The Jaecoo 8 lands in the UK with the kind of confidence usually reserved for brands that have been here for decades. Big body, big battery, big power figure, and a price tag that makes some established seven-seat plug-in hybrid SUVs look a bit, well, cheeky. But there’s a catch hiding behind the polished cabin and 422bhp headline: this is not really a proper seven-seater in the traditional family-SUV sense. It’s more of a huge five-seater with emergency rear seats. And that difference matters.
Jaecoo 8 Arrives As The Brand’s New Flagship SUV
After the Jaecoo 7 made a surprisingly strong early impression in the UK market, the Jaecoo 8 now steps in as the brand’s largest and most premium model. This is the car Jaecoo wants buyers to see as its flagship: a plush, tech-loaded, plug-in hybrid SUV aimed at families, private-hire operators, and drivers who want a big premium-looking car without paying premium-brand money.
There are two versions. The Luxury model comes with seven seats and is aimed more directly at family buyers. The Executive gets six seats, swaps the middle bench for a more upmarket arrangement, and leans towards chauffeur-style use with reclining and massaging second-row seats.
That naming is slightly funny, by the way. The “Luxury” is less luxurious than the “Executive,” but it gets the extra seat. Not confusing at all.
Pricing Gives The Jaecoo 8 A Serious Advantage
The strongest argument for the Jaecoo 8 is its price. The seven-seat Luxury starts from £45,500, while the six-seat Executive starts from £47,500. Against rivals like the Hyundai Santa Fe PHEV, Kia Sorento PHEV and Mazda CX-80, that looks properly aggressive.
It is not the cheapest large plug-in hybrid SUV around, though. The closely related Chery Tiggo 9 starts from just over £43,000, while the Peugeot 5008 PHEV also sneaks in below the Jaecoo 8. Still, once you look at the Jaecoo’s standard equipment, performance and electric range, the value case becomes hard to ignore.
| Model | Starting price | Power | Claimed EV range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jaecoo 8 Luxury | £45,500 | 422bhp | 83 miles |
| Jaecoo 8 Executive | £47,500 | 422bhp | 83 miles |
| Hyundai Santa Fe PHEV | £53,200 | 284bhp | 34 miles |
| Kia Sorento PHEV | £48,400 | Noted rival | 34 miles |
| Mazda CX-80 | £50,100 | Noted rival | Not stated |
| Peugeot 5008 PHEV | Under £43,500 | 222bhp | 48 miles |
Powertrain Feels Smooth, Strong And Surprisingly Quick
The Jaecoo 8 uses a 1.5-litre petrol engine paired with two electric motors, producing a combined 422bhp and 560Nm of torque. There is also a third motor linked to the transmission and dedicated to regenerative braking.
On paper, that is a lot of punch for a big family SUV. In practice, it sounds like Jaecoo has done a decent job of making the system feel refined rather than frantic. The 0-62mph time is 5.8 seconds, which is quick enough to embarrass plenty of supposedly sporty cars at the lights.
More importantly, the switch between electric and petrol-hybrid running is said to be smooth. The petrol engine stays quiet, and even when it joins in under harder acceleration, there is no harsh vibration or unpleasant growl from under the bonnet. That matters more than the stopwatch figure, because most buyers of a large SUV want confidence and calm, not drama.
The Jaecoo 8 accelerates with that familiar EV-like shove: clean, smooth and brisk once moving. There is apparently a little hesitation when setting off, but after that, the big SUV gathers speed with surprising ease.
Driving Experience
Nobody is buying a two-tonne-plus plug-in hybrid SUV for B-road thrills. And if they are, someone should probably have a word. The Jaecoo 8 does not pretend to be sporty, and that is fine.
Around town, it should be easy enough to manage thanks to light steering, a high driving position and good forward and side visibility. The tight turning circle is also useful, because this is not a small car. Rear visibility is weaker due to the sloping roofline, but the 540-degree camera system helps by showing not only the area around the car but also a rendered view beneath it.
On country roads, the Jaecoo 8’s weight becomes more obvious. There is some body roll if pushed hard, and the steering feels vague at higher speeds. Again, not a disaster. Just a reminder that this car is happier cruising, commuting and carrying people than pretending to be a hot hatch on stilts.
Motorway refinement sounds mostly strong. Wind and powertrain noise are well controlled, although tyre roar is noticeable. The ride can get fidgety over rougher surfaces, but overall, this is described as a calm long-distance cruiser.
Electric Range Is One Of Its Biggest Strengths
The Jaecoo 8’s 34.5kWh battery gives it a claimed pure-electric range of 83 miles. That is a genuinely eye-catching number for a plug-in hybrid SUV of this size.
For comparison, the Hyundai Santa Fe PHEV and Kia Sorento PHEV both offer official electric ranges of around 34 miles, while the Peugeot 5008 PHEV manages 48 miles. The Jaecoo is in a different league here.
| Model | Battery size | Claimed electric range |
|---|---|---|
| Jaecoo 8 SHS-P | 34.5kWh | 83 miles |
| Chery Tiggo 9 | 34kWh | 91 miles |
| Hyundai Santa Fe PHEV | Not stated | 34 miles |
| Kia Sorento PHEV | Not stated | 34 miles |
| Peugeot 5008 PHEV | Not stated | 48 miles |
The Jaecoo can also rapid charge at up to 70kW, which is better than many plug-in hybrids that cannot DC rapid charge at all. A 30 to 80 per cent top-up is claimed to take around 20 minutes, while a full charge from a 7.4kW home wallbox takes about four and a half hours.
