First Drive: Is the new Jaecoo 8 a luxury SUV for entry-level money?

It’s fair to say that Jaecoo has experienced a meteoric rise in the UK. Despite only launching in January 2025, the Chery-owned firm has quickly made its presence known in this country, with its ever-popular 7 SUV recently becoming the best-selling car in March. Through its limited time here, it has already become a household name.

Wanting to keep that ball rolling, Jaecoo is now introducing this car – the 8. It’s the brand’s flagship SUV, but with a significantly higher starting price than the 7, it is pushing into premium territory. Can it deliver? We’ve been finding out.

The Jaecoo 8 is all about that premium feel. Even the brand itself says that it brings a ‘more refined proposition’ to its range of cars, which is why it has been kitted out with a range of upmarket features. There’s even the option of an ‘Executive’ specification which ditches the conventional seven-seater configuration for a 4+2 arrangement with two comfy ‘captain’s chairs’ in the middle.

As you might expect from a Jaecoo model, the 8 is also being offered at a price that significantly undercuts much of the competition. Prices start at £45,500, which is way under what rival brands can do. Only Skoda comes close with its plug-in hybrid Kodiaq iV.

For now, Jaecoo is offering the 8 with just a single engine setup. It’s the brand’s SHS-P plug-in hybrid system, which combines a 1.5-litre petrol engine with an electric motor and a reasonably large 34.46kWh battery. It gets an electric-only range of up to 83 miles – one of the longest around – and when combined with the petrol engine, emits just 14g/km CO2.

Performance is more than brisk enough, as with 422bhp it’ll manage the 0-60mph sprint in 5.5 seconds and carry onwards to a top speed of 112mph. All versions get an automatic gearbox as standard, alongside a range of driving modes including off-road focused ones – though the 8 can’t be specified with an off-road or all-seasons tyre just yet.

It’s a lofty driving position that you get in the Jaecoo 8, freeing up a commanding view of the road ahead. In truth, we’d like the driver’s seat to go a little lower – you feel quite ‘perched’ atop the car – but some drivers may find it appealing. There’s no mistaking the 8’s heft, mind you, and through narrow lanes you do need to be aware of its extremities. However, the good electric range means that you make quiet, easy progress and the throttle response is just right too. There’s more than enough performance – the 8 breezes up to the speed limit with ease.

The Jaecoo 8 rides on adaptive suspension and while it does a good job with the larger road imperfections and potholes, it’s oddly unsettled over smaller stuff. Rough surfaces or creases in the road shudder through the car and it’s not quite as refined as you’d expect. The light steering also makes the whole car feel a little more nervous.

The 8 ties in quite nicely with the rest of the Jaecoo range. As with the 7 and 5, the design is kept quite simple, with a large up-front grille being paired with a full-width light bar at the rear. It’s not what you’d call a ground-breaking look but, for most, it’ll be interesting enough.

There’s a decent range of colours to choose from, though all but the standard Glacier White are a £700 option.

There’s a lot to like about the way the Jaecoo 8 is finished inside. There are lots of pleasant materials and the full-length panoramic sunroof – standard on all cars – allows loads of light into the cabin. As with other Jaecoo cars, things are centred around a large central screen and a driver’s display. Annoyingly, there’s a complete lack of physical controls, so navigating that main screen when you’re on the move isn’t that simple. There are shortcuts, but they don’t cover all eventualities. Still, at least you get physical controls for the wing mirrors.

Space-wise, there’s plenty to play with. We drove the 8 in the six-seater Executive configuration and those middle seats do give a business-class-like experience. However, the rearmost seats are really tight – we’d only see them as ‘occasional’, so couldn’t be relied upon for long journeys. In terms of boot space, there’s a hefty 738 litres with the rearmost seats flat.

Jaecoo has thrown the kitchen sink at the 8. For that entry price, you’re getting features such as a Sony sound system, dual 12.3-inch displays and heated and ventilated front seats. All cars get 20-inch machined alloy wheels, too, while the LED headlights at front and rear incorporate dynamic indicators.

Much of the reason to upgrade to Executive grade will be because of the seating configuration, though you do also get Nappa leather seats, a suede headliner and a heated steering wheel. In our view, most people will opt for the standard Luxury grade.

Verdict

The Jaecoo 8 is a large, spacious and well-appointed large SUV that fits pleasantly well at the top of this brand’s range. Its price undercuts nearly all else in the market, though it doesn’t match key rivals in the dynamics department. That said, its long electric-only range is one of the best about and could help to make this SUV cheaper to run than your typical pure-combustion option.

It may not be the most sparkling to drive, but at this price, the Jaecoo 8 is hard to ignore.