The Jaecoo J8 will soon be landing locally in two variants, with prices estimated to start from RM 195,000.
Jaecoo certainly seems to be rather busy in Malaysia lately. Such is as coming not long after the local launch of its J7 PHEV just 4 weeks prior, the Chinese automaker has since already announced its imminent local arrival, which is set to take the form of the J8 SUV.
And going by the popularity of the J7 over here, there will be many out there who likely have had their interests piqued by its larger sibling. So to help out on that front, here are some answers Automacha can provide now to all the big questions about this upcoming J8.
1. Wait, Haven’t I Seen This Before?
Yes, actually. Many might have first heard of it when the Malaysian automotive media initially got to see the Jaecoo J8 locally last year (alongside the first local glimpse of the J7). The link to a story regarding that initial preview is available here.
The general public incidentally also previously had the opportunity to see the J8 in the metal too, as it was on display at the Jaecoo pavilion during the Malaysian Autoshow in May last year.
Those who missed that chance though could nevertheless see this large SUV in person at JAECOO J8 Preview Roadshow from 27 March to 31 March taking place at 1Utama Shopping Centre (GF Luxe). Subsequently, the J8 Preview Roadshow will make its way to Queensbay Mall in Penang from 9 April to 13 April, and thereafter the Malaysian Autoshow from 8 May to 15 May.
2. How Does The J8 Fit In The Current Jaecoo Lineup?
The J8 will be the third distinct model to be launched by Jaecoo locally after the J7 (petrol & PHEV) and Omoda C9.
Now despite the 9 in the C9’s name, the J8 is technically the largest of the three vehicles in Jaecoo’s current local lineup. This upcoming SUV is after all the only model in its range to sport a third row of seats.
- Jaecoo J7: C-segment mid-sized 5-seat SUV
- Omoda C9 by Jaecoo: D-segment large 5-seat SUV
- Jaecoo J8: D-segment large 5-seat SUV (2WD) / 6-seat SUV (4WD)
3. How Big Is The Jaecoo J8 Actually?
The Jaecoo J8 measures in at 1.71 meters tall, 1.93 meters wide and has a bumper-to-bumper length of 4.82 meters, with a wheelbase of 2.82 meters.
And if those numbers don’t mean anything to you, just know here that it is about the same size (be it ever so slightly shorter) as a Proton X90, which is incidentally another 3-row SUV that originates from China.
4. What Variants Are To Be Made Available With The Jaecoo J8 Locally?
Jaecoo Malaysia is currently set to offer two variants of the J8 locally: 2WD and AWD.
5. How Much Will Each Variant Cost?
Jaecoo Malaysia currently has teased for the 2WD J8 to be priced around the ballpark of RM 195,000, while the higher-end AWD is to arrive at around the RM 220,000 mark.
Do remember though that with this being Jaecoo, expect the official eventual selling prices of the J8 to be a good chunk lower than what has been teased above. The J7 and J7 PHEV after all both previously launched with price tags that were around 20% lower than their initial official estimates, so it will not be too surprising to learn that the J8 could eventually arrive with prices in the region of RM 180,000 – RM 200,000 range.
6. What Are The Differences Between The 2WD & AWD Variants?
As should already be inferred from their trim name, the major difference between the 2WD and AWD is for one to only see power be sent to only its front wheels, while the other sees power sent to all four wheels.
That said though, it is worth highlighting here that the other big difference between the two trims is for the 2WD to only feature two rows of seats, while the AWD nets an extra third row with two extra chairs. The 2WD J8 seats 5, while the AWD trim seats 6 in a 2-2-2 configuration.
In terms of their kit lists, a pair of 12.3-inch displays (fully digital instrument cluster and central touchscreen) come standard in both variants. Both also net a 540º surround view camera, LED exterior lights all round and twin exhaust pipes.
The 2WD J8 comes with a 12-speaker Sony sound system, six airbags, ambient lighting and faux leather upholstery. The higher-end AWD meanwhile brings with it power doors, an automatic fragrance system, ups the speaker count by 2 with a set of headrest speakers and adds four more airbags to the mix.
The range-topper further comes with NFC-based keyless entry, real leather upholstery, suede-covered trim panels, driver’s seat ventilation, a built-in digital video recorder, automatic parking function, powered front and second-row seats with massage function, 20-inch alloy wheels and Level 2.5 ADAS suite.
Also, the AWD is the only trim that features Jaecoo’s Continuous Damping Control (CDC) adaptive suspension. The 2WD retains passive steel springs all round.
7. What Lies Under The Hood Of The Jaecoo J8?
Both variants of the Jaecoo J8 come featuring a 2.0-litre turbocharged four cylinder that outputs 249 PS and 385 Nm of torque under its hood, to which is bolted an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Jaecoo has yet to disclose the performance figures of the 2WD variant, but the AWD J8 will complete the century sprint in 9.0 seconds and hit a top speed of 200 km/h. The Chinese automaker has further touted that this large all-paw SUV could manage 8.1l/100 km following the WLTP standard, which should yield a total range of just over 800 km when its 65 litre tank is fully drained from the brim.
8. What Exterior Colours Will Be Available With The Jaecoo J8?
The 2WD variant of the J8 will be available in single-tone colour options, comprising Carbon Crystal Black, Khaki White, and Olive Grey. The AWD variant on the other hand gets three dual-tone schemes with the base colour options being the same as 2WD, but now with a black roof.
Both the 2WD and AWD J8s will be available with a light brown interior.
9. When Will The J8 Be Officially Launched In Malaysia?
Jaecoo Malaysia has yet to officially provide a date for the official local launch of the J8 yet, but it is all but expected to arrive over here sometime early in the third quarter of this year.
The Chinese automaker is incidentally also accepting registrations of interest for this large SUV already, so those who really want the first few units off the presumably local assembly line could already put their name on what will likely be a fast-growing list.
