A final launch is yet to be announced, however, previous indications have stipulated a market debut before the end of the year.
Showcased at the Shanghai International Auto Show in 2023 as the J9, Chery-owned Jaecoo has provided a hint of what South Africa can expect from the long delayed J8 after confirming pricing of its new flagship in Malaysia.
Details
Launched as the second Jaecoo model after the J7 in Australia two months ago, the J8 will seemingly be positioned below sister brand Omoda’s C9 when it goes on-sale locally before the end of the year.
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Essentially Jaecoo’s take on its parent company’s Tiggo 9 launching in South Africa later this month, the J8 measures 4 820 mm long, 1 930 mm wide and 1 710 mm tall.
Its wheelbase spanning 2 820 mm, the J8 provides seating for four or seven, though previous indications from Omoda & Jaecoo South Africa stated it will provide seating for six with the second row comprising a pair of captain’s style chairs.
Petrol or SHS
Differing from the Tiggo 9 by virtue of its restyled headlights, a different front bumper with L-shaped side vents, and a Jaecoo specific grille, the J8 derives motivation from the same 2.0 T-GDI engine as the C9 and Tiggo 8 Pro Max, which, Down Under, develops 183kW/385Nm.
By comparison, the same unit makes 187kW/390Nm in the South African-spec Tiggo 8 and 192kW/400Nm in the C9. Retained is the eight-speed automatic gearbox, standard front-wheel-drive and the option of all-wheel-drive.
Previous murmurings though have alleged the J8 as possibly being marketed solely as a hybrid under Jaecoo’s Super Hybrid Series banner.
If the case, and in accordance with the launch report from the Indonesia where it debuted at the Gaikindo Indonesia International Motor Show in the capital Jakarta last month, the SHS’s system consists of the 2.0 T-GDI and a 34.4-kWh battery pack powering three electric motors.
Hooked to a three-speed Dedicated Hybrid Transmission (DHT), the result is a combined output of 395kW/650Nm, a claimed all-electric range of 180 km and 0-100 km/h in 5.4 seconds.
Inclusive of the combustion engine, the J8 SHS’s overall combined range is 1 400 km.
Noted spec
In terms of specification, which will vary depending on the trim grade, the J8 comes equipped with a pair of 12.3-inch displays, a 12-speaker Sony sound system, panoramic sunroof, hands-free electric tailgate and six USB ports.
Also included are electric, heated, ventilated and massaging front seats, a fragrance dispenser, heated and ventilated second row, ambient lighting, two wireless smartphone chargers, a dash-cam and rain sense wipers.
The plethora of safety and driver assistance systems comprise a 540-degree camera system, 10 airbags, a tyre pressure monitor, Adaptive Cruise Control, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Driver Attention Alert, Lane Keep Assist, Auto Park Assist, Blind Spot Monitoring, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Departure Warning and Reverse Automatic Braking.
In total, the J8 has three driving modes; Eco, Normal and Sport, with all-wheel-drive variants getting an additional three; Mud, Sand, Off-Road.
Carried over from the C9 is the continues adaptive dampers, alloy wheels up to 20-inches and active torque vectoring on the all-wheel-drive.
Finally, boot space ranges from 200-litres with all three-rows in use, to 738-litres with the last row dropped. With the middle seats also down, utility space maxes out at 2 021-litres.
More soon
Priced from 178 800 to 198 800 ringgit in Malaysia, which amounts to R754 085 and R838 435 directly converted and without taxes, the J8 has a price tag of between $49 990 and $54 900 Down Under, which, using the same principles, comes to between R577 290 and R635 030 respectively.
As is stands, details of the South African-spec J8 remains under wraps for now, however, expect more information to emerge in due course.
Additional information from paultan.org and carexpert.com.au.
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