- The Jaecoo J7 SHS plug-in hybrid delivers up to 106km of pure electric range and 1200km combined, making it one of the most flexible and efficient compact SUVs in its class.
- With premium styling, surprising build quality, and a full suite of features, the J7 SHS punches well above its price tag.
- Backed by an 8-year warranty, 8 years of capped-price servicing, and 8 years of roadside assistance, the J7 SHS offers a serious long-term value proposition for Aussie buyers.
Proper new car value in 2025, the kind that makes a difference to your daily drive and bank balance requires delivering on multiple fronts: performance, features, warranty, and price.
Enter the Jaecoo J7 SHS: the plug-in hybrid variant of the Chinese brand’s compact SUV that’s in showrooms now, looking to shake up the established PHEV order.
Priced from $47,990 AUD driveaway, it sits in a sweet spot between mostly unremarkable mass-market models with fewer features and premium Euro offerings that demand significantly more dollars.
The Silent Revolution
Jaecoo is a newcomer to Australia. A premium brand from the Chery group, it seeks to put a stylish international spin on the compact SUV offering Aussies love so much.
But the Jaecoo J7 SHS doesn’t just add technology for technology’s sake, a refreshing change in an era when some cars feel like the handiwork of a bunch of Silicon Valley interns on Red Bull. Instead, Jaecoo’s Super Hybrid System (SHS) delivers what Australian drivers want: flexibility.
With a claimed electric range of 106km (NEDC), the J7 SHS outstrips most competitors at this price point. For context, the average Aussie’s commute is 16.5km. Thanks to the J7 SHS plug-in hybrid system’s pure EV option, that equates to being able to drive to work and back for three days without burning a drop of petrol. Crucially, without the full EV commitment, that still makes many of us nervous about those longer road trips.
In fact, Jaecoo claims a combined petrol and EV range of around 1200km for the J7 SHS. During a week of testing the car, I barely scratched the surface of that capability with all of my city trips on pure EV and a quick dash from Melbourne to Mansfield at the foot of Mt Buller, hardly eating into the tank.
When the 18.3kWh lithium iron phosphate battery needed charging, our home 7.2kW charger did the job quickly. If you’re committed to EV mode as your default, the J7 can recharge from 30-80% in just 20 minutes using a DC fast charger.
Under the Hood: More Than Just Eco Credentials
The Jaecoo J7 SHS’s powertrain combines an economical but peppy 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol four-cylinder engine (105kW/215Nm) with an electric motor rated at 150kW and 310Nm. In hybrid mode, the two units work in unison to deliver a lively, but remarkably quiet performance.
You can occasionally sense more than hear the engine kicking in on the open road to keep the battery charge at or around 30%, you can choose the level via the comprehensive car setting app, but it’s never obtrusive.
Around town, the car is usefully quick away from the lights. However, unlike some ‘not quite so clever’ hybrids, the J7 SHS’s power delivery feels sorted, smooth and linear when cruising, with a decent shove when you bury the right foot.
Performance doesn’t dull on the open road either. Acceleration from highway speeds is proper, in fact, don’t let that lack of noise lull you into a false sense of security. The J7 SHS is, umm… lively… Sorry Officer!
Premium Aspirations, Mainstream Price
Australia’s new car market has arguably never seen as many new brands. Yet Jaecoo has managed to cut through with the J7 SHS. Impressive, given that until the new larger J8 arrives later this year, it’s a party of one.
This visibility has a lot to do with moving away from the ‘jelly-mould’ standard adopted by many electrified brands. Instead, the J7 SHS offers a more refined look, which Jaecoo’s well-credentialled design chief, Steve Eum, describes as “paying homage to classic SUVs with great proportions and great detailing.”
The J7 certainly has more than a hint of a certain UK off-road brand, but its styling and premium feel have plenty of potential customers looking twice.
The waterfall grille and chequered DRLs give the J7 a distinctive face that wouldn’t look out of place wearing a European badge. The sleek side profile, refined surfacing and even those flush door handles hint at a price tag way above reality.
It’s a handsome thing, full stop. And I’m not sure I’ve written that yet about any other Chinese offering.
Inside, the J7 SHS delivers proper bang for buck with a panoramic sunroof, 14.8-inch touchscreen, perforated synthetic leather seats, dual-zone climate control, and a Sony eight-speaker sound system. Add in the heated and ventilated front seats, head-up display, and high-definition 360° camera system, and you’re getting equipment that would cost thousands more in established competitors.
The overall interior quality level is worth mentioning. Many new brands are getting this important factor 70% right, but when you look harder, the gaps appear – literally. Not Jaecoo. The J7 SHS genuinely surprised me, soft-touch materials where it counts, tight panel gaps, and a consistent quality feel throughout.
There’s no “we spent the budget on the parts you can see” approach that plagues some new brands. And the quality is more than skin deep. The perforated seats are comfortable for longer stints, although taller drivers may wish for more under-thigh support.
The Tech Divide
The Jaecoo J7 SHS isn’t without its quirks. Some will be frustrated by the reliance on the touchscreen for climate controls. You soon learn to swipe up to access the functions, but there are some times when conventional buttons just work.
Indeed, the centralisation of so many functions via the main screen will require new owners to properly familiarise themselves. You can go pretty deep, and there are multiple levels of personalisation, good or bad, depending on which side of the tech divide you sit on.
The 14.8-inch touchscreen is responsive and visually impressive. Apple CarPlay connected easily and worked flawlessly, providing a familiar interface for those who prefer it. The sound system is a highlight, crisp, balanced, and with enough punch to do justice to your road trip playlist.
Alas some other basics that need fixing are not analog rather digital… For example, the rear air vent is a single outlet in the centre console – an odd decision in a country where 40°C days are not uncommon.
Some driver assistance systems can be overzealous, occasionally tugging at the wheel when you’re intentionally crossing a line. I turned off the driver attention monitor. One menu, one click, fortunately…
I’d also love to see Jaecoo look hard at some local suspension and steering tuning. The rest of the car is impressive enough to justify the effort.
The Ownership Proposition
Where Jaecoo really strengthens its case is the ownership package. Chinese custom places special significance on the numeral 8.
Jaecoo has jumped on this to champion an impressive aftersales package that combines an eight-year warranty with eight years of capped-price service and eight years of roadside assistance. This could be enough alone to tip the scales for buyers.
A Canny Alternative
The Jaecoo J7 SHS doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it certainly redefines what we should expect at this price point, by a margin.
Compare it to other PHEVs like the GWM Haval H6 GT or even Mitsubishi’s proven Outlander PHEV, and its value looks solid. Add the Jaecoo’s proper premium look and feel, and the bonus the J7 SHS delivers is crystal clear.
After my stint behind the wheel, the Jaecoo J7 SHS left me genuinely impressed. It is a measure of how quickly new brands are matching and, in some aspects, accelerating past legacy marques.
For buyers looking to dip their toes into electrification without diving headfirst into full EV ownership, the plug-in hybrid Jaecoo J7 SHS makes a compelling case. It doesn’t just compete on price, it over delivers. Genuine quality, thoughtful features, and refined styling make the J7 SHS a canny alternative that deserves a closer look.
