Jaecoo 8 review – what’s it like living with a ‘wannabe Range Rover’

Of all the new Chinese brands in the UK, Jaecoo is perhaps the most famous – and most popular. The Jaecoo 7 may have the nickname of the ‘Temu Range Rover’ because of its likeness to certain more expensive and highly desirable British 4x4s, and that goes a long way to explain why it’s currently the second best-selling car in the UK this year.

Jaecoo is not a one-trick pony, though. The smaller, cheaper Jaecoo 5 is also proving popular, while a new range-topping Jaecoo 8 model has also arrived.

Predictably, the Jaecoo 8 comes with every bell and every whistle that you could possibly imagine – and then some. And it’s that car we decided to put to the ultimate test of real life, with The Independent editor, Geordie Greig.

This isn’t Geordie’s first experience running a Chinese car – he previously ran a BYD Sealion 7. However, unlike the BYD, the Jaecoo 8 is a plug-in hybrid, mixing its 1.5-litre petrol engine with a 34kWh battery that gives the car an electric only range of 83 miles, with more than 700 miles possible with the two combined.

It’s price of £45,500 is a long way from a Range Rover, but what about it’s talents. We’ve got six months with the big Jaecoo to find out.

Jaecoo 8 Executive (6 seat)

• Base price: £47.500
• Options: Amazonite Blue metallic paint (£850)
• Total price: £48,350
• Engine/Battery size: 1.5-litre/34kWh
• Maximum claimed range: 83 miles electric/700 miles + overall
• Maximum charging rate: 70kW, 30 to 80 per cent in around 20 minutes

Jaecoo 8 – first report

Is it a Range Rover?

Well, of course not. But in your mind’s eye park a Jaecoo next to one and you can see why the question arises.

The Jaecoo 7 is a big, imposing SUV with the sort of upright stance that makes it look as though it has been designed to take command of the road rather than merely join the traffic. It has presence. Lots of it. Yet, curiously, it is remarkably quiet. From the outside it looks like the sort of car that might announce its arrival with a deep growl; from behind the wheel, it is more of a discreet purr.

And then there is the name. Jaecoo causes almost as much amusement as the car causes curiosity. People see it written down and immediately want to know how on earth you pronounce it. Is it “Jay-coo”? “Jay-cow”? Something wonderfully exotic?

It is actually JAY-koo — and there is a story behind it. Jaecoo says the name is a fusion of the German Jäger, meaning hunter, and the English word “cool”. So, in marketing-speak, it is essentially the cool hunter. It is a bold modern name for a car that looks decidedly traditional in its SUV proportions.

I discovered this particularly well at Castle Cary station, where my Jaecoo was parked beside The Creamery – surely one of the most upmarket railway cafés in Britain. This is not a place for a greasy spoon and a mug of tea. Think homemade mozzarella, excellent croissants and the sort of menu that makes you wonder whether you have accidentally arrived at a rather smart restaurant that happens to have trains nearby.

The Jaecoo fitted in surprisingly well.

There is something slightly amusing about driving such a substantial-looking vehicle around Somerset lanes. It feels like a very strict steward of the road. In fact, it has a rather impressive collection of electronic guardians looking after you. One of them seems particularly determined that I should not even contemplate driving until I have buckled up: the car will not let me properly set off until the seat belt is fastened. Quite the driving dictator.

Then there are the useful little lights and displays projected into your field of vision via the head-up display, showing your speed and the maximum permitted speed. On unfamiliar Somerset roads, where the speed limit can change with astonishing enthusiasm, this is genuinely useful.

Inside, the seats deserve a mention of their own. They are not quite racing-car bucket seats, but they certainly have the bucket-seat attitude: deeply sculpted sides, substantial bolsters and a one-piece backrest flowing into an integrated headrest. They look rather like the seats you might expect in a much more expensive Range Rover or Mercedes.

It is part of the Jaecoo’s visual trick. Everything about the driving position says premium SUV. You sit high, the dashboard is substantial and the seats seem to hold you rather than simply accommodate you. The effect is sporty without becoming uncomfortable. Reviewers have also noted the well-shaped, supportive seats and the distinctive integrated-headrest design. But the really interesting bit for me is the hybrid system.

The Jaecoo 7 Super Hybrid combines a petrol engine with electric drive and a rechargeable battery. Depending on conditions and version, the electric-only range can approach 100 miles – enough to make a substantial difference to everyday driving. Around Somerset, that means many journeys can be done in near-silent electric mode, with the instant response you get from an electric motor.

And then comes the reassurance of petrol. For me, this is the great appeal of a plug-in hybrid. I can enjoy electric driving for local trips without having to organise my entire life around charging. If I suddenly decide that tomorrow involves a long run across the country, I have a petrol engine waiting in reserve.

Technically, the Jaecoo is not a Land Rover at all. It is a Chinese brand belonging to Chery Group, launched internationally in 2023. But it is clearly aimed at people who like the visual language of premium SUVs — and British motoring writers have certainly noticed the Range Rover resemblance.

And perhaps that is the Jaecoo’s cleverest trick. It looks expensive. It feels substantial. It has those slightly ridiculous-but-useful electronic guardians, the enveloping seats and the commanding view of the road. Yet it doesn’t shout.

It simply purrs along. This, having spent the day driving around Somerset and stopping for homemade mozzarella and excellent croissants at Castle Cary, seems rather appropriate.

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