The official combined economy figure is 57.6mpg, with CO2 emissions of 14g/km. Real-world efficiency will depend heavily on how often owners charge it, but the long electric range gives the Jaecoo a better chance than most PHEVs of running as an electric car during daily use.
Cabin Looks Premium, But There Are Some Compromises
Inside, the Jaecoo 8 makes a strong first impression. The dashboard is dominated by two 12.3-inch screens, the design has a slightly Mercedes-like flavour, and Jaecoo has wisely avoided smothering the cabin in scratch-prone piano black plastic.
The standard kit list is generous. The Luxury model includes LED headlights, heated and ventilated front and middle-row seats, a panoramic sunroof and a 14-speaker Sony sound system. The Executive adds more indulgent touches, including reclining and massaging second-row seats, suede details, leather upholstery and electronic door releases.
There are some cost-saving signs, though. Some surfaces feel a little hollow behind the soft-touch finishes, and the cabin does not seem quite as solid as a Hyundai Santa Fe. The bigger issue is ergonomics. Jaecoo has gone heavy on touchscreen controls and light on physical buttons, which can become annoying when basic functions require swipes and sub-menus.
That is not ideal in a car designed to be relaxing. A big screen is nice. Having to jab at it repeatedly while the driver monitoring system tells you off? Less nice.
The Third Row Is The Jaecoo 8’s Weak Spot
This is where the Jaecoo 8 stumbles. Jaecoo itself describes the seating layout as “4+2” in Executive form and “5+2” in Luxury form. That little plus sign is doing a lot of work.
The front and middle rows are spacious, comfortable and well suited to long journeys. But the rearmost seats are difficult to access and cramped once you get there. In the six-seat Executive, passengers have to squeeze through a narrow gap between the middle seats. In the seven-seat Luxury, the second row does not slide forward far enough to create easy access, forcing passengers to clamber over folded seats.
For children on short trips, fine. For adults, not really. For regular seven-seat use, rivals such as the Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento, Nissan X-Trail or even the closely related Chery Tiggo 9 make more sense.
The boot figures tell a similar story. With all seats in place, the Jaecoo 8 offers just 110 litres of luggage space, less than the Santa Fe and Sorento. Fold the third row down, though, and capacity jumps to a strong 738 litres. With the middle row folded as well, it expands to 2,021 litres.
| Boot configuration | Jaecoo 8 | Hyundai Santa Fe PHEV | Kia Sorento PHEV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seven-seat mode | 110 litres | 179 litres | 179 litres |
| Five-seat mode | 738 litres | 621 litres | 604 litres |
| Maximum capacity | 2,021 litres | 1,949 litres | 1,988 litres |
Safety, Towing And Ownership
The Jaecoo 8 comes with plenty of standard safety equipment, including cruise assist, brake assist, blind-spot assist, lane-keeping assist, parking assist, rear cross-traffic alert, driver monitoring and the 540-degree camera system.
It has not yet received its own Euro NCAP rating, though the smaller Jaecoo 7 has already scored five stars. The brand is also still young in the UK, so long-term customer satisfaction and reliability data remain limited.
Towing capacity is rated at 1,600kg for a braked trailer or caravan. That is stronger than the Hyundai Santa Fe PHEV’s 1,110kg figure, though diesel alternatives such as the Skoda Kodiaq can tow more.
One ownership sting is tax. Because both versions cost more than £40,000, they fall into the luxury car tax band for combustion cars, meaning higher VED costs between years two and six. Company car drivers will get some benefit from the low CO2 figure and plug-in hybrid setup, but full EVs still make more sense for the lowest tax bills.
Final Verdict
The Jaecoo 8 is a sharp-value, well-equipped and surprisingly quick plug-in hybrid SUV with a genuinely impressive electric range. As a big four- or five-seat family car with occasional-use rear seats, it makes a lot of sense. The cabin looks smart, the kit list is strong, and the pricing puts real pressure on established rivals.
But as a proper seven-seater? That is where the story gets wobbly. The third row is cramped, awkward to access and nowhere near as practical as some rivals. Buy it for the powertrain, the value and the huge boot with the rear seats folded. Just do not buy it expecting every passenger to enjoy row three.
FAQs
Is the Jaecoo 8 a proper seven-seater?
Not really. The Luxury model has seven seats, but the third row is difficult to access and cramped. It is better viewed as a five-seater with occasional extra seats.
How much does the Jaecoo 8 cost in the UK?
The Jaecoo 8 Luxury starts from £45,500, while the six-seat Executive starts from £47,500.
What is the electric range of the Jaecoo 8?
The Jaecoo 8 has a claimed pure-electric range of 83 miles from its 34.5kWh battery.
Is the Jaecoo 8 quick?
Yes. Its plug-in hybrid system produces 422bhp and 560Nm of torque, giving it a 0-62mph time of 5.8 seconds.
Which Jaecoo 8 version is the best buy?
The Luxury model looks like the better buy for most families because it costs less than the Executive, has seven seats and still comes with a strong standard equipment list.