The new all-wheel drive Jaecoo J7 still appears to impress when the going gets rough.
While most Malaysians who buy SUVs will never ever take them off-road, it is perhaps still at least reassuring to know that their high-riding vehicles can still cope with the odd pothole or mildly water-logged road. And it is likely for this exact reason therefore that Jaecoo has recently sent its SUV J7 to the Malaysia 4WD Training and Experience Centre (M4TREC) — to prove/document its upcoming arrival’s prowess when the going gets tough.
Now according to Jaecoo, M4TREC’s expert trainers had set up a variety of challenging obstacles during testing. These included roller ramps, articulation tests, ridge crossings, steep slope descents and more.
Confronted with these tests, the automaker asserts for its new SUV to have exhibited the peer-leading ability to get out of tough road conditions and effortlessly conquering diverse obstacles. “The J7’s remarkable off-road capabilities have left us astounded, exemplified by its seamless navigation through the rugged and demanding terrains at M4TREC,” reiterated an M4TREC certified instructor.
Jaecoo attributes this stellar off-road performance to the J7’s the advanced All Road Drive Intelligent System (ARDIS), allowing for 0.1 second 4WD instant intervention. The Chinese automaker has further touted that courtesy of the its ‘international superb chassis tuning’, this SUV can also deliver exceptional results in the moose avoidance swerve test at a rather impressively high speed of 80 km/h.
Moreover, the automaker further wishes to highlight that the application of the Integrated Power Brake (IPB) system brings forth eight key advantages, which includes ‘high integration, faster braking, no performance decay, and automatic intervention’. All these advancements in turn significantly elevate the safety measures and driving comfort of the J7, enabling it to easily navigate through various road conditions and unexpected situations.
Touted as its first premium urban off-road SUV offering, the J7 is to be equipped locally with a 1.6 TGDI turbocharged four-cylinder that packs 197 PS and 290 Nm. Sending power to all of its wheels meanwhile is a 7-speed wet dual-clutch transmission, which apparently allows the SUV a century sprint time of 8 seconds and a 7.48 l/100 km WLTP-rated consumption rating.
Guided by the brand philosophy of “From Classic, Beyond Classic,” Jaecoo proclaims for the J7 to aim in becoming an urban off-road SUV that highlights “more than cars.” And apparently through these demanding off-road test, it intends for its new SUV to fully demonstrate its stability and reliability on complex terrains, which supposedly in turn will ‘align perfectly with the mobility needs of the urban new elites who pursue a high quality of life and possess unique tastes’.
What will likely be a bigger selling point for this new Chinese SUV though is its rather handsome exterior aesthetic, with its sleek upright silhouette being bookended an imposing rectangular slatted front grill and pixelated LED rear light bar. Highlights within its interior on the other hand includes a 14.7-inch portrait-oriented central infotainment screen and intricate vertical air vents on its dashboard, which looks to adds a touch of upmarket class to befit Jaecoo’s slightly elevated status within the Chery hierarchy.
Jaecoo has yet to announce an official local launch date of its J7 yet, but this SUV is expected to arrive in locally-assembled form by the middle of this year. It is then to be joined by its larger and plusher J8 sibling by the end of 2024, with it to apparently be complimented by the 20 dealerships that should be already open nationwide by then.
