Jaecoo J8

J8 cabin is flush with premium material, glossy black surfaces and soft touch material, it appears quite a comfortable and impressive space, dapped with luxury, technology, and comfort, suited to Saudi Arabia's premium buyers' taste.

Design

• The design of the cabin is absolutely modern, refreshing and looks uncluttered with a minimalist layout, airy and well-thought-out cabin. 
• What you really feel is the space, mind you, this is a huge SUV, but only five seats, and so you can use a lot of room inside. 
• Dashboard integrates a 12.3-inch driver instrument cluster and 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system into a sleek dual-screen interface.
• The ambient lighting gives you a premium feel; likewise, the panoramic sunroof for fresh natural light.
• The leather-wrapped steering wheel with quick controls makes access easy and comfortable.
• The interior of J8 nicely combines contemporary touches with practicality and luxury with ease of use.

Driving Position

• The moment you get behind the wheel, you know space is the game here, but a lot of head, shoulder and knee room for the driver. 
• You sit up nice and high up and get a great view from the windshield
• Add to that is the electrically adjustable driver’s seat with lumbar support for maximum comfort
• The tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel lets to adjust to your own comfort.
• Large windows and 360° surround-view camera mean you’ve excellent visibility for parking and manoeuvring every single time. 
• Since this SUV is big and strong, with high ground clearance, you’re ready to take on various terrains of the KSA, no matter where you drive.

Passenger Comfort

• The well-thought cabin theme is very much experienced at the rear seat with huge leg room, and you feel extremely comfortable due to the spacious rear cabin humongous leg, knee and headroom for taller passengers.
• You got air vents, and control, USB-C and USB charging ports, which makes the rear passenger feel at ease. 
• You get tinted glass, sun blinds, grab handles with light, pop door handle button, soft elbow pad, leather trips upholstery, mat pocket at seat back 
• Overall, attention is given to little things, and the backseat is a comfortable place to be in. 
• The seats can be reclining and tri-zone climate control, interestingly, a B-pillar air vents to keep passengers cool during too much hot weather outside.
• Premium Nappa leather seats with heating, ventilation, and zero-gravity reclining for the front passenger.
• A flip-down centre arm rest with pop-up cup holders and a nice soft padded soft touch section 

Storage

• A spacious, cooled centre console for drinks and snacks; door pockets and glove box for bigger items.
• Then the cabin has multiple cup holders, an overhead sunglasses holder, and USB ports (Type-C and standard) for organised storage.
• Smart storage solutions enhance family-friendly practicality, and there are plenty of them to keep a lot of your stuff without any complaints of space.

Boot Space

• The J8’s big 738-litre boot space serves adequately to everyday needs, be it suitcases, bags, groceries, sports equipment, etc
• If you need that big space occasionally, then by folding the rear seats, you can open up space for large items or family.
• The spacious and bigger boot is another key benefit that the J8 offers, and hence scores a big point among potential buyers for its practicality and convenience.

Safety is a big focus area for the Jaecoo J8, with a 5-star safety-rated body structure, 10 airbags, and 19 advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS):

• Braking and Stability:
  • Anti-Skid Brake System, Electronic Brake Force Distribution
  • Brake Assist System, Electronic Stability Program and Hill Descent Control
• Airbags and Seatbelts:
  • Driver & Front Passenger Airbags
  • Front Side, Side Curtain, Front Centre, Driver Knee, and Second Row Side Airbags
  • Seatbelt Pretensioners  for the 1st Row, 2nd Row and Height Adjustable Front Seatbelts
• Child Safety:
  • Powered Child Safety Locks at Rear Doors
  • Two-position ISOFIX Anchors 
  • Three-position top Tether Anchors
• Cameras and Parking Aids:
  • Reverse Camera and 360° Around View Monitor
  • Parking Sensors at the Front  and Rear
  • Side Parking Sensors and Automatic Parking Assist
• Driver Assistance (ADAS):
  • Forward Collision Warning and Autonomous Emergency Braking  and Emergency Lane Keeping 
  • Lane Departure Warning and Prevention
  • Adaptive Cruise Control and Traffic Jam Assist, and Integrated Cruise Assist
  • Blind Spot Detection, Lane Change Assist, Rear Collision Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Traffic Braking
  • Door Opening Warning, Speed Limit Information Function, Speed Control Assist
  • Driver Monitoring System
• Security and Locking:
  • Anti-Theft Immobiliser and Anti-Theft Alarm
  • Proximity Keys (x2) and Passive-Entry-Passive-Start
  • Auto Locking, walk away and  Remote Start, Open and Close Windows
  • Central Locking and Retractable Cargo Blind
  • Built-in Dashcam)

The Jaecoo J8 actually looks a lot similar to premium SUVs like the Jaguar and Volvo, and certainly attracts attention with its sharp look and rugged exterior appearance with strong off-road capabilities. Stretching at a length of 4820 mm, 1930 mm in width, and 1710 mm in height, it looks big, tall and has superb road presence.

• The J8 gets a bolder waterfall-inspired front grille, where you notice the clear Jaecoo branding highlighting the confidence and modern look.

• Then the glossy LED headlights with integrated daytime running lights are super attractive with a sharp, aggressive stance.
• The sculpted front bumper with subtle air intakes gives a much-admired a sporty edge to the SUV
• Since this is a big SUV, the high ground clearance points to its ability and ease in navigating off-road terrains

• Comes to the side, and the solid side profile with clean, flowing body lines amplifies the overall appeal

• It comes with 20-inch alloy wheels with machine finish, adding to the overall style of the SUV and also providing much-needed grip on diverse terrains.
• What also enhances the overall exterior of the J8 is the electrically adjustable and foldable side mirrors with integrated turn signals that are handy during tight parking situations.

