Jaecoo J7 To Launch In Malaysia In Mid 2024
The Jaecoo J7 is expected to be launched in Malaysia within the middle of 2024. Jaecoo is a sub-brand of Chery and is positioned as a premium brand with SUV models that have off-roading capabilities.
At a recent preview, Jaecoo Malaysia showed off 2 variants of the Jaecoo J7 i.e. an all-wheel-drive, and a 2-wheel-drive. There are hardly any differences between the preview units so they should be about the same spec-wise, except for the all-wheel-drive bits. However, it is unclear if Jaecoo will be launching both variants, but it will be locally assembled. The Jaecoo J7 has a 2,672 mm wheelbase with a body measuring 4,500 mm long, 1,865 mm wide, and 1,680 mm tall, placing it in the C-segment. Further, the 5-seater SUV has a ground clearance of 200 mm and a water wading capability of 600 mm, which should suit Malaysian roads. Boot space is listed at 412 litres.
Powering the Jaecoo J7 is a 1.6L 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that is paired with a Getrag 7-speed dual wet clutch transmission, and provides 194 hp and 290 Nm of torque. The official 0 – 100 km/h sprint time is listed as 8 seconds. The AWD variant has an intelligent 4WD system with 7 Terrain modes and a sprightly 0.1 second intervention. Furthermore, the rear axle is rated for up to 3,000 Nm.
Besides the Terrain mode, the Jaecoo J7 is expected to include ADAS 2.5 (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) which has 21 intelligent driving functions including Automatic Emergency Braking, Front Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Departure Prevention, Emergency Lane Keeping, Intelligent Evasion System, Curve Speed Assistance, Departure Ahead Inform, Rear Collision Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Rear Cross Traffic Braking, Blind Spot Detection, Lane Changing Assistance, Door Opening Warning, Adaptive Cruise Control, Intelligent Headlamp Control, Traffic Jam Assist, 540-degree panoramic camera, and Parking Assistance.
The interior appointments include a very prominent 14.8″ infotainment touchscreen with Qualcomm 8155 chip and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, Sony sound system, 10.25″ multi-info display, head-up display, climatised (ventilated) and powered front seats, dual-zone climate control, rear air vents, centre storage with chiller, ‘boss’ seat controls, 50 Watt wireless phone charger, panoramic sunroof and powered tailgate.
Additionally, it is fitted with laminated acoustic windshield and integrated carpet damping pads to reduce NVH (Noise, Vibration, and Harshness) for added cabin comfort. Cabin noise is claimed to be as low as 37.6 dB.
On the exterior, the Jaecoo gets design inspiration from one of Chery’s JV partners in China i.e. Jaguar Land Rover. It wears a sporty and boxy look that shows off a minimalist yet modern and premium appearance. The Jaecoo J7’s fascia is dominated by a waterfall grille, flanked by daytime running lights at the top and split ‘Natural Daylight’ LED headlights further down the front bumper. The LED tail lights, meanwhile, are joined by a light strip across the tailgate. While the wheels are 19″ Aurora-inspired alloys.
As for pricing, it will be announced at launch and it is expected to be in the RM160,000 range.
For reference, when Chery Malaysian launched the Tiggo 8 Pro (RM159,800) and Omoda 5 (RM108,800 – RM118,800), they were offered with a transferable vehicle warranty of 7 years (or 150,000 km, whichever comes first) and 5 years of free service (free labour). The early birds (first 3,000 customers) also received an engine warranty of 10 years (or 1 million km).
