REVIEW | Cancel your RAV-4 order... get the Jaecoo J7 instead
The Jaecoo J7 impresses with its sleek design.
Image: Supplied
Sophisticated, sleek, and surprisingly posh inside, Jaecoo's first model to arrive on South Africa's shores early in 2024, the J7 SUV, makes a strong case.
First, let's deal with the brand name. Jaecoo is a portmanteau of jaeger (German for 'hunter') and cool (you know, as in something desirable, not the opposite of 'warm'). This is the type of thing that happens when you allow nine-year-olds to name car brands.
Jokes aside, the J7 is a decent offering from the Chinese – its squared-off and angular design gives it baby Range Rover vibes, and priced between R519,900 and R689,900 (compared to the Evoque's pricing of R1.14m to over R1.7m) it still comes packed with features that far outweigh its British competitor.
But the J7 isn't targeted at the luxury mini-SUV space, rather it's aimed at rivals like its native counterpart, the Chery Tiggo 7, Toyota's RAV-4, and the rest of this cluttered segment (which features Mazdas and Hondas closer to a bar in pricing).
And yet, inside it still feels far more premium than its most natural rivals. Soft touch materials abound, a fairly uncluttered dash, and rugged-looking trims in the door cards, which also feature chunky grab handles, a massive touch screen, and plenty of storage space, make you wonder why you'd ever opt for some of the other vehicles in this segment.
It certainly feels more expensive than the RAV-4, which starts at a touch under R720k.
The Jaecoo J7 doesn't feel dynamic on the road but it's great for around town.
Image: Supplied
Performance-wise, it's powered by either a 1.6 turbopetrol that pushes out 145kW and 290Nm, or a 1.5 turbopetrol hybrid that pushes out 255kW and 525Nm. So, on paper at least, it'll leave its competition eating its dust. And in the AWD models, there's a fairly decent selection of terrain modes to pick from, although, with its road-biased tyres, I didn't want to risk putting it through its paces off-road.
On bumpy gravel roads, it handles pretty well, though.
But what is it like to drive? Well, transferring those 145-255kW to the wheels is a competent 7-speed dual-clutch transmission which shifts in as little as 0.2 seconds. It's slick and smooth, but it can feel a little nervous in sport mode under hard acceleration.
I wouldn't describe the driving experience as "dynamic". You'll get a far smoother transfer of power to the wheels from something like a Beijing X55, and you'll feel more connected to the road.
The steering isn't vague, per se, but it isn't exactly direct.
Mind you, this only becomes a problem for drivers who enjoy throwing themselves into twisty mountain passes. In town, and moving around tight parking lots, it's fine. The everyday driver is not really going to notice the disjunct or breakdowns in communication between the wheels and the steering wheel. I did, though.
The cabin is comfortable and spacious.
Image: Supplied
It's square mirrors also tend to generate a fair amount of wind noise, especially at highway speeds, and the cabin doesn't offer the best noise insulation. If you want a quieter cabin, opt for a CX-5 instead.
It has a comprehensive suite of Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) in the higher-specced models, so I'd opt to buy lower down in the range if you want to avoid its rather aggressive lane-keep assist. I suppose all modern cars come fitted with this, which is useful if you're a less-attentive driver, but it can become annoying and turning it off requires filtering through the menus on the massive portrait-oriented touchscreen.
And possibly the most irritating thing about the J7 is its indicator tone, which gets louder the faster you're going. There must be a way to turn that off, but I just never found it.
The cabin is a very comfortable and spacious place to be, and the boot is big enough to swallow luggage for a week-long road trip (although, with my wife and kids, toddler included, it's probably just big enough for luggage for just a cheeky weekend getaway).
The interior gives just enough off-road ruggedness to its looks, and the materials, while soft-touch, feel like they were built to last. Outside, it's really attractive too, with sleek lines, a floating roof, big wheels, and futuristic lights including daytime LEDs.
If you're not looking for a dynamic drive, you could do a lot worse than the Jaecoo J7. It ticks all the necessary boxes and has a more "masculine" look and feel than the Beijing X55 (which I prefer to drive, and costs slightly less, albeit with an inferior infotainment system).
You may have been in the market for a mid-sized SUV and baulked at the price of the Japanese options, specifically if you start opting for things like ADAS, leather seats and a sunroof. I'd opt instead for the Jaecoo J7 – it gives you Range Rover levels of luxury and features, at a fraction of the price, and the biggest panoramic sunroof in its class.
Jaecoo J7 Pricing (February 2026)
- 1.6T Vortex (2WD): R519,900
- 1.6T Glacier (2WD): R579,900
- 1.6T Inferno (AWD): R679,900
- 1.5T SHS PHEV (Hybrid): R689,900
IOL Motoring