Jaecoo J8: Newcomer brings the value with latest large SUV

Specifications

Model: Jaecoo J8 Ridge AWD
Price: $54,990 drive away
Engine: 1998cc turbo 4-cylinder
Power: 183kW (@ 5500rpm)
Torque: 385Nm (@1750 – 4000rpm)
Transmission: 8-speed automatic, all-wheel drive
0-100km/h: 9.0 seconds
Top speed: 200km/h
Fuel consumption (claimed/as tested): 8.6L/100km, 10.4L/100km
Fuel tank, recommended fuel type: 65-litres, 95RON premium unleaded
CO2 emissions: 204g/km
Length/width/height/wheelbase: 4820/1930/1710/2820mm
Bootspace (rear seats up/down): 738/2021 litres (to roof)
Tare mass: 1890kg
On sale: now

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Chery’s premium arm Jaecoo is continuing to grow its presence in Australia. Only a few months after launching with the J7 small-to-mid-size SUV, the larger J8 has arrived as well. Australian pricing was revealed in early May and vehicles are in dealerships now.

Sitting in size above medium SUVs like the Toyota RAV4, in a position akin to the Mazda CX-60‘s place above the smaller and cheaper CX-5 – the J8 is currently available in two model grades priced from $49,990 drive away. That’s not a lot of coin for an apparently premium car, so does the J8 make sense?

Price and equipment

Jaecoo is offering the J8 in two models in Australia: the entry-level Track and upper-spec Ridge. Both use the same engine, with the Track powering just the front wheels and the Ridge adding all-wheel drive into the mix. We expect a plug-in hybrid to be offered eventually, as in the smaller J7.

2025 Jaecoo J8 pricing (drive away):

Jaecoo J8 Ridge AWD standard equipment:

• 20-inch alloy wheels with a full-size spare
• Dusk-sensing automatic LED exterior lighting
• Rain-sensing automatic wipers
• Rear privacy glass
• Roof rails
• Panoramic sunroof
• Keyless entry with push button start and remote start
• Power tailgate
• Heated and auto-folding mirrors with automatic lowering in reverse
• Dual-zone automatic climate control with rear fan speed controller
• Inbuilt fragrance
• 12.3-inch touchscreen
• 12.3-inch driver’s display
• 12-speaker Sony sound system
• Wired and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Wireless phone charger
• 4x USB ports
• Satellite navigation
• AM/FM radio
• “Hey Jaecoo” voice control
• Leather upholstery
• Heated synthetic leather steering wheel
• Heated and ventilated massaging electric front seats with driver’s memory
• Heated and ventilated outboard rear seats
• Head-up display

J8 Ridge safety features:

• 10 airbags
• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
• Adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist
• Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert
• Lane departure prevention with emergency lane keeping
• Adaptive lane guidance
• Door open warning
• Driver monitoring
• Automatic rear braking
• Auto high beam
• Traffic sign recognition
• 360-degree camera
• Automatic parking
• Front, side and rear parking sensors

The Jaecoo J8 is yet to be tested by ANCAP for safety.

Interior, practicality and bootspace

Open the door of the J8 and you’d be forgiven for thinking that you’ve stepped into a modern Mercedes-Benz product, because it’s eerily similar to the dashboard of a GLS. While Mercedes may not appreciate the comparison, the reality is that the cabin of the J8 is quite well finished – unlike a lot of other Chinese cars, it’s not just covered in faux leather trim. The patterns and choices of materials, such as the suede-like trim on the door tops and dashboard, are quite interesting.

In the centre of the dashboard is a 12.3-inch touchscreen with features such as wired and wireless smartphone mirroring and sat-nav. It uses a similar software to the J7, though in a horizontal layout, and it is quite easy to use with bright colouring and a quick processor. The 360-degree camera is excellent quality, and the sound quality from the 12-speaker Sony sound system – including the two speakers in the driver’s headrest – is reasonable as well.

Having said that, the touchscreen would be easier to use if its icons were larger, there were more physical buttons – there’s a volume slider on the centre console but no home button – and if the touchscreen wasn’t located so far from the driver, making it a bit of a reach to use. The “Hey Jaecoo” voice control is also nigh on useless.

The front seats in the J8 are quite comfortable with multiple forms of adjustability like the seat cushion extension, though no under-thigh angle adjustment affects the driving position. The massaging functionality is excellent, with multiple massage programs to choose from – our favourite is the cat’s paw, which when combined with heated seats, is great.

