What is Jaecoo?

Every week it seems that another Chinese car firm starts to sell models here in the UK, adding more mix to the electric and SUV market.

Jaecoo is a relatively unheard of brand, and that’s because it entered the UK car market in 2024.

Unlike a lot of car manufacturers from China that solely make EVs, Jaecoo is a little bit different, with its offerings being petrol and plug-in hybrid cars.

But, what cars does it sell? And, what does the Jaecoo brand entail?

Here is everything you need to know about this new Chinese car firm.

What cars does it sell?

Currently, Jaecoo only sells one car here in the UK, and that is its J7 SUV.

It comes with a choice of petrol and plug-in hybrid powertrains and is a rival to the Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage and MG HS.

The petrol engine is a 1.6-litre turbocharged unit that develops 145bhp and its power is sent to the front wheels.

You can get a plug-in hybrid model of the J7 too, which uses a smaller 1.5-litre petrol unit and is mated to a 18.7kWh battery pack that Jaecoo claims can run up to 56 miles on electric power alone. Its running costs should be low as well, with the PHEV J7 only emitting 23g/km CO2.

The top-of-the-range petrol-derived J7 also comes with the added benefit of all-wheel-drive.

Is Jaecoo part of another car manufacturer?

Jaecoo is a brand that is owned by Chery – which is one of China’s largest vehicle manufacturers.

Chery has been around for nearly three decades and has been one of the leading companies in China when it comes to vehicle production and exportation.

Jaecoo was founded in 2023 and sells its vehicles in the UK alongside another new Chinese car firm – Omoda. Although both companies are separate entities, they both are owned by Chery.

How much does a Jaecoo cost?

The J7 is available with a choice of two trim levels, and prices start at £29,495 or £35,065 for the PHEV variant.

The car is available in a choice of two trim levels with the basic Deluxe featuring a 13.2-inch LCD touchscreen and a six-speaker audio system. The flagship Luxury boasts a larger 14.8-inch portrait LCD touchscreen and an eight-speaker Sony premium audio system.

Meanwhile, the PHEV model of the J7 comes in just one specification, and is fully kitted out with all of the top-of-the-line features from the Luxury variant.

Which models does it sell outside of the UK?

Currently, Jaecoo only sells a handful of different models outside of the UK.

The range of cars it sells across the globe is the J6, which has similar looks to a Land Rover Defender and the J8 – a more premium SUV.

Models to follow are the J5 and an electric version of that model – which will first go on sale in the South African market – followed by the UK.

What are its future plans?

Jaecoo has only been selling cars in the UK for the last six months and its current plans are to stick with selling the J7 in the mid size SUV category.

However, by the summer of this year, it hopes to launch the new J5 SUV, which will be slightly smaller than the J7 and will be a direct rival to cars like the Lexus LBX and Kia EV3.

The Jaecoo dealership network is set to expand with the firm currently offering 71 sites across the country. But, it hopes to have around 130 franchises by the end of this year – which should help with owners booking their cars in for services, repair work and purchasing vehicles.