Jaecoo J8 vs MG HS

What's the difference?

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.

There are a few niggles with the latest MG HS, for example the annoying driver-attention monitoring and expensive maintenance costs. We’ve not had a full sample of its open-road performance yet either, which may prove more telling.

Yet the HS is shaping up to be one of the most successful product updates of recent years, second only to, I don’t know, the MG3? The family SUV is also backed by a 10-year warranty and, despite the drastic improvements, doesn’t cost a whole lot more than before.

The entry-level Vibe is our pick, there's no need to spend more. It features all manner of safety equipment and a quiet drive but with cloth upholstery that doesn't get all sticky and sweaty in the Australian climate.

The end of 2024 is the tipping point where MG goes from cheap and cheerful to a real headache for established players. Perhaps not for the strongest in the segment like the RAV4 and Nissan X-Trail, but the HS is now an easy car to recommend for a family looking for a spacious SUV that drives their dollar further. The hybrid will boost appeal further when it arrives next year.

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

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.

Though the previous HS had shapely bodywork, the wheels sat too far in-board and the rear end looked awkward. It’s not the same story with the new model which is designed as a family SUV first, rather than a converted hatchback platform.

Part of the improved looks are better proportions. The new HS is 81mm longer, 14mm wider and rides on a 45mm longer wheelbase yet sits 21mm lower for a sleeker appearance.

The front end takes cues from the new MG3 and ZS design language with a broad grille and thin LED headlights. At the back, MG’s design team references the UK’s capital with ‘Shard’ lighting signatures that also appear in the alloy wheels.

It is still fairly anonymous, though perhaps that comes from a lack of familiarity with the brand. The painted wheel arch cladding and metallic-only paint give it a premium boost.

The biggest improvement is inside, where the HS takes plenty of inspiration from the excellent MG4 electric car with the hexagonal steering wheel (though here with perforated leather finishing), high-set controls and confident lines. It’s a welcome, modern change after the old car’s bloated cabin design.

There are soft-touch rubbery materials in all sorts of prominent places, including on the dash top, front and rear door cards as well as where the driver’s knees rest on the doors and transmission tunnel.

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.

There is nothing especially ground-breaking about the MG HS’s front cabin. The cupholders are medium-sized and the door bins have enough storage for a one-litre bottle, so this is no Skoda Karoq when it comes to clever cabin solutions.

Telling a tale of the HS’s Roewe RX5 base car’s earlier 2022 launch (and the staggering development speed of personal technology) the lack of USB-C charging ports is now frustrating with all USB ports regular old-school items. Apple CarPlay or Android Auto phone mirroring requires a cabled connection.

The centre multimedia screen is high resolution with day selectable light and dark modes. It was a little laggy to use MG’s software, however, especially when swiping across menu screens. 

There are four hard shortcut buttons beneath it that can jump to the home screen, activate the HS’s front and rear demister and turn the ventilation on and off.

To adjust the temperature you need to go into the touchscreen, though there is a persistent shortcut on the main menu.

A 12.3-inch digital cluster has several selectable info displays and can show navigation mapping and directions in Excite and Essence trims. 

The seats are comfortable and supportive and it's easy to find a good driving position thanks to power-adjust driver's seat and tilting/telescoping wheel adjustment. The front passenger does not get height adjust, though, and is set too high.

Where the extra size pays dividends is in the back seat which has ample room for passengers beyond 185cm, especially when it comes to leg space. The fold-out armrest is sturdy, too, with twin cupholders. Rear air vents are fitted to only the top-spec Essence.

For baby capsules or child seats the HS has ISOFIX anchors fitted to all three rear seats matched with a trio of top tether points.

The MG HS’s boot is about average for the class measuring 507 litres. It grows to 1484L with the 60:40 backrest folded. For reference, class leaders include the Toyota RAV4 (580L), Nissan X-Trail (585L) and Volkswagen Tiguan (up to 615L with rear seats slid forward). 

There are few amenities, with no 12-volt socket, only one (dim) boot light and no shopping bag hooks. The carpet isn’t bargain basement and the luggage cover is sturdy with additional separated storage compartments below the floor and netted cubbies off to the side. 

MG has also been smart in packaging a space saver spare tyre beneath the boot floor (and a cumbersome Styrofoam piece).

Shock horror, the new HS is 10 per cent more expensive than before… but that still makes it $33,990, drive-away, for the basic Vibe — easily undercutting established rivals from Honda, Mazda, Toyota and others. 

You get a lot for that extra $4000, too, right down to basic presentation. There’s no fridge-like solid white paint with all six hues either metallic or pearlescent for no extra cost. MG even offers the upper trims with the option of an eye-catching tan upholstery colour. 

The three-strong trim line-up starts with the Vibe: dusk-sensing LED headlights, 18-inch alloy wheels, adaptive cruise control, auto wipers, tyre pressure monitoring, a six-speaker sound system, nice cloth upholstery and six-way power adjust driver’s seat are standard.

