Registrations of interest for this hot new Jaecoo J7 SUV will open from 10th April onwards.
While many Malaysians are already spending this week on plans to indulge themselves over the Hari Raya celebrations, Jaecoo however has instead been hard at work furthering the hype surrounding its J7 ahead of its imminent launch. And this all culminated with the recent announcement of its estimated price, which comes in at a rather attractive RM 150,000.
This maiden model of Jaecoo’s is set to land locally in two guises, with the aforementioned estimated RM 150,000 price tag tied to its two-wheel drive guise. The all-wheel drive trim meanwhile adds another RM 10,000 to the proceedings, with it currently predicted to cost around the RM 160,000 region.
For comparison now, the all-new Honda CR-V starts from RM 159,900 for the base 1.5L S 2WD trim, before going all the way to RM 181,900 for the top-tier AWD variant on the purely petrol side of things and RM 195,900 for the hybrid 2.0L e:HEV RS 2WD spec. Prices for the Mazda CX-5 in turn starts from RM 144,500 for the base 2.0-litre petrol, before stretching into the region of RM 180k for the 2.2-litre diesel and RM 190k for the flagship 2.5-litre turbo petrol four-banger.
Aside from the price tease too, Jaecoo has further revealed that prospective J7 buyers will have the option of four exterior hues with their SUV: Moonlight Silver, Carbon Crystal Black, Khaki White and Model Green. And likely the reason for this colour announcement is that this particular premiere model for the Chinese marque is soon to be available for registrations of interest, with said order books to be flung open from 10th April onwards.
Based on the volume of registrations, Jaecoo currently expects the delivery of its premiere orders to begin in the third quarter of this year. Public test drive sessions on the other hand for the J7 are slated to commence after Hari Raya in May.
In the meantime, those who want a quick peek at this J7 could do so at Jaecoo’s ongoing roadshow at 1 Utama Shopping Centre (Level LG, Highstreet) across this festive season, with there to be further promotional events taking place in Mid Valley KL from 25th to 28th April and Paradigm Mall JB from 15th to 19th May. Those who want to find out more about this particular SUV able to do so as well from the comfort of their own home, through the official Jaecoo Malaysia website.
“The public’s consistent interest in anticipation of the J7, following two successful roadshows, has been very encouraging that we are so excited to begin accepting registration of interest. We believe JAECOO Malaysia is bringing diversity to the SUV market, especially with the J7 being a strong challenger in the C-segment SUV market, which consumers in Malaysia appreciate. Furthermore, our strategy to deliver a high level of technology advancements, in a premium manner and at a competitive price point addresses the current need in the market,” said Jaecoo Malaysia President, Leo Chen.
The J7’s upright silhouette is to be bookended an imposing rectangular slatted front grille and pixelated LED rear light bar, while dual tone alloy wheels and a floating island roof complete the exterior picture. Highlights within this SUV includes a 14.8-inch portrait-oriented central infotainment screen and intricate vertical air vents on its dashboard, which adds a touch of upmarket class to befit its slightly elevated status within the Chery hierarchy.
Under the hood of either J7 variant lies a 1.6 TGDI turbocharged four-cylinder that packs 197 PS and 290 Nm, with said power being sent to its wheels through a 7-speed wet dual-clutch transmission. Jaecoo currently claims for this SUV to be capable the century sprint in a respectable 8 seconds, while returning a decent 7.48 l/100 km WLTP-rated consumption rating.
