Another name to grapple with as the surge in Chinese imports gathers strength and they not only come with quantity but also quality.
This time we’re looking at Jaecoo, which joins Omoda and Tiggo as sub-brands within the giant Chery group, the fourth-largest of China’s plethora of manufacturers and, along with SAIC, one of its largest exporters.
Although Chery did make a brief and unsuccessful attempt to enter the Australian market about 10 years ago, it has only just re-launched here and remains largely unknown. Which is a blessing in disguise because these early models were awful and bear no comparison to the quality vehicles that are coming here now.
First out of the blocks for Jaecoo is the J7, a mid-sized five-seat SUV. It shares much of its components and dimensions with its Omoda 5 and Tiggo 4 stablemates, but is aimed at more upmarket buyers.
There are four Jaecoo J7 variants: Core, Track and Ridge. All are powered by a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine. The Summit SHS is a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) that combines a 1.5-litre turbo petrol with a 18.3 kWh battery.
Driveaway prices range from $34,990 for the Core through to $47,990 for the Summit SHS.
We reviewed the Summit hybrid recently so will concentrate on the three petrol models this time around.
STYLING
It’s hard for any vehicle in the highly-competitive and congested small/midsize SUV market to stand out from the crowd but, in our eyes at least, the J7 just does that.
The front is the standout feature of the J7’s design dominated by what Chery describes as a Waterfall Grille with 20 vertical chrome and piano black bars and the Jaecoo name in the centre.
The grille is flanked by twin stacked LED headlights below slimline LED daytime running lights.
Core and Ridge run on 18-inch machine finished alloy wheels. Ridge steps up to 19-inch multi-spoke alloys.
J7 Ridge adds red brake calipers, panoramic sunroof, privacy glass and puddle lights.
There are five exterior colour options, three with optional carbon black roofs.
INTERIOR
The quality and premier feel of the Jaecoo J7 extends into the cabin.
The synthetic leatherette-trimmed seats are large and supportive. All front occupants get powered seats while the driver in the Ridge adds a memory function, powered lumbar support and seat perforation and ventilation.
Also standard across the range are a premium steering wheel with tilt and telescopic adjustment.
Head and leg room are above average and a panoramic sunroof with tilt-and-slide function, really opens up the area, letting in light and, with blind closed, keeping out much of the sun’s heat.
There are plenty of storage spaces with cup holders and phone charger in the centre console, a deep cubby with cooling and a convenient slot for the keyfob.
Beneath the floating centre console is a large area to store phones, handbags, wallets, etc out of sight.
Maximum boot capacity in the Core and Track models is 424 litres up to the cargo cover and 584 litres to the roof. With the rear seatbacks folded that increases to 1349 litres but down to 340/1265 litres in the Ridge.
Core and Track have a space-saver spare wheel. Ridge gets a full-size spare.
ENGINES/TRANSMISSIONS
All three petrol Jaecoo J7 models are powered by a fifth-generation 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine, putting out 137kW at 5500 rpm and 275Nm from 2000 to 4000 revs.
Transmission is through a seven-speed dual clutch unit sent to the front wheels in the Core and Track and all four wheels in the Ridge.
SAFETY
Jaecoo J7 was tested by ANCAP in May 2025 and received the maximum five-star rating.
Standard features include eight airbags, rear parking sensors, reversing camera, forward collision warning, autonomous emergency braking, various lane keeping alerts and corrections, adaptive cruise control, driver monitoring system, traffic jam assist, integrated cruise assist, blind spot detection, and rear cross traffic alert and braking.
Variants above Core add a driver’s knee airbag, front parking sensors and 360-degree around view monitor.
Disappointingly, only Ridge comes with a head-up display.
INFOTAINMENT
Unlike most other current vehicles which use a landscape-orientated display screen, Jaecoo has opted for portrait mode, 13.2 inches in the Core and Track and 14.8-inch in the Ridge. The portrait screen, unlike the swivelling one in BYD, makes a lot of sense because it comes closer to the driver.
Tablet users will have no trouble adapting to the screen.
There’s also a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster in front of the driver. Both screens are crisp, clear and easy to access. There’s inbuilt satellite navigation that can be displayed on both screens.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both wireless.
There are USB-A and -C in both the front and rear while the Track and Ridge variants each have a 50w wireless smartphone charger.
Core has a six-speaker sound system, Track and Ridge get an eight-speaker Sony system with both having controls on the steering wheel as well as voice control.
DRIVING
There are retractable handles on all four doors that open automatically when the key fob comes in range. Unlike most other vehicles with such door handles that can be awkward to open, those in the J7 open fully square for easy opening.
One safety feature that impressed us was that the car will not move unless the driver’s seatbelt is fastened. Great idea, let’s hope that others follow the lead.
Not such a good idea, but something that’s becoming increasingly prevalent is that almost all vehicle functions are accessed through the touchscreen rather than using physical controls.
Then there are the various alerts including lane deviation warnings, speed limit and driver inattention warning. While these are among the many important safety features in the vehicle, and no doubt many drivers will appreciate them, they can be quite intrusive and frequently require the driver to look at the touchscreen instead of the road ahead.
They can be turned off although with most vehicles they then default back on when the engine is stopped. Fortunately, with the Jaecoo that’s not the case and, apart from the driver distraction alert, they remain off until turned on again.
There’s nothing special about the Jaecoo’s drive experience, but that can be said about most vehicles in the medium SUV field. Having said that it does what the typical family owner wants and does it well. It provides a smooth, quiet and comfortable ride both around town and on the motorway.
Steering is light and responsive.
The dual-clutch automatic takes a bit of getting used to. It’s a bit slow to respond, especially when shifting through lower gears.
Core and Track have three drive modes, Normal, Eco and Sport. The AWD Ridge adds Snow, Mud, Sand and Offroad modes and a full-size spare wheel.
SUMMARY
Chery, somewhat ambitiously, describes Jaecoo as its luxury premium sub-brand but after spending a week behind the wheel, the tag isn’t as far off the mark as you would think.
Obviously, it doesn’t have the badge prestige of European vehicles of similar size but, with prices starting from $35k driveaway it offers incredible value for money.
It fits perfectly within the mid-sized family SUV category that’s proving so popular at the moment.
Chery’s designers have done an amazing job to craft together a look that’s simple but elegant and one that proved to be a real head-turner wherever we drove. Often followed up by the need to explain that Jaecoo was the upmarket version of the Chinese carmaker Chery.
Jaecoo offers a comprehensive warranty package of eight years/unlimited kilometres, plus capped price servicing and up to eight years roadside assist.
The J7 certainly gets our nod as one of the best offerings yet from China, certainly the best SUV. The combination of its understated but stylish looks, excellent interior space and comfort, safety equipment and pricing make it well worth checking out.
RATINGS
Looks: 9/10
Performance: 7/10
Safety: 7.5/10
Thirst: 8/10
Practicality: 7/10
Comfort: 7.5/10
Tech: 7/10
Value: 8/10