• One of the cool features that isn’t available with most cars but is likely to follow is the Power Retracting Door Handles, nicely in the door. They are awesome, hidden in the door and pop out the moment you come closer to the car, definitely adds to the overall sleek, futuristic touch and clean silhouette.

• At the rear are the slim LED tail lights, roof spoiler, and sculpted bumper with sporty accents
• Overall, looking at the exterior, we find the J8 quite aggressive and also elegant, balancing functionality and appearance quite exclusively.

Ride and Handling

• Jaecoo J8’s ride quality is comfortable and refined, with the help of the superbly tuned active suspension, you’re assured of a cosy ride as it takes care of the bumps and roads we occasionally come across in KSA.
• We noticed the adaptive dampers very well adjust to different types of road conditions, and give you a flat, balanced driving experience, especially through corners and improve the stability on some of the twisting roads.
• The steering is quite light for a car of this size, but honestly, it could have been a little better, as at times it did feel a little unresponsive but manageable. 
• We experienced that the eight-speed automatic transmission is smooth and soft.
• The J8’s engine seems to be refined well, and our experience shows that it gives you enough mid-range power with a 0-100 time, and it is quite quick for an everyday driver or even when you decide to overtake.
• One thing that stands out about this SUV is the ingrained off-road capability, well supported by seven drive modes and a torque-vectoring AWD system. So worth the try and make this J8 an everyday and off-road SUV in equal measures. 
• So, finally, in our overall driving impression, we think, with the J8 you’re off for a comfortable, balanced ride which the family should enjoy with a quiet and cosy cabin.

• For great comfort, the cabin has quilted, luxurious and high-quality Nappa leather seats with heating, ventilation, and massage options.

• The 8-way power-adjustable driver’s seat with lumbar support and memory function, and a 6-way power front passenger seat with leg rest and auxiliary controls.
• A set-up of a 12- to 14-speaker Sony premium sound system with speakers in the driver’s headrest.
• Panoramic sunroof and LED ambient interior lighting.
• There are multiple USB Type-A and Type-C ports with fast charging and a 50W wireless charger.
• Air quality management system with pollen filter and optional built-in fragrance system.
• LED interior lighting, illuminated vanity mirrors, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror.

• Electronic drive mode and electronic door release buttons.
• Rear split-fold seats with heated second-row outboard seats
• Driver and passenger sun visors with illuminated vanity mirrors
• LED interior lighting for front and rear, plus LED luggage area and glove box lights
• Colour-selectable ambient lighting, electronic door release buttons, and suede-type black headliner

• Auto-dimming rearview mirror for glare reduction

In Saudi Arabia, the Jaecoo J8 is available in two variants: Premium and Flagship, sharing the same powertrain. 

J8 Premium gets all the interior features and looks luxurious with its relatively affordable price tag. This variant could be the best pick for buyers who wish to spend less but have a high-end experience.

J8 Flagship, like the name suggests, is a top-end variant with everything it offers, but the price gets up near SAR 13K, but spending that extra means you get some cool and awesome features to make your experience truly mesmerising with this huge premium SUV.

Sayarabay Recommends: Now, onto our recommendations, frankly, choosing between the two variants is not that difficult, but rather a lot easier for a simple reason. Go for the J8 Flagship for obvious reasons and benefits, which include a whole host of features and a fully loaded package. Although the Premium variant has a lot of offers and compelling value, the Flagship’s variants give you additional tech, comfort, and safety features, at a marginal price, and are worth paying the extra premium. For buyers looking for a fully loaded SUV with advanced technology and opulent luxury, and comfort, the Flagship is the way to go, hands down. If you need more convincing, then visit the nearest Jaecoo outlet to get a real-life experience of this all-new SUV.

It is really quite hard to get your head around this SUV, the fact that there is so much on offer. The foremost is the price tag, extremely competitive, and along with the standard 8-year unlimited, capped servicing and roadside assistance, it is just amazing. This ensures your hassle-free ownership. Its aggressive exterior design looks like the Volvo XC90, has a spacious cabin which is loaded with the most sophisticated tech-laden you find in a high-end SUV, along with a focus on giving you adventurous off-road fun, the J8 is a family SUV that also serves well for enthusiasts too. The smooth powertrain, refined ride, and comprehensive safety features top the experience. 

If you’re willing to give a chance to a new brand, although this isn’t perfect, there are some nagging issues, but then there isn’t a perfect car either. However, the J8 certainly is a new way for the Chinese brand to offer you top-of-the-line luxury with a true royal experience, but at a fraction of the price of traditional luxury brands. Starting at SAR 137,723, the J8 offers a premium experience and a value addition to the kingdom’s attractive and competitive three-row SUV market.

Other Cars to Consider

• Toyota Fortuner: Most popular among KSA buyers, it promises reliable performance with a powerful engine and proven off-road capability and a large cabin for family use.
• Ford Everest: Strong SUV with powerful engine, 4WD system and a luxurious cabin with great handling.
• Hyundai Tucson: A stylish SUV loaded with most interesting features, luxurious cabin and Hyundai’s reliable powertrain, but not the best off-roader, though it drives well in the city and highway. 
• Jeep Grand Cherokee: A perfect off-road-capable SUV, known for its strong design, capable powertrain and advanced 4x4 systems, mixing versatility with everyday usability.