Wait no more: Jaecoo officially puts price on eagerly awaited J7

Although shown for the first time on South African soil last month as part of a pre-launch preview, Chery-owned Jaecoo has finally announced price and specification details of the all-new J7.

Dimensions

The first of three models the brand will debut this year, the others being the flagship six-seat only J8 and plug-in hybrid J7, the “standard” J7 will be offered in three trim levels; Vortex, Glacier and Inferno, all powered by a single powertrain with the option of front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive.

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Joining sister brand Omoda in being the debutant model of the O&J division that will operate independently from Chery from its own dealership network of at least 40 by year-end, the J7, which debut at the Shanghai Auto Show last year, measures 4 500 mm long, 1 865 mm wide and 1 680 mm tall with a claimed ground clearance of 200 mm.

Its wheelbase stretching 2 650 mm, the unibody SUV has a wading depth of 600 mm, a departure angle of 29-degrees and approach of 21-degrees, with the claimed boot space, according to reports from China, rated at 412-litres with the rear seats in place.

Petrol now, hybrid later

As is known by now, the J7 will differ slightly from its sibling sold in People’s Republic up front as Chery has opted to equip it with the more powerful version of the 1.6 T-GDI engine that powers the rebadged Chery Tansuo 06.

This means outputs of 145kW/290Nm – the same as in the Tiggo 7 Pro Max and Tiggo 8 Pro – instead of 137kW/275Nm, channelled to the front wheels or all four through an in-house developed seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

The plug-in hybrid J7 meanwhile, which made its debut at Chery’s New Journey, New Life International User Summit in Wuhu last year, will combine the smaller 1.5 T-GDI with a 19.27-kWh lithium-ion battery pack for a total system output varying from 180kW/510Nm to 240kW/545Nm.

The claimed all-electric range is 110 km, though as mentioned, exact details will only be disclosed later.

J8 hint

For its part, the J8 will be motivated by the 2.0 T-GDI engine powering the Omoda C9, which has been upgraded from 187kW/390Nm in the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max, to 192kW/400Nm.

The only transmission is an eight-speed torque converter automatic gearbox selected specifically for South Africa over the seven-speed dual-clutch fitted in China.

Loaded spec sheet

A preview of its specification sheet provided at the mentioned pre-launch, in addition to having been teased at the beginning of last month, the entry-level J7 Vortex comes standard with a 13.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system, leather upholstery, 18-inch alloy wheels, a 50-watt wireless smartphone charger, 360-degree surround-view camera system, as well as the following:

• electric front seats;
• nine-speaker Sony sound system;
• seven airbags;
• electric tailgate;
• red brake calipers;
• LED headlights;
• multi-function steering wheel;
• front and rear parking sensors;
• rain sense wipers;
• LED fog lamps;
• dual-zone climate control with rear vents;
• keyless entry;
• cruise control;
• push-button start

Upping the ante, the Glacier receives the bigger 14.8-inch display, as well as a panoramic sunroof, Head-Up Display, an integrated dashcam, transparent under body camera view, heated and ventilated front seats and 19-inch alloy wheels.

On the safety side, the Glacier boasts Adaptive Cruise Control, Automatic Emergency Braking, Auto High Beam Assist, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Departure Warning, Traffic Jam Assist and Blind Spot Monitoring.

At the range’s summit, the Inferno gains a heated steering wheel and privacy glass, but becomes the sole derivative with the all-wheel-drive system dubbed ARDIS or All Road Drive Intelligent System.

A permanent configuration, it adds four modes to the drive mode selector, Snow, Mud, Sand and Off-Road, whereas the front-wheel-drive Vortex and Glacier only have access to three; Eco, Normal and Sport.

Price

Included with each J7’s sticker price is a five-year/150 000 km warranty, a five-year/70 000 km service and the first-owner only 10-year/1 000 000 km engine warranty.

• J7 1.6 T-GDI Vortex DCT – R549 900
• J7 1.6 T-GDI Glacier DCT – R599 900
• J7 1.6 T-GDI Inferno AWD DCT – R679 900

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