Jaecoo didn’t just have the CKD locally-assembled J7 on show today – Chery’s premium off-roader brand also displayed a right-hand-drive prototype of the larger J8 at the new Chery Corporate Malaysia factory in Shah Alam. While the flagship SUV has been previewed here before, this is our first glimpse at a right-hooker.
Sold in China as the Chery Tiggo 9, the J8 is huge – measuring 4,820 mm long, 1,930 mm wide and 1,699 mm tall, it’s nearly 100 mm longer and 70 mm wider than the already sizeable Tiggo 8 Pro, while its 2,820 mm wheelbase is 110 mm longer. Its size puts it in the ballpark of the Kia Sorento, a car Jaecoo is gunning for with its circa-RM200,000 estimated pricing.
The car you see here is of a considerably higher spec than the one shown in January, being a six-seater model (the other car was a five-seater) with power-adjustable second-row captain’s chairs and a retractable ottoman for the front passenger. It is in a more sober colour scheme however – white exterior with a body-coloured roof and a black interior.
As before, don’t expect this particular unit to be representative of the finalised versions – this is a pre-production prototype after all, so the out-of-spec panel gaps and raw plastic finishes such as the glossy lower dashboard will almost certainly be eradicated by the time the J8 reaches customers’ hands.
Still, the car does look mighty impressive as is, what with its sleek Americana design (there are shades of Lincoln Aviator in the streamlined surfacing, front fender appliqués, blacked-out D-pillars and wraparound full-width taillights) and Mercedes-style interior.
It also looks like you’ll be getting a lot of kit, including full-LED lighting, massive 20-inch alloy wheels, flush pop-out door handles, twin 12.3-inch displays on a widescreen display panel, four-zone climate control, heated and ventilated seats for the first and second rows, a panoramic glass sunroof, cooled armrest storage, paddle shifters, a 360-degree camera system and a 14-speaker Sony sound system.
Power comes from the Tiggo 8 Pro’s 2.0 litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, here churning out 249 PS and 385 Nm (slightly less power and torque). It’s paired with a seven-speed wet dual-clutch transmission and a choice of either front- or all-wheel drive.
Last we checked, the J8 was due to go on sale in the fourth quarter of the year, but the delay in getting the J7 out the door (that car was supposed to debut in the second quarter, but is only set to be launched next month) may have had a knock-on effect on this car’s launch timeline. A plug-in hybrid model is also on the cards with a ridiculous 605 hp and 915 Nm, along with up to 175 km of NEDC-rated electric range.
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Very nice car, better than CRV / CX8
all at the sempit and bouncy type of 3rd rows car.
but malaysia cr-v low spec no 3 rows version like oversea
Nice. Large size SUV just like Toyota Sequoia
Nice
Cool
dead on arrival, 200k for this
D segment SUV, if you don’t have budget, go Ativa
tankiu, ativa at least the wheels wont cabut halfway
If you think one car axle patah, all cars from this brand will patah… Roti Canai punya mindset
all cars from this brand . you just confirmed this yourself.
200k china car =not ok
500k vellfire/alphard =ok
or you prefer to pay 600k for audi q7?
Can’t wait to get this J8
DCEO PROTON should look and learn at this Chery/Jaecoo
just remove jaecoo logo at the back and paste the audi ring logo. automatically it becomes an audi q8.
Thumbs uo
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