Jaecoo J7

Plug-in hybrid powertrain

The Jaecoo J7 SHS-P is a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) SUV. It combines a fifth-generation 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine built for hybrid use with electric drive and an 18.3 kWh battery. Jaecoo quotes combined outputs of 341 hp (255 kW) and 525 Nm, and 0–100 km/h in 8.5 seconds. It claims an electric-only range of more than 90 km and a total driving range of more than 1,200 km. Power goes through a continuously variable Dedicated Hybrid Transmission (DHT).

Charging and electric use

With more than 90 km of claimed electric range, owners who charge at home could do much of their daily city driving on electricity and use petrol for longer trips (our opinion). The car also has 3.3 kW vehicle-to-load (V2L), so you can run external appliances from its battery. The Pakistani site does not publish AC or DC charging speeds or times, so ask the dealer before buying.

Size and practicality

The J7 is a mid-size SUV, 4,500 mm long, 1,865 mm wide and 1,670 mm tall, on a 2,672 mm wheelbase. Ground clearance is 174 mm and the fuel tank holds 60 litres. It has 19-inch alloy wheels with Kumho tyres. The rear seats fold 60:40 and the second row folds flat. It has rear AC vents, and the electric tailgate opens hands-free. PakWheels lists the boot at 412 litres; the official site does not give a figure.

Equipment

Only one variant, the Premium, is sold, and it is fully loaded. It has LED headlights (LED matrix, according to the model page), a full-width LED tail light bar and a panoramic sunroof. Inside are a 10.25-inch digital cluster, a 14.8-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, an 8-speaker Sony sound system and a head-up display. It also has a built-in driving recorder, 50W wireless charging and a 540-degree camera. Seats are faux leather. Both front seats are powered, heated and ventilated, and the driver’s seat has memory and electric lumbar support. A boss key lets rear passengers move the front passenger seat.

For safety, it has ESP, ABS, EBD, brake assist, tyre pressure monitoring, and front and rear parking sensors. The driver assistance features are adaptive cruise control, traffic jam assist, forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane departure prevention, emergency lane keeping, blind spot detection, rear cross traffic alert and driver monitoring. The price list names front, side, curtain and driver’s knee airbags. The model page claims eight airbags in total.

Warranty

Jaecoo Pakistan shows a 6-year or 150,000 km warranty, plus an 8-year or 160,000 km cover next to a battery icon. Freight and transit insurance of Rs 55,000 is extra.

Which variant to buy

There is no choice to make: the Rs 9,999,000 Premium is the only version. In our opinion, it is good value as a PHEV for buyers who can charge at home, because it has more equipment than most SUVs near Rs 10 million.