to mention heaps of storage including big door bins with room for large bottles, an open area in the centre console under an extending and height-adjustable centre armrest, various coin and oddments slots, a good size glove box, a broad lidded dash-top compartment and a drop down box near the driver's right knee.

Move to the rear, and sitting behind the driver's seat set to my position, I've got good head, leg and shoulder room. Best for two adults, although three would be possible for (cozy) short trips.

Three up to teenage kids will be fine back there, but if your kids are in a capsule, child seat or booster you'll be good with two but three will be a bridge too far.

Again there are door bins with enough room for oversize bottles, three cupholders in the fold-down centre armrest (one is 'venti'-sized) as well an oddments tray at the back of the front centre console and map pockets on the front seat backs. Adjustable ventilation is another plus.

With all seats up the Karoq offers a healthy 588 litres (VDA) of storage space, expanding to 1810L with the 60/40 split rear seat folded. A rear seat 'ski-port' style door also increases flexibility.

There are numerous bag and tie-down hooks as well as thoughtful storage spaces around the boot space. A full-size (speed limited) spare sits under the floor and while the tailgate misses out on power assistance, there's a typically useful dangling grab handle to help with closing.

For those keen on towing the FWD Karoq is rated up to a 1.5-tonne braked trailer (750kg unbraked).

To tempt people away from the Toyota RAV4 juggernaut you need a distinctive brand personality, which the Karoq has in spades, as well as a standard features list long enough to entice but not so lengthy that it sends the asking price over the top.

And this new Karoq entry-grade model is set at $39,990, drive-away, which is a shot across the bow of the base RAV4 GX 2WD sitting at $39,760, before on-road costs.

It's also in the same ballpark as the X-Trail ST five-seat 2WD ($37,250 before on-roads) and Outlander ES five-seat 2WD ($37,740 BOC).

So, the balancing act between price and equipment lands with standard feature highlights including dual-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control, 18-inch alloy rims, auto LED headlights, an 8.0-inch multimedia touchscreen, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a reversing camera, built-in nav and eight-speaker audio.

That's pretty handy, although it's worth noting while the start is keyless, entry to the car isn't, and while the Karoq Style and SportLine boast an auto tailgate, this grade misses out.

Clearly, there's been careful fine-tuning of the value equation but the car maintains a premium look and feel that stacks up well in the segment.

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.

The Karoq is powered by a 1.4-litre, all-alloy, direct-injected, turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine sending 110kW (at 6000rpm) and 250Nm (from 1500-3500rpm) to the front wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission.

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.

Skoda's official combined cycle fuel economy number for the Karoq is 6.5L/100km, the 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engine emitting 147g/km of CO2 in the process.

On the launch drive program for this new entry-level model, covering city, B-road and freeway running along the coast south of Sydney, NSW, we recorded an average of 7.6L/100km.

That's useful for a conventional combustion engine without the benefit of electric hybrid assistance. Worth noting, however, minimum fuel requirement is the pricier 95 RON premium unleaded.

You'll need 50 litres of it to fill the tank which equates to a theoretical driving range of 770km using the official figure or around 660km using our on-test result.

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.

Despite riding on sizeable 18-inch alloys (shod with 215/50 Goodyear Eagle F1 rubber), first impressions behind the Karoq's wheel are dominated by how composed and refined it is.

Even on coarse, irregular B-roads the car remains supple yet balanced and well buttoned down in the corners. The steering is nicely weighted and road feel is good.

Skoda says the Karoq will accelerate from 0-100km/h in 9.2 seconds, which isn't ferociously fast but the 1.4-litre turbo four delivers its peak pulling power from 1500-3500rpm, which means you're never short of mid-range urge.

The smooth eight-speed auto also helps keep things on the boil although power delivery isn't always linear. Squeeze the throttle and the engine can take half a beat before responding in something of a rush.

Shift from 'Normal' to 'Sport' mode and the transmission will respond more urgently, holding on to ratios longer and changing down more readily. And if you want full control, move the lever over into the 'Tiptronic' manual position for satisfyingly rapid changes on-demand.

The engine remains quiet, only making its presence felt at higher revs, the supportive front seats remain comfortable over lengthy stints and the brakes (vented discs front, solid rotors rear) deliver firm, progressive stopping power even under the pressure of an enthusiastic twisty backroad run.

Under the heading of miscellaneous observations, the multimedia system is easy to navigate and quick to respond, the extending, height-adjustable front centre armrest is brilliant and the adaptive cruise system responds to changes quickly yet calmly.

The Skoda Karoq's previous five-out-of-five ANCAP star rating has timed out, given the assessment was from 2017, so it's now unrated.

But that doesn't mean it's underdone in terms of active crash-avoidance tech, this base version featuring AEB (operational from 4.0-250km/h) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, adaptive cruise control, 'Lane Assist', 'Side Assist' (with rear cross-traffic alert), Parking Distance Control (front and rear), a reversing camera, rear AEB as well as tyre-pressure and fatigue monitoring.

If a crash is unavoidable, there are seven airbags on-board - dual front, front side, full-length side curtain and a driver's knee bag.

Multi-collision brake minimises the chances of subsequent collisions following an initial impact and there are three top tethers and two ISOFIX anchors for baby capsules and/or child seats across the second row.

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.

Skoda is ahead of the mainstream pack, offering a seven-year, unlimited kilometre warranty, which is two years up on the majority of the Karoq's competitors.

Roadside Assist is complimentary for the first year, renewed annually if you have your Karoq serviced at an authorised Skoda dealer.

The main service interval is 12 months/15,000km, which is in line with most of the competition, and Skoda offers a seven-year service pack for $2750, or $393 per workshop visit, which is competitive with much of the segment but some way off the Toyota RAV4 non-hybrid at $215 per service on a capped-price deal.

On top of that, through Skoda Choice you can opt for a Guaranteed Future Value offer ranging up to five years, with variable deposit and finance currently at a 6.99 per cent rate.

At the end of the term you can trade-in for a new Skoda, pay out the balloon amount and keep the car or simply hand it back.