Peter Lyon
January 5, 2024
There’s a new kid on the block. And the SUV previewed this week has real clout. Chery, one of China’s biggest carmakers, will soon launch its new J8 SUV from sub-brand Jaecoo in Malaysia.
At a Kuala Lumpur sneak peek recently, Jaecoo revealed the J7 in addition to the Jaecoo 8 (called the ‘J8’), a high-end SUV with the same underpinnings as the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro.
Close in size to the Kia Sorento and Mazda CX-8, the J8 luxury SUV has five seats and is 1,924 mm wide, 1,710 mm in height, and 4,815 mm in length.
Boasting certain design hints reminiscent of a Range Rover, the J8’s large, imposing grille, stylish wheels and flush door handles add a classy touch to the exterior and add to the vehicle’s “premium” appearance.
The J8 is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged petrol engine borrowed from the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max and paired with a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Although performance figures have not been confirmed yet, we expect the the SUV to generate the Tiggo 8’s 254 hp and 390 Nm of torque and offer both front-wheel and four-wheel drive versions.
Able to respond in milli-seconds, the J8’s “cutting edge” CDC magnetic suspension setup can adaptively adjust electronic damping, and adjust the vehicle’s posture in real-time according to road conditions, so that the entire vehicle is always in the best driving condition,” or so says Jaecoo.
In addition to this unique feature, the J8 also employs safety systems that include a 360° 10-airbag system with a “far-end safety airbag” positioned between the driver and passenger seats, as well as an 85% high-strength steel usage rate for extra rigidity. Jaecoo tells us that the J8 meets the highest global 5-star safety standards and touts the SUV as a “mobile fortress of safety.”
OUR THOUGHTS
From what we’re seeing here with the new Jaecoo 8, Japanese and Korean (and European for that matter!) rivals will have to stand up and pay attention to the road presence and quality level of this SUV. Boasting some inspired styling and impressive tech, the J8 certainly looks like it can easily take on the likes of Mazda’s CX-8 and Kia’s Sorento. The J8 is scheduled for an official debut by spring in Malaysia, and the firm promises to release pricing and additional details about the car’s features closer to that time.
