The Jaecoo J7 PHEV is the latest arrival in a sea of Chinese-manufactured hybrid SUVs. Queue yet another Far Eastern curveball to South Africa’s traditional car market. And the Jaecoo J7 PHEV SHS (Super Hybrid System) is competitively priced at R689 900 within the family-SUV segment. After spending some time with this plug-in hybrid, we can confidently say it’s a vehicle of eye-catching contradictions …
Let’s begin with the exterior design. The Jaecoo J7 PHEV’s visual presence is certainly striking. With clean, purposeful lines that manage to feel contemporary – like, “hey, this is a new kind of car you’re going to want to check out!” The front fascia presents a confident face to the world, with LED lighting signatures that trace an elegant pattern. There’s also a sense of premium intent that’s refreshing to see in the segment.
JAECOO J7 PHEV
Step inside the Jaecoo J7 PHEV and you’re immediately confronted by a gadget fest. The massive 15-inch central touchscreen dominates the dash. And while some might argue it’s excessive, there’s no denying its visual impact and quality. The graphics are genuinely impressive – crisp and bright, in a way that puts many premium brands to shame.
For the most part, interior materials feel appropriately premium at this price point. Mercifully, the seats offer good support and comfort – often a bugbear of up-and-coming Chinese cars. There’s clever space utilisation throughout and plenty of interior practicality. With the rear seats folded, the Jaecoo J7 PHEV swallows a large mountain bike and a decently sized surfboard without hassle. And the cabin feels airy thanks to the panoramic sunroof.
HYBRID HAULER
Beneath the head-turning exterior lies the Jaecoo J7 PHEV’s unique selling point – its hybrid powertrain. The system combines a 105-kW turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with a 150 kW/310 Nm electric motor. Combined, the output is a healthy 255 kW and 525 Nm. You get 90 km EV-only range from the 18.3-kWh battery pack. And in HEV mode you will see a combined theoretical range of 1 200 km.
The Chinese firm claims an average/combined fuel consumption of 4.7 l/100 km. Although, in practice, the hybrid does a clever job of quietly keeping the battery topped-up, so it’s hard to separate fuel use from energy consumption. Ours showed closer to 7.0 l/100 km over the test period. As such, powertrain transitions between modes are pretty seamless. Only occasionally does the Jaecoo J7 PHEV emit a low engine hum when it decides a battery recharge is necessary.
JAECOO J7 PHEV USER EXPERIENCE
However, it’s in the user experience (UX) where the Jaecoo J7 PHEV reveals a few shortcomings. Many of these, while individually minor, collectively diminish our impression of the vehicle. For example, many simple, otherwise-intuitive functions require multiple menu dives in the Jaecoo. Likewise, there’s a lack of linear logic to some of the menus. Then, as you’re trying to navigate through the screens, the AI assistant warns: “You’re distracted” and to “keep your eye on the road!” The nerve.
Plus, the abbreviations used in the displays will leave you scratching your head for days. Stuff like AEC, which we think stands for ‘Average Energy Consumption.’ And LPK for ‘Litres Per Kilometre,’ except the figure displayed was for real-time l/100 km. Also, we couldn’t find a way to adjust the wing mirrors and the voice recognition was beyond useless. The fish-eye interior rearview mirror in the car leaves blindspots unsighted.
THE VERDICT
Admittedly, In isolation, none of these are dealbreakers. But all together they tarnish the shine of an otherwise tempting product. As a family SUV, it is genuinely impressive in some areas, yet frustratingly inconsistent in others. Nevertheless, at just R689 900, the Jaecoo J7 PHEV SHS occupies a fascinating space in the South African market. It’s by no means perfect, but it does arrive in the Durban harbour offering impressive efficiency and striking design.
However, the collective weight of lots of small compromises leads us to believe greater attention to detail should’ve been taken on the J7 PHEV. Clearly, the automotive landscape is changing rapidly, and manufacturers like Jaecoo are moving fast to shift the goalposts. Perhaps a little too fast. Nevertheless, they’re making a splash and the traditional car industry is noticing.
JAECOO J7 PHEV: THE FIGURES
- Jaecoo J7 PHEV SHS
- Engine: 1 499 cc, four-cylinder turbo petrol + 18.3 kWh battery pack
- Power: 255 kW @ 5 000 rpm, 525 Nm @ 2 000 rpm
- Performance: 0-100 km/h in 8.5 seconds (estimated)
- Economy: 4.7 l/100 km (claimed)
- Price: R689 900
