2025 Jaecoo J8 Review

There’s been a flurry of new brands entering the Australian market of late – almost all of which are from China – but arguably one of the most interesting is Jaecoo.

An offshoot of Chery – which, despite only having returned to Australia in early 2023, is one of the most established Chinese brands locally – Jaecoo has been catching plenty of interest with its first launch, the J7, which we reviewed back in February.

The mid-size SUV hit just the right marks with Australian buyers, thanks to its clean exterior design, classy interior, and long list of features. The sharp pricing undoubtedly helped, too.

Now, the brand is following up the J7 with the Jaecoo J8 – a large SUV priced from $49,990 drive-away for the two-wheel-drive Track variant.

On paper, the Jaecoo J8 makes a compelling statement. A long list of features, technology expected on higher-end models, and styling that wouldn’t look out of place on European roads.

But does the theory translate to the real world? We spent some time with the Jaecoo J8 at its launch to find out.

How much does the Jaecoo J8 cost?

‍As mentioned, the entry-level Jaecoo J8 Track is priced from $49,990 drive-away, which is – by any measure – terrific value by today’s standards.

While you’d be hard-presse to pick the difference between the two visually, the current range-topping model is the Jaecoo J8 Ridge – priced from $54,990 drive-away – which adds all-wheel drive and several key technical upgrades.

Both models are powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, with 20-inch alloy wheels and a power tailgate as standard.

Inside, the J8 comes with dual 12.3-inch displays – one of the digital instrument cluster, the other being centrally-mounted for infotainment duties – as well as a 14-speaker surround sound system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite navigation, 360-degree cameras with 3D outside view, voice command, synthetic leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats with massage function, LED interior lighting, and tri-zone climate control.

Step up to the J8 Ridge, and the vehicle gains torque-vectoring all-wheel drive, on- and off-road driving modes, Continuous Damping Control, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, heated and ventilated outer rear seats, multi-colour ambient lighting, black suede headliner, autonomous parking assist, rear privacy tint, and an in-built fragrance system.

Despite the shopping list of features, the Jaecoo J8 is still entering what is a relatively hotly-contested corner of the market – with competition not only from other value-laden Chinese brands, but also trusted, established players from Japan and elsewhere.

Even with its off-road modes and all-wheel drive, the J8 Ridge isn’t really a true off-roader – potentially pushing buyers towards other models like the Toyota Fortuner, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, or LDV D90.

Those just looking for a large SUV to fill up with their kids – without the off-road capability – the decision is likely to be a hard one given the competition from the likes of the Kia Sportage, Hyundai Tucson, and Hyundai Santa Fe.

However – with the exception of models like the GWM Haval H6GT Ultra and KGM Rexton Adventure – most of the better-known vehicles listed above are either the entry-level variants, or close to it. 

The advantage of the Jaecoo J8 is the range-topping model is less than $55K drive-away, and comes with pretty much everything available, making it an attractive choice for those who want everything, but don’t want to spend the world to get it.

2025 Jaecoo J8 Pricing:

• J8 Track 2WD – $49,990
• J8 Ridge AWD – $54,990

Note: Prices quoted are drive-away figures, and are subject to change.

Jae-very-cool

‍If there’s one thing Jaecoo gets right, it’s design.

Someone over there knows what they’re doing – with a less-is-more approach, while still creating something with road presence and a touch of elegance.

The retractable door handles certainly elevate the J8’s look to something more premium than the price tag would suggest, while the ‘floating roof’ makes the vehicle sleeker than many other large SUVs.

Then there’s a rear end, which seems to borrow some vague styling cues from the likes of Audi and Land Rover.

The designers have also included some sculpted shapes in the roof, behind the panoramic glass sunroof, which echoes the shape of the rear window spoiler. Nobody will ever see those – they’re too high and hidden behind the roof rails – but it displays a level of dedication to get every detail right.

Champagne taste

‍There’s no doubt Jaecoo’s designers are on a roll. 

The interior of the J8 looks pretty stunning, with clever materials used throughout the cabin to elevate the space — once again, making it feel far more premium than the car’s price would suggest.

This includes faux suede trim on the doors and dash — extending to the roof liner for the AWD variant.

Though I am a little worried about the longevity of the suede on the touchpoints of the doors. Probably wouldn’t have been my first pick.

Part of the J8’s clean, premium look includes a near complete lack of physical buttons. That means most of the car’s functions are buried in menus within the 12.3-inch infotainment screen.

This can cause frustrations, because the thing you want to select is a few menu screens deep, or a swipe from the top or bottom. It’s always in the last place you look.

So to make things easier, there’s voice command, which works well most of the time.

