2026 Jaecoo J7 review

Is it a Range Rover? Is it an Evoque? No, it’s a… Jaecoo J7!

"What’s that?‘" I hear you ask. The 2026 Jaecoo J7 SHS Track is an affordable new plug-in hybrid medium SUV from China, with Jaecoo being one of Chery’s various sister brands. And by the way, ‘SHS’ stands for ‘Super Hybrid System’.

While the plug-in J7 first arrived in Australia nearly a year ago, the new entry-level Track version tested here has only been in the market for a couple of months, bringing down the price of entry by $4000 to $43,990 drive-away initially, though at the time of writing you can have one for as little as $40,990 drive-away as part of the brand’s model year 2025 (MY25) plate clearance.

That’s pretty darn good, considering you get a plug-in hybrid drivetrain with “up to 106km" of electric range on the NEDC cycle, plus a very long list of standard equipment to boot. For reference, the new Toyota RAV4 Hybrid – not plug-in – starts at around $50,000 drive-away in Australia, and PHEV versions will cost at least $58,840 plus on-roads.

The J7 certainly doesn’t present as cheap on first impressions either, with a flashy design clearly inspired by a number of premium players – namely Land Rover and Range Rover – as well as big screens and plenty of soft-touch surfaces in the cabin to go with the bright lights and off-road-ready looks on the outside.

The J7 SHS sounds very good on paper – but is it too good to be true?

We spent a week with the entry-level plug-in SUV to see if this cut-price PHEV is worth a look in Australia’s hottest new vehicle segment.

How much does the Jaecoo J7 cost?

Officially, the Jaecoo J7 range starts from $37,990 drive-away, with the plug-in SHS range starting from $43,990 drive-away – though MY25 promotional pricing brings $3000 cashback discounts across the range.

To see how the Jaecoo J7 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

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What is the Jaecoo J7 like on the inside?

Like most other products in the Chery-Omoda-Jaecoo stable, the flashy and screen-heavy design of the J7’s interior brings a lot of wow factor at first glance.

It certainly doesn’t feel like a bargain-basement model variant, and there are plenty of soft-touch surfaces and high-resolution displays for both the free-standing driver's instrument cluster and central touchscreen.

While all the glossy bits appear more upmarket than matte and silver hard plastics, the piano black steering wheel controls and the near-buttonless dashboard means the cabin will quickly pick up fingerprints and smudges throughout.

Just about all of the vehicle’s key functions are controlled via the touchscreen, which measures 13.2-inches in the base PHEV compared to the Summit’s larger 14.8-inch display. The portrait orientation is Tesla-leaning and the native interface is basic but fine, though the menu-heavy layout can get a little convoluted.

It’s frustrating the climate controls are buried in the infotainment system, and particularly when using Apple CarPlay you need to tap out of smartphone mirroring into the native software to adjust temperature and recirculation. There’s also no shortcut for the surround camera system.

The standard six-speaker sound system is surprisingly solid, with clear audio quality and good depth, despite not being the more upmarket eight-speaker Sony-branded system.

I like the Jaecoo skin on the digital instrument cluster compared to the cheaper-looking Chery version, and while it offers smoother animations it’s occasionally laggy on the speedo and power meter.

The front seats look cushy and well bolstered, and they're designed to look a lot like the pews you get in a Range Rover. While they’re generally quite comfortable, the J7 suffers a seemingly typical mainstream Chinese car trait in that you cannot adjust the angle of the base cushion – meaning long-legged folk like myself may find the under-thigh support lacking.

Storage is pretty good, thanks to big cupholders under the display as well as two phone-shaped cutouts which sadly don’t include wireless charging in this spec. A double-lidded cubby under the centre armrest offers additional space for things you want to hide away, and the small door bins can carry small bottles.

You also get a shelf under the centre console that's large enough for smaller bags and the like, and there are USB-A, USB-C and 12V outlets there if you need to charge stuff.

The J7’s boxy dimensions mean there’s pretty good space in the back for two adults, despite being on the smaller side of the medium class at just 4500mm long – though the 2672mm wheelbase is the key figure here. The flat bench also means you should be able to squeeze three across for short trips.

