A new off-road brand JAECOO will make its European debut at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, with the brand’s first model, the JAECOO 7, on display. But what is JAECOO and should the car be on your shortlist?

JAECOO is the sister brand to another new Chinese company called OMODA. Both are part of Chery International, China’s biggest vehicle exporter. The JAECOO name is inspired by a bizarre fusion of the German word "Jäger" - meaning “hunter”, and the English word "cool”.  

JAECOO claims it has gained “a decade of experience from a joint venture with the world’s most established off-road vehicle manufacturer.” The company has been building Land Rovers in China since 2012.

The first product to come to the UK will be the JAECOO 7, which will initially be available only as a hybrid with front- and four-wheel drive configurations. Plug-in hybrid and all-electric variants will follow. 

At 4,500 mm in length, 1,865 mm in width, and 1,680 mm high the 7 is a little larger than big sellers such as the Nissan Qashqai. The 4x4 system is seemingly serious, in contrast to many so-called ‘soft roaders’. In addition to a Land Rover like 600 mm wading depth, it features seven driving modes, including Sand, Mud, Snow and Off-Road settings.

The initial UK rollout of JAECOO and its sister brand OMODA will be supported by more than 70 dealer sites, set to increase to 100 by the end of the year. Backing from some of the UK’s largest dealer groups, including Allen Motor Group, Arnold Clark, Cambria, Chapelhouse, Endeavour, Greenhous, Hartwell, Listers, Perrys, Peter Vardy and Vospers, means customers will find it easy to get their cars fixed.

Prices haven’t been announced yet, but the first UK deliveries are anticipated in late 2024. It’s expected that they will be pitched at Volkswagen levels, starting at aroung £43,000 for the all electric model. The 7 will come with a seven-year / 100,000-mile manufacturer’s warranty as standard.

Should I buy one?

We had a short drive on a closed circuit in the J7 with the petrol engine and were impressed with the interior space, comfort, technology and styling. It certainly has showroom appeal. 

However there were some areas where the JAECOO didn’t hold up the premium promise in terms of quality, with cheap looking parts. 

The driving dynamics also need some fine tuning before the car goes on sale. Although we were only able to drive the petrol version, the steering felt numb and the ride was choppy. If our experience with the OMODA brand is anything to go by, these should be noticeably better on the electric model.