Jaecoo J8 2026 News

Jaecoo, Chery’s premium sub-brand, has announced the arrival of a much-anticipated seven-seat version of its J8 large SUV, which will also feature a plug-in hybrid set-up for the first time. There is no news yet on the pricing for this latest J8 variant, but expect it to be above the $54,990 (drive-away) price tag attached to the all-wheel drive five-seater petrol model currently on sale.The J8 will go into direct competition with the closely-related Chery Tiggo 8 all-wheel drive PHEV and the BYD Sealion 8, which both sit around $50K-$60K bracket.There are limited details available on the new J8, but it will use the same 1.5-litre turbo-petrol plug-in hybrid set-up found on the Omoda 9, which is on sale in Australia. The Omoda 9’s three electric motor set-up produces 395kW, so expect a similar figure on the J8 PHEV.Jaecoo has also confirmed the car will have an all-wheel drive system. This will be the first electrified J8 model, with the only other two models being front-wheel and all-wheel drive petrol units.Competing in the large SUV segment, the J8 is approaching one year on the Aussie market, but trails the likes of the Tiggo 8 and the Sealion 8 on sales charts.It has sold less than 200 units this year, compared to the Sealion 8’s more than 1500 and the Tiggo 8’s more than 1000. The brand has decided to bring across a seven-seater J8 due to popular demand for a full-size family car in the lineup. The J8’s announcement comes with the brand continuing to expand its range Down Under, following the well-received J5 EV at the start of 2026, and the soon-launching petrol variant of that car. It is expected the J8 PHEV will launch in Australia in the third quarter of 2026, along with a hybrid version of the J5. 

Chery has revealed an update for its flagship Tiggo 9 large SUV in China ahead of the Beijing auto show.It’s worth noting that this Chinese-spec version of the Chery Tiggo 9 is equivalent to the Jaecoo J8, which is sold in Australia.Despite sharing the same name, the Australian-specification Chery Tiggo 9 is sold in China as the Chery Tiggo 9X. The two cars are based on the same architecture and share a lot of components, though have different styling.This Chery-badged update for the Tiggo 9 is likely is a precursor to a Jaecoo-badged update for the J8. However, this is yet to be confirmed.The major change with this update is a revised exterior and interior design. On the outside there’s a new grille insert with vertical slots, plus a new LED headlight signature and a full-width rear light bar.Inside the cabin is now dominated by a giant 30-inch central touchscreen, which spills over into the front passenger space. It’s powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8255 chip.Other highlights include interior ambient lighting, interior fragrance system and so-called Queen’s co-pilot 2.0 front passenger seat that reclines back and a leg rest.Five- and seven-seat configurations continue to be offered.At this stage Chery has only detailed the updated version of this Tiggo 9 with a carryover 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine. It’s understood the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version with the 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine will follow at a later date.The Jaecoo J8 launched in Australia last year and is currently only offered with the aforementioned 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine and in five-seat configurations. Globally a PHEV and seven-seat versions are offered.With the Australian-specification Chery Tiggo 9, it also launched last year and is only offered with PHEV power and seven seats as standard. A new, front-wheel-drive Elite version has been introduced to complement the flagship all-wheel-drive Ultimate trim.

2026 might be one of the best years for Australian families on the hunt for a new ride.

In a milestone market share breakthrough vehicles manufactured in China accounted for one in five new cars sold in Australia in October this year.