Jaecoo is also offering a 10-year/1,000,000-km engine warranty for bookings made before 21st July.
Despite its aggressive pre-launch campaign making it seem like it has been around for a while already, the Jaecoo J7 has nevertheless actually only recently landed locally. And just to cut right to the chase here with its launch report, the big thing that everyone wants to know is for this rather nice-looking locally-assembled SUV to land locally costing from RM 138,800.
More specifically here, the RM 138,800 corresponds to the front-wheel drive variant of this J7. The 4WD trim on the other hand lands over here with a price tag of RM 148,800, with the only tangible difference aside from its all-paw drivetrain being for it to net a larger 14.8-inch central portrait screen (relative to the 13.2-inch unit in the 2WD)
Interestingly though, the first 300 customers who put their name down for a 2WD version of the J7 locally will be entitled to a free screen size upgrade to the larger item found in its four-wheel drive counterpart. As part of its early bird promotion too, all of those who have booked one of these Jaecoo SUVs will enjoy a 10-year/1,000,000-km engine warranty.
All J7s will be arriving with a 7-year/150,000 km vehicle warranty. In its aim to offer added peace of mind for its owners as well, the Chinese automaker also since announced a total of six panel insurers for its Jaecoo Prime Protection Programme (J-PPP).
In discussing more regarding the car itself here, both variants of the Jaecoo J7 arrives in Malaysia powered by the same 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder (as to be found in the Chery Tiggo 7). This boosted four-banger is said to produce 194 hp and 290 Nm of torque, with it mated in both trims to a Getrag seven-speed wet dual-clutch.
Jaecoo currently quotes for the 2WD variant to complete the century sprint time in 9.2 seconds, while the all wheel drive trim does it in a shade under 10 seconds (9.9 seconds). The all-paw version also manages a marginally worse official fuel consumption figure at 7.7l/100 km against the 7.0l/100 km quoted for the front-wheel drive, though both trims have a V-Max of 180 km/h.
As for its much touted off-roading prowess, the J7 boasts of ground clearance of 200 mm and a wading depth of 600 mm. The approach and departure angles on this SUV meanwhile are 21º and 29º, respectively.
The J7 AWD further brings seven selectable driving modes with its All-Road Drive Intelligent System (ARDIS): Eco, Normal, Sports, Sand, Mud, Snow and Off-Road. Its 2WD counterpart in turn only offers the first three road-biased modes in the aforementioned list.
Now in terms of exterior dimensions, it is perhaps worth highlighting that the Jaecoo J7 shares much the same platform as the recently locally-launched Chery Tiggo 7 Pro. It should therefore be noted that its macho looks do see for it to be somewhat larger than life, with it in actually being more to be a Honda HR-V and Toyota Corolla Cross-sized car (as its price would suggest) than a CR-V competitor.
A key but nerdy difference however to both the HR-V and Corolla-Cross is that the Jaecoo comes with a multi-link rear suspension, instead of the simpler (and less refined) torsion beam setup on the other two aforementioned Japanese mid-sized SUVs. As to be expected from a Chinese car too, the J7 does positively blow the Honda and Toyota out of the water when it comes to standard kit available.
Among the highlights in the creature comfort department includes driver and front passenger electric seats with memory package plus heating and ventilation, dual-zone climate control with N95 air filtration system, remote start with cabin climate pre-conditioning, a 50 W air-cooled wireless charger, 64-colour ambient lighting, and a panoramic sunroof. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration comes as standard as well, as is a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, a heads-up display and an 8-speaker Sony sound system.
Both variants of the J7 are also equipped with 540º surround view camera, adaptive cruise control, hill assist and hill descent control. This is in addition to the usual long list of active and passive safety features one comes to expect from a Chinese car.
Where the Jaecoo really starts to justify the RM 15k+ premium over its Chery counterpart too is just in the way it looks, with the front of this SUV grabbing one’s attention from its distinctive grille and checkered-flag LED headlights. Down the side of this J7 meanwhile are a set of 19-inch aluminium alloy wheels that hide behind it red brake calipers with ventilated discs, with flush door handles adding that little extra touch of sleekness.
A total of four exterior colours are currently available with the Jaecoo J7 locally. These are Model Green, Khaki White, Carbon Crystal Black, and Moonlight Silver.
“Jaecoo is well positioned as a challenger SUV brand that meets the market’s appetite for attainable luxury. We have invested significantly into building an extensive network of premium dealerships supported by an independent assembly plant and parts warehouse. To top this, we have chosen to position our maiden premium off road SUV at an attainable price well under RM150,000. We’re very excited for our customers to start enjoying the complete JAECOO ownership experience today,” said Jaecoo Malaysia Vice President, Emily Lek.
“Malaysia now has a challenger premium off-road SUV brand. Backed by independent innovation, advanced technology, and commitment to quality, Jaecoo embodies a refined urban appeal, evident with our brand philosophy of “From Classic, Beyond Classic”. In our aspiration for long-term growth, we have embarked on a journey of building a strong foundation for Jaecoo in Malaysia over the past seven months. Jaecoo is more than ready to excite the market!” said Chery Corp Malaysia, Executive Vice President, Leo Chen.