However, one thing we discovered was the voice command hadn’t been calibrated for right-hand-drive seats.

A simple “turn on the driver’s seat massage” resulted in the passenger having their lower back shiatzu’d. And vice versa.

A bit of an oversight.

While we didn’t go through every function using voice command, the problem appeared to be isolated to seat commands, with the driver’s window winding down when requested.

We flagged the issue with Jaecoo, who assured us the problem was isolated to that particular car, and simply required a software update.

I’m happy to give them the benefit of the doubt, but my experience is cars are updated with the latest software version – just like your smartphone – and don’t typically develop their own individual calibration errors. But they’ve assured me the problem is isolated and will be fixed.

Another minor issue was a panel gap between the door and dashboard on the passenger side that wasn’t lining up perfectly as intended. Now, I’ve also seen this kind of thing in a high-end German luxury car, to be fair.

The machined metal speaker covers are a nice touch; once a Mercedes-Benz thing, now more common, but no less nice.

Speaking of speakers, the 14-speaker Sony premium audio system is, frankly, kick-ass. The sound quality is superb, with punchy bass, defined mid-range, and crisp treble.

You sit quite upright in the J8, with little in the way of seat height adjustment for the driver.

The seats themselves were quite comfortable, with luxurious headrests and a retractable leg rest for the passenger.

Unfortunately I wasn’t quite able to find my perfect seating position. The steering wheel always felt too far away, while the pedals felt too close.

But minor criticisms aside, the cabin is a nice place to spend some time.

All aboard

‍There’s a really good amount of space in the second row for adults, with a healthy gap between my knees the front seat, and decent headroom.

The backrest is on a slightly relaxed angle, making the experience just that touch more comfortable.

Like the front seats, the back seats get plush, winged headrests that feel premium. It’s all roomy and comfortable.

The doors provide a good opening, not only for adults to jump in and out, but also for parents and their baby carriers.

If you were in the market for a car to regularly transport three adult passengers around in, you could do a lot worse than the Jaecoo J8.

Punch trunk love

‍While not available in Australia right now — and no plans announced for it — the J8 is offered in overseas markets with a third row of seats.

The good news for Aussie buyers is it means there’s a decent boot, with 738 litres of luggage space available to the roof, based on VDA standards.

With the second row of seats folded flat, the the boot space increases to 2021 litres.

The weakest link

‍Both variants of the Jaecoo J8 are powered by the same 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, producing 183kW and 385Nm, and mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The J8 weighs between 1790 and 1890 kilos, which I suspect would make it one of the lightest SUVs in its segment – even despite the long list of features.

While it’s no featherweight, it does mean the engine’s performance can be utilised, getting the big Jaecoo to speed without much effort.

This is also helped by the eight-speed transmission, which quietly ensures the engine is always in its peak torque band.

The J8 Track is front-wheel drive, while the J8 Ridge is all-wheel drive — and also has the benefit of torque vectoring.

Typically reserved for performance cars like the Audi RS3, S3, and Volkswagen Golf R, the system allows up to 100 per cent of the torque being sent to the rear axle to be allocated to a single wheel.

Or more specifically,the rear outside wheel — the very place you want power sent to help send you around corners.

In low-traction environments, the system can also act as a limited-slip differential, ensuring the wheel with the most grip is the one getting the most power.

Jaecoo claims the 2WD Track has a combined fuel consumption rating of 8.3 litres per 100 kilometres, while the AWD Ridge uses 8.6L/100km. However, in urban settings, those figures jump up to 11.3 and 11.4 respectively, so it’s something to keep in mind if you do a lot of city driving.

At least it looks good

‍If driving has never meant anything more to you than a way of getting from A to B, then feel free to skip this section.

But if you’re someone who cares about how a car drives, then frankly this is one of the areas that lets down the Jaecoo J8.

Just as it was in its smaller sibling, the J7, the engine is the arguably the weakest link in the J8, and feels as if it’s perhaps received the least attention from Jaecoo engineers.

The 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine – while plenty powerful enough – comes across as somewhat unrefined, like it’s from a previous generation. A little antiquated.

And while the car looks premium – both inside and out – on the road, the engine noise, or perhaps the lack of sound deadening, really brings that into question.

However, unlike the J7, the J8’s eight-speed automatic transmission is excellent – matched well to make the most from the engine’s performance, while working smoothly and quietly behind the scenes.

The steering though is too light and numb for my liking, while the handling in the two-wheel-drive Track is okay without being anything to write home about.

