Range Rover Comfort For £45,500: Inside The Jaecoo 8

The Jaecoo 8 is a massive SUV designed for families who need value-for-money and lots of standard kit. Jeremy Taylor and Jessica Talbot-Ponsonby drive a new plug-in hybrid that’s set to take the UK by storm.

Car Review: Jaecoo 8

Jeremy: Chinese cars? Most have a long way to go to reach the standards expected by British motorists. While equipment levels are high and prices are low, nearly all are woefully dull to drive.

Originally designed for an undemanding Chinese market, cars from the Imperial state try to hide their inadequacies behind lashings of leather-wrapped trim and a dashboard laden with technology.

It doesn’t take long for our busy, pot-holed roads to reveal these tech-obsessed Chinese cars aren’t much fun to own. Despite an infotainment screen the size of a microwave door, they are simply allergic to Britain.

Until now, that is. Because the newly-launched Jaecoo 8 is an impressive, value-packed SUV that disrupts the large family car segment by offering premium luxury at a fraction of the cost. It drives pretty good, too.

Starting at £45,500, the 8 targets the excellent Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento and comes out on top. It also matches the tech and features of a much more expensive Volvo or Audi yet costs considerably less to buy.

The Jaecoo, it seems, has been designed to put a smile on your face. The standout feature is the Super Hybrid System – or SHS-P. Packing 428hp, the 8 is astonishingly fast for a 2.2-ton vehicle, showing a clean pair of heels to most mainstream rivals.

It allows the Jaecoo to operate predominantly on electric power around town, providing a near-silent and smooth commute. Head for the motorway and the classy-looking 8 offers Range Rover levels of ride comfort, thanks to electronic adaptive suspension.

City commuters with a home charger can also expect an astonishing range. A huge 34.5kWh battery delivers an official 83 miles between charges, dropping company car Benefit-in-Kind tax to a lowly seven percent – a massive win for business users.

Oddly for a plush family cruiser, it even has proper off-road ability. The Jaecoo boasts locking differentials to haul itself out of the mud and a 600mm wading depth – matching a Land Rover Discovery Sport.

Step inside and the Jaecoo 8 mimics premium Mercedes’ aesthetic cues, featuring a curvy, upmarket layout covered in soft Nappa leather. The front cabin boasts heated, ventilated and heavily customisable massaging seats.

The typically tech-heavy cabin boasts dual 12.3-inch touchscreens, with standard wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and a crisp Sony audio. Unfortunately, almost all the climate and vehicle settings are buried in the laggy infotainment menus – tricky on a bumpy British B-road.

The Jaecoo 8 punches well above its relatively modest price tag. Yes, it still wallows a little on a sweeping corner but you may be tempted to overlook that fact for all the other benefits that come with this exceptional new model.

Jessica: A great five-seater, the Jaecoo packs a massive boot. Things only come unstuck when you try to use that luggage area to unfold a third row of seats. Access is tight – anyone over 5 ft tall will struggle with headroom. The tilt-and-slide entry mechanism is also only on the driver’s side and there are no ISOFIX points for a child safety seat in the very back, either.

Even so, the latest Jaecoo is incredibly strong on value. If you want a plush, incredibly tax-efficient, fast and feature-loaded large SUV – to use primarily as a five-seater – it is a brilliant alternative to the established norm. However, if you genuinely need a usable, daily seven-seater, the Hyundai Santa Fe is the more practical family workhorse.

Discover more about the Jaecoo 8 at jaecoo.co.uk

Jessica Talbot-Ponsonby is Director of Programmes at London College of Fashion, studying for a PhD in sustainable e-textile design.