Review: Jaecoo 7

Despite recently rising to the top of the UK’s best-selling car rankings the biggest success of the Jaecoo 7 has been a fortuitous marketing win.

Thanks to a derivative design that earned it the label of “Temu Range Rover” the budget Chinese offering has somehow featured in endless articles that imply that it is a rival to far more expensive opposition.

After a week at the wheel, I found the reality of ownership is likely to be somewhat different.

Jaecoo 7 prices start at £29,195, rising to £36,500 for the Luxury version tested here with the modestly-titled plug-in Super Hybrid System.

Endless enticing lease deals make the Jaecoo 7 look good value.

Factor in the drivetrain’s claimed 745-mile total range - including 56 miles of electric running - and many boxes look to be ticked.

Then there is the specification. Luxury trim features heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, panoramic sunroof, an array of parking cameras, a head-up instrument display to accompany the 10.25 inch instrument screen and an eight-speaker Sony sound system.

Meanwhile, a massive 14.8 inch touchscreen infotainment system centralises the controls for pretty much everything, from climate settings to the wing mirror adjustments.

Sadly, the architecture around the Jaecoo 7’s touchscreen lacks material quality and, while the seats are comfortable, the cabin’s overall feel is more old-school Mitsubishi than Mercedes.

Explore the touchscreen and, while the graphics are sharp, the underlying menus are many and the small fonts hard to distinguish on the move. Furthermore, the Sony sound system fails to deliver the depth expected from a branded system.

But it is the Jaecoo 7’s dynamics that truly jar with its status as a UK best seller.

Although the plug-in hybrid drivetrain is refined at a cruise, road noise disrupts the cabin’s calm, undermining the presence of double-glazed side windows.

A lack of traction also had me questioning the claimed 8.5 second acceleration to 62mph.

Most disappointingly, drivers will find the key contact points woolly to the point of being unnerving.

The steering is extremely light, yet overly eager around the straight ahead.

The accelerator’s responses are hair-trigger sensitive under part throttle, bringing a rather nauseating sense of constant speeding or slowing.

Coupled to suspension that is overly soft in corners but crashy on uneven surfaces and the result is an unsettled car that is short on comfort or engagement.

For those who aspire to own a Range-Rover the Jaecoo 7’s looks hold appeal, rear legroom is good and it is well equipped.

Somehow, though, it feels unfinished, like it was signed off without sufficient chassis development.

As such, its impressive sales could be attributed to a “Temu Range Rover” label that triggered a wave of Chinese whispers.

Jaecoo 7 Luxury PHEV

Price: £35,835

Engine: 1.5-litre petrol

Power: 204bhp

Torque: 310Nm

Transmission: automatic dedicated hybrid transmission

Top Speed: 112mph

0-62mph: 8.5 seconds

Economy: 403mpg (WLTP combined)

Emissions: 23g/km