Jaecoo: New brand of the Chery group arrives in Europe

Jaecoo is the latest Chinese brand belonging to the Chery group to land in Europe. As happened a few months ago with OMODA (another of its brands), it has begun its journey on our continent, starting with Spain.

To make itself known, the manufacturer held a multitudinous event in the spectacular Puy du Fou theme park (Toledo), where, on different stages, we were able to learn more about the spirit of this new brand and what its first model represents, which is aimed at a public that values nature and technology.

In Spain, Jaecoo will go hand in hand with Omoda, with the same dealer network (for now 65, all of them with after-sales), a logistics centre in the port of Barcelona and a spare parts centre in Azuqueca de Henares (Guadalajara), capable of supplying more than 97% of the parts to any point on the peninsula within 24 hours.

Gallery: Jaecoo presentation

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Source: Motor1.com

Since the Chery group landed in Europe, Spain has been the first market on the continent. According to Charlie Zhang, vice-president of Chery Group and president of the business unit for Europe, their intention is to produce some of the models in the Zona Franca of Barcelona, in the facilities that once belonged to Nissan. Their aim is to generate progress wherever they sell their cars.

But the Chery group has not only looked to Spain to set up part of its infrastructure, but also has an R&D centre in Germany responsible for the design, development and validation of the models to ensure their reliability, durability and to adapt them to the demanding tastes of European customers.

The first model of the new Jaecoo brand is the Jaecoo 7 (the Jaecoo J7 PHEV and J8 PHEV will follow in 2025), an attractive SUV with some 4.50-metre-long off-road capabilities, available with two powertrain options. On the one hand, there is a 1.6 litre turbo four-cylinder petrol engine with 145 PS and 275 Nm of torque, coupled to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox from GETRAG. With this engine, the car can be chosen with front or all-wheel drive.

Interesting mechanical options, but no diesel

Another of the mechanical options available is an interesting plug-in hybrid version (PHEV), which develops 340 PS and 525 Nm from a 1.5-litre TDGI petrol engine with four cylinders and two electric units powered by an 18.3 kWh battery.

With this capacity, it is capable of driving more than 55 miles in 100% electric mode, and can be recharged from 20 to 80% in just 20 minutes, as it has fast charging. This version is only available with front-wheel drive.

Inside, the Jaecoo 7 offers an attractive design, with very good fit and finish. The dashboard is dominated by a huge 14.9-inch upright HD display with fast and smooth operation thanks to the Qualcomm 8155 processor.

To safely leave the tarmac behind, there are several off-road driving modes (Sand, Off-Road, Snow and Mud), which can adapt the gearbox management, traction and stability controls and the 4WD system's operating parameters to the terrain being driven on.

For the road, there are three specific programmes, Eco, Normal and Sport, which modify the steering and throttle feel, as well as the electronic gearbox management.

More on the Jaecoo J7:

Jaecoo J7 vs Volkswagen Tiguan: SUV newcomer vs top dog

Jaecoo J7: The secrets of the 347 PS plug-in hybrid SUV

Two trim levels, with a full range of equipment

Two versions are available, called Select and Exclusive, both of which include the following features.

Select: 13.2-inch HD multimedia screen, dual zone climate control, Apple CarPlay & Android Auto, 540-degree panoramic camera, 19-inch alloy wheels, heated front seats, panoramic sunroof, power opening tailgate, emergency spare wheel, intelligent voice assistant and 18 driving aids (ADAS).

Exclusive: adds 4WD (petrol version), 14.8-inch HD multimedia screen, head-up display, Sony sound system with eight speakers, driver's seat with lumbar support and memory, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats and heated steering wheel. 

Prices Jaecoo 7 2024

With the brand's official discounts and subsidies, the new Jaecoo 7 with the Select trim starts at €28,900 (approx. £24,000 at the current exchange rate), both for the petrol version and the plug-in hybrid, as the latter has more subsidies as it is an electrified version.

As with Omoda, Jaecoo offers a seven-year warranty or 150,000 kilometres (93,000 miles) on all its models.