Leg and knee room is all pretty good, and enough for 6’1″ me to sit behind my preferred driving position. The tall roofline means headroom is also good – and there’s no panoramic sunroof in this spec eating into this measurement.

You also get rear air vents as well as USB-A and -C power outlets, while map pockets on the front seatbacks and bottle holders in the doors add to the amenities list. You also get power seat controls on the inside of the front passenger seat to open up more knee and leg room for the rear passenger-side seat – handy if you’re an Uber driver.

There’s also a fold-down centre armrest with cupholders, and kiddies are catered for with the usual ISOFIX and top-tether points for child seats. The tall windows are also good if you have nausea-prone rear passengers.

Jaecoo quotes 340 litres of cargo capacity with five seats in place, measured up to the cargo cover, and 500L measured to the roof. That expands to 1265L (up to the roof) with the rear seats folded.

While the J7 is on the smaller side of the medium SUV segment, that's adequate given the car's overall dimensions. There’s no spare wheel though – just a tyre repair kit.

To see how the Jaecoo J7 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

The J7 SHS is powered by a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol plug-in hybrid system shared with a number of other Chery-Omoda-Jaecoo models.

Real-world fuel consumption was a little difficult to gauge given we could only find the Jaecoo’s ‘last 50km’ trip computer rather than one that showed a full readout since reset – let us know if there’s something we missed.

For the first few days of commuting to and from the office largely in peak-hour traffic, the J7 managed to use next to no fuel by drawing upon its large battery pack. It would default to EV mode with sufficient charge, though under hard acceleration would fire up the petrol engine, leading to the trip computer to occasionally read up to 0.5L/100km.

After depleting the battery to around 20-25km of usable EV range according to the trip computer, the J7 would usually start in HEV mode and maintain that state of charge (SoC) level, which gradually saw indicated fuel consumption rise to the 3.0-3.5L/100km mark.

It’s also worth noting the LFP battery can be DC fast-charged at a rate of up to 40kW, which can have it topped up from 30 to 80 per cent in as little as 20 minutes. The 6.6kW AC charge capacity will see the J7 SHS charge from 25-100 per cent in two hours 40 minutes.

With a brimmed tank and a full battery, Jaecoo claims the J7 SHS can achieve a combined range of 1200km, and I believe it given I was able to get through most of my week without charging it and there was still some 800km of range to spare after a week’s worth of commuting plus some extra short trips thrown in.

To see how the Jaecoo J7 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How does the Jaecoo J7 drive?

Like the larger J8 I recently reviewed, I came away from my time with the J7 SHS feeling pretty positive about it, save for some sticking points that are worth calling out.

Firstly, the good. The powertrain calibration is very, very good.

Smooth acceleration, the (lack of) noise, and achievable (indicated) efficiency makes this a very easy car to live with day to day. It’s comfortable, refined, and with nightly charging will allow you to do most commuting in EV mode.

It genuinely took me a moment to realise that the petrol engine had even turned on at one point, such is the insulation from sound and vibration. You genuinely wouldn’t know it’s running, especially if you have music playing.

Unlike some other hybrids with very small and not very powerful electric motors, the J7 SHS’s 150kW/310Nm front-mounted e-motor has more than enough punch to get the nearly 1.8-tonne J7 moving at a decent clip.

It’s even peppier once the 1.5L petrol motor fires up, though it can all be a little much for the Kumho PS71 front tyres if you’re foot to the floor. At the end of the day, while the J7 has plenty of grunt, it’s meant to be driven with measure.

The J7 also rides pretty well, with a typically soft Chinese tune that prioritises comfort over dynamism, though that also means the Jaecoo can feel a touch wobbly over sharp, successive hits or when slinging through a series of bends.

Combine that with light, almost lifeless steering and this doesn’t feel like a car made for keen drivers. Does it need to be? No, but if you’re after a family SUV with a bit of soul, you might need to look elsewhere. Grip levels in everyday conditions are fine too, even in the wet – but, again, you’ll find the J7’s limits quickly if you push harder.

Another driving gripe is the brakes, which can be a little spongy and inconsistent in feel, often resulting in a grabby halt as you come to a stop. The regen braking, which can be adjusted across a few different settings, can likewise feel inconsistent and a bit porpoise-y.

