Chery's Jaecoo spin-off brand due in Australia next year with three SUVs
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Another new Chinese brand is coming to Australia with a trio of family SUVs – meet Jaecoo, an offshoot of Chery.
Jaecoo – a spin-off of Chinese car brand Chery – is due in Australia in the first half of next year with a range of boxy petrol and hybrid family SUVs.
The Jaecoo brand – originally due in late 2024 but now pushed to the first quarter of 2025 (January to March) – is positioned as a more “premium” alternative to Chery cars, with three confirmed models: the J5, J7 and J8.
Jaecoo will sell its vehicles through its own dealer network – rather than via Chery showrooms – and while the two brands will share a head office, it is said they will operate separately.
MORE: China's Chery to launch Jaecoo J7 family SUV in Australia
Prices are yet to be confirmed, but Jaecoo vehicles are expected to command a premium over Chery cars – but it remains to be seen if they are dearer than established Japanese and South Korean rivals.
The first model to launch will be the Jaecoo J7, a 4500mm-long SUV on the smaller end of the ‘mid-size SUV’ category that includes the likes of Toyota RAV4.
It shares its underpinnings with the Chery Tiggo 7 Pro – which starts from $36,990 drive-away, before special offers – and is similar in size to a Mazda CX-5 or Volkswagen Tiguan.
MORE: Family SUV for small SUV money? Chery slashes thousands off 2024 Tiggo 7 Pro
All J7 variants will initially be powered by a 1.6-litre turbo four-cylinder petrol engine from the Tiggo 7 Pro, developing 137kW and 275Nm – matched with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, and front- or all-wheel drive.
A plug-in hybrid variant is expected to arrive towards the middle of the year, combining a 1.5-litre turbo engine with an 18kWh battery for more than 100km of claimed electric-only driving range in Chinese lab testing.
Available equipment in the J7 will include 19-inch alloy wheels, red brake calipers, LED headlights, a 14.8-inch touchscreen, wireless phone charging, power-adjustable front seats, an electric tailgate, 360-degree camera, eight airbags and various advanced safety systems.
MORE: Chery to take on Toyota with hybrid, plug-in hybrid model onslaught
Expected to follow the J7 by the middle of the year is the J8, a large seven-seat family SUV similar to a Kia Sorento, Hyundai Santa Fe or the now-defunct Mazda CX-8.
It is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine shared with its Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max sibling, with front- or all-wheel drive.
The smallest model in the range is the J5, confirmed for Australia today – with timing unconfirmed – as a compact SUV similar in size to a Hyundai Kona or Toyota Corolla Cross.
It is styled to look like a shrunken J7, with a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine under the bonnet in overseas markets, and a 13.2-inch touchscreen and panoramic sunroof found inside.
More details of the Jaecoo brand are due closer to its Australian arrival next year.
Among the other models sold by Jaecoo internationally is the J6, a Land Rover Defender-esque electric off-roader that is now made in right-hand drive, but remains under consideration and on the wish list for Australia.
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