► Jaecoo’s new flagship SUV hits the UK market
► It’s called the 8 – and it has seven seats and 422bhp
► Plus, Jaecoo reckons it can tackle some off-roading
Jaecoo is forging ahead with its assault on the UK market. Meet the Jaecoo 8. It’s a seven-seat, plug-in hybrid powered SUV that now occupies the top spot in the company’s line-up. It’s targeting the same buyers as the Hyundai Santa Fe, Peugeot 5008 and Skoda Kodiaq.
Like all Jaecoos, the 8 competes aggressively on value. It has a starting price of £45,500, which is £700 less than the cheapest 5008 PHEV and a whopping £7,695 less than the most basic Santa Fe PHEV. The 8 is also only £700 more than the Kodiaq PHEV which, crucially, isn’t available with seven seats.
You get a lot more equipment for your money by opting for the Jaecoo, too. In addition to the usual arsenal of driver assistance technology, cabin kit includes massaging front seats, two 12.3-inch screens, cooled wireless phone chargers and a 14-speaker Sony stereo.
There’s also an ‘Executive’ version of the Jaecoo 8, costing £47,500. It doesn’t add any extra equipment, save for some black Nappa leather upholstery, but it does swap the standard car’s seven-seat layout for a more luxurious six-seat setup. You get two captain’s chairs in place of a three-seat bench in the second row.
Orders are open now with first deliveries expected to arrive in May 2026 – and every car will be delivered with a seven-year/100,000 warranty.
The Jaecoo 8 is fitted with Chery’s rather augustly named ‘Super Hybrid System.’ It teams a 1.5-litre petrol engine with a 34.4kWh battery pack and a three electric motors. There’s one on each axle and an additional one mounted in the gearbox to handle the regenerative braking. Combined, the system has a total output of 422bhp and 428lb ft of torque.
Jaecoo says this powertrain gives the 8 a 0–62mph time of 5.8 seconds and a maximum driving range of more than 700 miles, 83 of which can be covered on battery power alone. It also supports 40kW DC charging speeds of up to 40kW, meaning you can top the battery up from 30 to 80% in around 20 minutes. In theory, that means you should be able to make the most of the EV range on a long journey, as you can charge it while you have a coffee break.
It seems Jaecoo is still trying appeal to Land Rover’s customer base, too, as the 8 features lockable differentials, adaptive suspension and a somewhat familiarly named ‘adaptive terrain response’ system that it says can provide ‘enhanced capability across a wide range of driving conditions.’ One of those conditions is wading – and Jaecoo claims the 8 can ford 600mm of water, which is the same as a Land Rover Discovery Sport.
On paper at least, the Jaecoo 8’s spec looks more competitive than ever alongside JLR’s offerings. Whether it can stand up to the same level of abuse in the real world remains to be seen, though. We’ll let you know once we’ve driven it.
Luke is the Deputy Editor of our sister site Parkers, but he spends plenty of time writing news, reviews and features for CAR. He's been a motoring journalist since 2018, learning his craft on the Auto Express news desk before joining the Parkers/CAR team in 2022. When he isn't yoked to his laptop, he's tearing his hair out over his classic Mini restoration project or pinballing around the country attending heavy metal gigs.
By Luke Wilkinson
Deputy Editor of Parkers. Unhealthy obsession with classic Minis and old Alfas. Impenetrable Cumbrian accent