I would have been interested in driving the all-wheel-drive Jaecoo J8 Ridge on some wet roads or loose surfaces to really test the torque vectoring. But on a small section of switchback corners, there was a higher level of traction and handling balance than I was expecting – though I dare say it’s not quite as sophisticated as the torque vectoring on offer from the likes of Volkswagen and Audi.

Still, I’d rather have it than not. Particularly in poor weather.

Then there’s the ADAS, the Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems, many of which were curiously turned off before we jumped in the car.

Several times when I had the adaptive cruise control on with lane-departune prevention, the steering felt like it locked itself at the 2 o’clock position – almost spearing the car out of my lane to the right – fighting against me as I forced the steering back to the safety of my own lane. This was all in a split second, but on a two-way road, it was downright dangerous.

And this wasn’t a wayward one-off thing, it happened at least three or four times on a single trip.

Frankly, the car’s ADAS feels poorly tuned – certainly for our roads. Until Jaecoo’s people release an update for it, it’s not something that can be relied on.

Is it all a disaster? No, we’re talking about 5, maybe 10 per cent of the driving experience. The rest is a fairly pleasant affair, but it’s that last 10 per cent that makes the difference between a great car and something just ‘fine’.

Actions, not words

‍With the Jaecoo J8 having just been released, we’ll have to wait a bit before ANCAP – the independent crash-test authority – stamps a rating on the car.

But as above, just because the car has a tick-box whizzbang safety technology, doesn’t mean it works perfectly on the road.

Still, the Jaecoo J8 does come with a healthy list of safety equipment, including:

• Eight airbags
• An additional two airbags (Ridge)
• Forward collision warning
• AEB
• Emergency Lane Keeping
• Lane Departure Warning
• Lane Departure Preventure
• Adaptive Cruise Control
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Lane Change Assist
• Rear Collision Warning
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Rear cross-traffic braking
• Speed sign recognition
• Driver fatigue monitoring system

Peace of mind

‍The 2025 Jaecoo J8 comes with an eight-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, with eight years of roadside assistance. The warranty is one of the best in the automotive industry, and has been offered to provide peace-of-mind for buyers of a new, unknown brand.

The J8 also gets an eight-year capped-price servicing plan, with the vehicle due for a service every 12 months or 15,000km. 

For the J8 Track 2WD, this equates to a total of $2952, while the J8 Ridge AWD costs $3452 over the period.

Fixed-price servicing (Track/Ridge):

• One-year/15,000km: $299
• Two-years/30,000km: $299
• Three-years/45,000km: $329
• Four-years/60,000km: $499/699
• Five-years/75,000km: $299/399
• Six-years/90,000km: $329
• Seven-years/105,000km: $299
• Eight-years/120,000km: $599/799

What do you get with the Jaecoo J8?

J8 Track 2WD:

• Dual 12.3-inch LCD Displays
• 14-Speaker Sony Surround Sound System
• Inbuilt GPS Navigation
• Wireless and Wired Apple CarPlay & Android Auto
• Intelligent Voice Command
• Synthetic Leather Seats
• Heated and Ventilated Front Seats
• Front Seat Massage Function
• Second Row Air Conditioning Controls
• LED Interior Lighting
• 360-Degree Cameras
• Full Size Spare Wheel
• Projector-Type LED Headlights
• LED Daytime Running Lights (DRLs)
• Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
• Eight Airbags
• Power Tailgate
• 20-inch Machine-Finished Alloy Wheels

J8 Ridge AWD (adds):

• Torque Vectoring AWD System
• Additional Drive Modes (Snow, Mud, Sand, Off-road)
• Continuous Damping Control (CDC)
• Heated and Ventilated Rear Seats
• Colour Selectable Ambient Lighting (Front and Rear)
• Second Row Side Airbags
• Automatic Parking Assist (APA)
• Privacy Glass (Rear)
• In-Built Fragrance System
• Auto-Dimming Rear View Mirror
• Suede Headliner (Black)

Final thoughts on the Jaecoo J8

‍For what is, ostensibly, the second model from a new brand, the Jaecoo J8 is very good.

For the majority of families – perhaps those that do bulk kilometres each week or have tall kids who play sports all over the state – the lack of sophistication when it comes to the J8’s driving dynamics will matter not a bit.

The technology, comfort, and looks are all commendably well executed – and almost astonishingly so when the price is considered.

Are there things that need improvement? Sure. Jaecoo’s people are probably reading this review at the same time as you are, making notes and raising them with various departments. But they deserve kudos.

There is a lot to like about the new Jaecoo J8, and more than that, it makes me excited about where the brand is going and what it’s going to be achieving in the coming years.

But for today, if you’re in the market for a large SUV but with the budget of a medium SUV, give the Jaecoo J8 a look in. You might be surprised.