At least general insulation levels from road and wind noise are pretty decent, and the square and upright window line makes visibility out the front and sides pretty good – though the skinny rear windscreen is a bit limiting. Thankfully, there’s a pretty handy surround parking camera with very good resolution.

Then there are the driver assists, which are a bit of a mixed bag. As I’ve complained about with other Chery-Omoda-Jaecoo products previously, the semi-autonomous Integrated Cruise Assist function is too inconsistent to use, largely because the lane-centring function feels like it’s wrestling the wheel out of your hands.

Other than that, everything works alright. The adaptive cruise control system does a decent job of maintaining the set speed (except for downhill) as well as a safe distance from the vehicle ahead, though it’s often quite conservative with its following distance and will prematurely brake if a vehicle merges ahead or is detected moving more slowly.

Standard blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are handy to have if you’re regularly driving in heavy traffic, though the driver attention monitoring system can often bing and bong if you glance away at the screen or towards your side mirrors for a second too long, which is just annoying.

To see how the Jaecoo J7 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What do you get?

Two grades of J7 SHS are available in Australia – on test here we have the entry-level Track.

Jaecoo J7 SHS Track equipment highlights:

• 19-inch ‘aero’ alloy wheels
• Automatic LED headlights with automatic high-beam
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Heated, power-folding exterior mirrors
• 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster
• 13.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Apple CarPlay, Android Auto – wireless
• 6-speaker audio
• Leatherette upholstery
• 6-way power driver’s seat with memory
• 4-way power passenger seat
• Heated and ventilated front seats
• Adaptive cruise control
• Autonomous emergency braking
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Rear cross-traffic assist
• Surround-view cameras

J7 SHS Summit adds:

• 14.8-inch touchscreen
• 8-speaker Sony premium audio
• Front fog lights
• Panoramic sunroof
• Power tailgate
• Head-up display
• Built-in dashcam
• 50W wireless phone charger
• Configurable ambient lighting

To see how the Jaecoo J7 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Is the Jaecoo J7 safe?

SHS versions of the Jaecoo J7 have a five-star ANCAP safety rating based on Euro NCAP testing in 2025.

Standard safety features include:

• 8 airbags incl. front-centre
• Autonomous emergency braking
  • Pedestrian
  • Cyclist
  • Junction
  • Reverse pedestrian (backover)
• Adaptive cruise control
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Driver monitoring system
• Emergency Lane Keeping assist
• Lane centring assist
• Lane departure warning
• Lane change assist
• Parking sensors – front, rear
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Surround-view camera
• Traffic Jam Assist
• Tyre pressure monitoring system

J7 Ridge AWD and SHS Summit add:

• Built-in dashcam

To see how the Jaecoo J7 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How much does the Jaecoo J7 cost to run?

Omoda Jaecoo offers one of the more comprehensive warranties in the market – with eight years of coverage (there's no mileage limit) for the vehicle and PHEV battery, plus up to eight years of roadside assistance if you service within the network.

To see how the Jaecoo J7 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

CarExpert’s Take on the Jaecoo J7

I wasn’t sure what to expect of the J7 SHS, but it’s an adequate and affordable way into PHEV ownership.

You can forgive some of its software and tech quirks given the sharp price relative to its rivals, and the fact that even this ‘base’ model presents quite nicely and drives pretty well irrespective of the quibbles.

If you’re wary of taking a punt on an unknown brand, Omoda Jaecoo’s long warranty adds peace of mind, and servicing is relatively inexpensive until you hit the $779 service at 96 months or 120,000km.

The SHS is arguably the pick of the J7 range, given the standard petrol variant can be a little jerky thanks to its dual-clutch transmission, and you’ll also save a ton of fuel in the long run if you regularly… ahem… plug in your plug-in.

However, if you’re like me and demand a level of refinement and sophistication to the in-car and assistance tech, as well as the drivetrain, the Jaecoo J7 may come up a little short. The handover between e-power and the combustion engine can be cumbersome, while the vague steering and lack of body control undermine its dynamic polish.

If you can look past those complaints, the J7 SHS could be worth a look.

CarExpert can save you thousands on a new Jaecoo J7. Click here to get a great deal.

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MORE: Explore the Jaecoo J7 showroom