JAECOO kicks off the year by announcing it will officially enter the local market in H2.
Based on the German word Jäger (meaning Hunter) and the English word Cool, Jaecoo first became public when it was announced at the 2023 Shanghai International Auto Show as part of Chery's premium off-road brand.
The China automotive brand will make its local debut alongside its luxury urban off-road capable J7 sport utility vehicle (SUV).
If the model's design rings familiar, that is because it takes inspiration from Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) who is one of Chery's joint venture partners in China.
Two variants of the model were recently showcased with both of them sporting a large columnar grille thats paired with LED daytime running lights, dual-level LED headlamps, 19-inch "Aurora-inspired" alloy wheels and a powered tailgate.
Cabin comes equipped with a high-performance 8155 chip, a head-up display, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, a 14.8-inch panoramic infotainment system touchscreen, dual-zone climate control with rear vents, 50W wireless fast charging, Sony sound system, leather seat upholstery with climatised front seats, 64-colour ambient lighting, 50 W air-cooled wireless charger and a panoramic sunroof.
It takes exceptional pride in its cabin NVH (Noise, Vibration, and Harshness) with noise as low as 37.6 dB through technologies like laminated acoustic windshields and integrated carpet damping pads.
Another highlight is that it features a "1+2+1" intelligent hardware system: one multifunctional front-view camera (FCM), two millimeter-wave radars (CRM), and one long-range millimeter-wave radar (FRM).
The integration of advanced intelligent driving hardware and software enhances nearly 21 smart driving functions.
More standard advance driving and safety features includes: automatic emergency braking (AEB), front collision warning, lane departure warning, lane departure prevention, emergency lane keeping, intelligent evasion system, curve speed assistance, lead car departure notification, an around-view monitor, door opening warning and park assist, rear collision warning, rear cross traffic alert, rear cross traffic braking, blind spot monitoring, lane change assist, auto high beam and adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist.
Drivetrain is where the two variant differ with one having an all-wheel drive (AWD) system with seven selectable terrain modes while the other is front-wheel drive (FWD) only.
Still, both house a 1.6 litre turbocharged inline-four petrol engine that's paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission to deliver 197 PS and 290 Nm of torque. It has a century sprint of eight seconds.
For measurements the J7 is 4,500 mm long, 1,865 mm wide, 1,680 mm tall and has a wheelbase of 2,672 mm. It has a 200 mm ground clearance, a wading depth of 600 mm, a maximum towing capacity of 1,300 kg, a roof load capacity of 75 kg, and a boot space of 412 litres.
Official pricing has yet to be revealed though it is estimated that the locally assembled (CKD) model will be around the RM160,000 range at its base.
J8
Attendees at the showcase also got to preview the upcoming J8 luxury SUV which is planned for a Q4 launch.
Making its global debut at the Geneva International Motor Show in Doha, Qatar last October, the model is larger and more powerful than the J7.
The model is a 4,820 mm long, 1,930 mm wide, 1,699 mm tall and has a wheelbase of 2,820 mm.
Its powertrain setup includes a 2.0 litre turbocharged inline-four petrol engine that's paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission to deliver 249 PS and 385 Nm. The model will also come available in front-wheel and all-wheel drive options.
Physical highlights of the model includes 20-inch alloy wheels and LED headlamps, while the cabin features a head-up display, dual 12.3-inch displays both digital instrument cluster and infotainment, dual-zone climate system with rear vents and controls, leather upholstery, powered front seats, a 14-speaker Sony sound system, an air-cooled wireless charging pad, a large panoramic glass roof and ambient lighting.
The SUV will be available in five, six or seven seat configuration with powered tailgate as standard.
A key highlight of the model is a cutting-edge CDC magnetic suspension system with millisecond-level adjustment responsiveness.
This system can adaptively adjust electronic damping while effectively adjusting the vehicle's posture in real time according to surrounding road conditions.
The model adheres to the highest global 5-Star safety standards, with its body structure also incorporating an innovative caged energy-absorbing design.
It has a high-strength steel usage rate of 85 per cent and is equipped with a 360-degree surrounding 10-airbag system. Unique in its class is a "far-end safety airbag" between the driver and passenger seats.
Like the J7 no official price has been given for the model.