The Excite sprinkles in 19-inch alloy wheels, perforated synthetic leather upholstery, navigation, fog lights and MG’s 'iSmart' connectivity system for a smart $36,990, drive-away.

The range-topping Essence gains a panoramic sunroof, rear privacy class, a power tailgate, front parking sensors, wireless phone charging, eight-speaker audio, 10-way power adjustable driver’s seat with memory, seat heating, dual-zone climate control, rear air vents and wireless phone charging for $40,990, on-the road. 

The short of it is that, although MG’s prices are up, even the basic Vibe is a more enticing proposition on price than the new Chery Tiggo 7 Pro Urban ($39,990, drive-away) and established Mazda CX-5 Maxx (currently on offer for $37,990, drive-away).

It also is much closer to the popular GWM Haval H6 ($31,990-$37,990, drive-away) — if only MG had brought ventilated seats to the flagship Essence then this mid-sizer would be (almost) sold on paper alone.

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 new HS petrol has a 1.5-litre, turbo-petrol, four-cylinder engine that develops 125kW at 5000rpm and 275Nm from 3000-4000rpm, with those outputs up 6.0kW and 25Nm on the old car.

MG claims new engine features, including the variable geometry turbocharger, centre-mount variable valve timing and a lighter dual-mass flywheel, add up to a 30 per cent improvement in engine response.

More importantly, the insulation is excellent. You barely hear any unpleasant engine noises out on the road and although the four cylinder’s tone isn’t sexy at full-throttle, it is warm and pleasant enough.

The HS petrol is front-wheel drive only which may rule it out for some buyers, but there is a saving grace. The new seven-speed type dual-clutch transmission behaved itself impeccably on a brief first encounter taking in awkward hill starts and reverse manoeuvres. It’s a huge improvement over prior efforts and more refined than even a Hyundai or Kia dual-clutch.

MG claims a 0-100km/h acceleration time of 9.6 seconds, which is about right for entry-level versions of the HS’s typical rivals.

MG no longer offers a more powerful 2.0-litre turbo but a plug-in hybrid with a punchy 223kW and an all-new full-hybrid option will join the line-up in the first quarter of 2025, details of which are yet to be confirmed.

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.

In the ADR combined (urban-extra urban) fuel efficiency cycle, the MG HS petrol is rated at 6.9L/100km, emitting 156 grams of CO2 per kilometre in the process. A 55-litre fuel tank gives the HS a theoretical driving range of around 800km.

We weren’t able to get a true read on the fuel consumption but the trip computer showed 8.1L/100km after an hour-long run. It lacks an idle start-stop system and requires 95 RON premium unleaded petrol.

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.

MG’s launch drive program was too brief to really get under the skin of the HS, which is a shame because the initial signs are extremely positive.

Compared to the old ZS, in which a gumnut hitting the roof was loud enough to distract you from your thoughts, the new car is packed with sound deadening for a vastly more premium experience.

The electronic power steering system has a natural ratio (2.6 turns lock-to-lock) and weighting in 'Comfort' and 'Sport' modes, which cannot be said for rivals such as the Chery Tiggo 7 and Haval H6.

This new HS rides nicely, too, with enough compliance from the suspension without sacrificing body control — at least around town. It has struts up from with a multi-link rear end which is not a given, even in this segment.

There were a few sharp-edged bumps that sent a shock through the body but that is to be expected on Sydney's awful roads. The new HS rides about as well as a Mazda CX-5 and believe us, that is a dramatic improvement.

Visibility out the front and sides are good as is the comfortable driving position, however I wasn’t able to move the driver’s side mirror far enough out for my liking. That’s a small blip in an otherwise strong first showing.

The MG HS has not yet been evaluated by an independent safety testing body such as ANCAP or Euro NCAP.

MG has fitted the new HS with seven airbags, including driver and passenger, front side, side curtain and a centre airbag.

The HS has a long list of active safety and driver assistance features, such as front and rear auto emergency braking with junction detection, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control with stop and go and driver-attention monitoring.

I can’t say all the aids are perfect but the adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist systems were less intrusive than those in Chery and Haval products.

The regularly-beeping driver-attention monitoring remains a constant frustration as it does across almost every brand at the moment.

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.

MG has recently moved to a 10-year/250,000km new car warranty in Australia which covers the HS and is the longest non-conditional offer in the market.

GWM/Haval, Kia and SsangYong remain at seven years while Mitsubishi requires you to service the car at a main dealer for its 10-year guarantee.

This long warranty period should help allay concerns for new MG buyers that the brand stands behind its products.

Less impressive is the cost of maintenance, which adds up to $2354 over five years/75,000km with a particularly steep $936 service at the four-year mark. There’s a big $1647 service at 120,000km, too.