China’s Jaecoo officially opens doors in South Africa with new J7 – Standard features announced

Chinese automaker Chery’s luxury SUV sub-brand Jaecoo has officially entered the South African market with the new J7.

At launch, buyers can choose between three derivatives of the J7 namely the Vortex, Glacier, and Inferno – with front-wheel-drive (FWD) and all-wheel-drive (AWD) options on the table.

Pricing for the newcomer will be announced at 19h00 tonight, 12 April 2024.

Each purchase of the J7 will carry a 5-year/150,000km warranty and a 4-year/70,000km service plan, with a 10-year/1-million kilometre engine warranty for the original owner also included.

Features

Standard kit on the handsome J7 Vortex comprises automatic LED lights, rain-sensing wipers, smart door handles with keyless entry, leather upholstery, electric front seats, dual-zone climate control, a 10.25-inch digital driver’s display, a 13.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, offline navigation, an eight-speaker Sony stereo, ambient lighting, a 50W wireless smartphone charger, a 360-degree camera system, front parking sensors, an electric tailgate, and 18-inch alloy wheels.

The Glacier additionally comes with a panoramic sunroof, a 14.8-inch central display, ventilated seats with heated backrests, a heads-up display, and 19-inch alloys.

A suite of advanced assistance systems is also included on the mid-ranger namely adaptive cruise control, blind-spot detection, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-change assist, automatic emergency braking, door-opening warning, and child detection.

The flagship Inferno further receives a heated steering wheel and the brand’s All Road Drive Intelligent System (ARDIS) with seven settings comprising Eco, Mud, Normal, Off-Road, Sand, Snow, and Sport.

Powertrain

The J7 range is equipped with a 1.6-litre, turbocharged petrol powerplant generating a total of 145kW and 290Nm.

The drive unit is paired with a seven-speed automatic gearbox that transmits power to the front or all four wheels, depending on the selected model.

Jaecoo has not yet announced the fuel consumption and performance statistics of the J7, though it is equipped with the same engine as the Omoda C5 GT which registers a fuel usage of 6.8l/100km and gets to 100km/h in 7.8 seconds.

The Jaecoo is somewhat bigger than the Omoda so it should be a bit heavier on fuel and slightly slower.