The J8’s cabin is also impressively practical with big door bins, a huge tray under the centre console, a tray on the centre console with a wireless phone charger, a big bin underneath the central armrest and two medium-sized cupholders ahead of the volume controller. The gear selector is located on the right-hand stalk on the steering column, freeing up space for storage.

The rear seat of the J8 is a quite comfortable and well featured space, with more than ample room for two taller adults. There are four air vents, reclining seatbacks, a central armrest with cupholders, a fan speed controller, inbuilt window shades, two USB ports and even heated and ventilated outboard seats.

In some overseas markets, the J8 can be purchased with a third row of seating but Jaecoo Australia has decided not to offer that for the time being. While that may strike it off some buyers’ consideration lists, we think that’s good as it would likely be only for children and without them, its boot is huge.

The boot of the J8 – again, because we receive it as a five-seater – is huge, measuring 738 litres (to the roof) with the rear seats up and 2021L with them folded – much larger than the 477/1726L boot of the CX-60. There is also some under-floor storage, a full-size alloy spare, a hook to hang a bag off and a quick electric tailgate.

Performance and economy

Under the bonnet of the J8 range is a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine making 183kW of power and 375Nm of torque. That’s mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission and in the Ridge, power is sent to all four wheels.

Jaecoo claims combined fuel consumption for the J8 Ridge of 8.6L/100km and CO2 emissions of 204g/km. The J8 has a 65-litre fuel tank, and must use a minimum of 95RON premium unleaded fuel. In our testing, we achieved a fuel consumption result in driving skewed towards urban driving of 10.4L/100km – not a great result but our test car was also quite new, so its efficiency should improve with more distance under its belt.

On the road

On the road, the J8 doesn’t stand out as overly sporty or plush to drive. Instead, it’s comfortable and quite refined, and is enjoyable to steer. Those looking for sportiness won’t find any here, but that’s fine as it has no pretensions to be a sports car. The steering is light and the ride quality is mostly well tuned, though it thumps a bit on lower speed bumps thanks to the standard huge 20-inch wheels.

The J8’s engine gives more than ample performance for most, with the full 375Nm hitting at just 1750rpm. The claimed 0-100km/h time of 9.0 seconds doesn’t sound impressive, but the J8 feels quicker than that in real life thanks to its ample mid-range grunt. Helping the drivetrain further is the eight-speed automatic transmission, which is much more refined than the seven-speed dual-clutch unit this engine uses in the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max. Only the lack of paddle shifters for extra braking down hills annoys.

The J8’s engine sounds surprisingly good for a big family SUV, though you’d likely not hear it because of the excellent refinement. Both engine and road noise levels are quite low and in most situations, the J8 wafts along quietly and comfortably just doing its thing – it’s much quieter than a CX-60, for example.

The J8 is also well featured with active safety features, including systems such as AEB, adaptive cruise control, adaptive lane guidance and traffic sign recognition. While the J7’s equivalent systems need work, the J8’s seem to have been improved with a gentler adaption of lane keeping assistance and a speed sign warning that can – thankfully – be turned off and it will stay turned off. The high beam needs a brighter light, however.

Service and warranty

The Jaecoo range is covered by an eight-year/unlimited km warranty with 12 months of roadside assistance that’s extended a further 12 months with each dealership service up to eight years in total.

The J8’s service intervals are once-yearly/every 15,000km and five years/75,000km of servicing costs $2025 (or, on average, $405 annually). In comparison, a CX-60’s warranty is three years shorter and its service costs are a lot more than the Jaecoo.

Verdict: should I buy a Jaecoo J8?

The Jaecoo J8 is an interesting product that provides a lot of luxury features for not a big price. Ventilated rear seats in a sub-$60k drive away car? That’s unheard of – and there’s more appeal to the J8 than just its pricing. Its cabin is genuinely plush with a lot of expensive-feeling materials and switchgear, it’s very well insulated from the outside and it’s also quite practical with a huge boot and spacious rear seat.

On the road, the J8 is less impressive, however, with an unrefined low-speed ride, while even imperfections such as road joints at higher speeds result in a thump, likely not helped by the huge 20-inch wheels. While its engine performs well, it can be thirsty and there’s no hybrid option yet to choose. However, there’s still quite a lot appeal in the Jaecoo J8 and we’re keen to see what comes from the brand in the future.

Jaecoo J8 rivals

Mazda CX-60
Genesis GV70