JAECOO 8 SHS-P review

Driving position 

If you stepped into the JAECOO 8 blindfolded (before driving, of course), you’d be mistaken for thinking you’re in something much more expensive, like a Range Rover. 

The seats are incredibly plush, made of eco-friendly faux leather (our car had the Cognac brown seats, which look superb).  

For the driver, there's lots of adjustments to the seat, all of which can be made on the door card, like in a Mercedes. Everything is electric, from the seat to the steering wheel and even the massage function (found on the outer side of the seat base). 

All versions of the JAECOO 8 have heated, cooled and massage seats, and not just in the front either – keeping all passengers very pleased indeed. 

Visibility is superb, too. There’s lots of glass, which not only keeps the cabin light and airy, but also helps when reversing, though the 540-degree camera has you covered here. It beats having a 360-degree camera because you can see underneath as well as around. 

We drove our right-hand drive test car from Versailles to Bilbao, and didn’t once have any issues at junctions or when joining French auto routes. 

And a common trend with many new cars, is the ability to change between Drive, Neutral and Reverse using a stalk behind the wheel. This works exceptionally well in this car, making changing direction really seamless. 

Tech and features 

JAECOO 8 trims 

– Luxury (seven seats) 

– Executive (six seats) 

The JAECOO 8 is available in two different trims: Luxury and Executive. 

There’s a £2,000 difference between them, with the latter adding a more spacious seating layout (though you lose one seat), added suede touches, a heated steering wheel and auto-tilt mirrors in reverse. 

Is it a worthy upgrade? We think so if you want a more luxurious experience with the 4+2 seating layout, though the cheaper spec is more practical. 

Aside from the aforementioned features, you also get a lot more for your money.  

All versions come with dual 12.3-inch displays that run JAECOO’s latest software, which is smooth and responsive. There’s also wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which most people will automatically default to anyway. 

While this works well, our slight gripe is with accessing the climate controls, which can only be done by swiping up on the screen when smartphone mirroring is active. It would’ve been nice for them to be on screen all of the time, or on separate dials below the screen. 

Underneath the screen is a 50W wireless phone charger and lots of USB-C ports dotted around the cabin. Other tech includes a high-quality parking camera and Sony speakers as standard (again, superb). 

And good news for families (and those driving in summer) – you get a cooled central storage area, which is great for bottles, snacks and general road trip detritus. 

Engines and power 

JAECOO 8 performance stats 

– Power: 428hp 

– 0-62mph: 5.8 seconds 

– Top speed: 112mph (electronically limited) 

– Driven wheels: All-wheel drive (AWD) 

Unlike the JAECOO 5 and JAECOO 7, the 8 is available with just one powertrain, but that’s no bad thing. 

In fact, it’s the best pick of the bunch anyway. It’s powered by a 1.5-litre petrol engine paired with a plug-in hybrid system (dubbed SHS-P) that brings a large battery and powerful electric motors good for 428hp and up to 83 miles of electric range. 

These motors also mean the JAECOO 8 has an all-wheel drive setup, which helps to put the power down (0-62mph in 5.8 seconds), and means you could – in theory – go off-road a little bit, though we didn’t try it. 

We drove our test car over 600 miles through France and Spain and didn’t once think it lacked power or performance. In fact, it’s one of the best SUVs we’ve ever taken on a long motorway road trip. 

Handling and ride comfort 

Driving any car hundreds of miles along motorways can be one of the most tedious tasks. For example, we’ve driven large stretches of the UK in city cars, and trust us, it isn’t all that comfortable. 

But in the JAECOO 8? It’s a breeze. 

This is mostly thanks to the car’s clever continuous damping control (CDC), which offers subtle damping control to smooth out any bumps in the road. It’s by far the best riding JAECOO we’ve ever tested (and we’ve driven them all). 

On the motorway, it doesn’t feel floaty like some large SUVs, and despite sitting on wide 20-inch wheels, it feels well-cushioned. The same can be said for country roads, which don’t unsettle the car or make it feel wallowy – not an easy thing to engineer. 

Around town, it’s just as impressive. Where other cars are pushed around by jittery bumps in the tarmac, the JAECOO 8 remains composed and comfortable – without being too soft. 

Boot space 

JAECOO 8 boot space:  

– Boot space: 738 litres (110 litres with all three seat rows up) 

– Incl. rear seats folded: 2,021 litres 

Being an SUV, the JAECOO 8 has most other cars beat when it comes to boot space.  

In its standard four (or five) seat layout, you get over 700 litres of space, which is plenty for everyone's luggage or a massive food shop. 

Pop up all three rows of seats, and this drops to 110 litres, which isn’t amazing, but it’s still good considering the size of the car – it’s not really that long. For reference, the Volkswagen Tayron gets 345 litres with all seven seats in place. 

Fold down both rear rows and the space grows to a massive 2,021 litres, making it like a small van, which is great for moving house or an IKEA trip. 

By comparison, the Kia Sorento PHEV gets 809 litres of space, and the Hyundai Santa Fe has 985 litres. The JAECOO may fall slightly short, but its boxy shape and attractive price make you feel the pinch much less. 

Rear seats 

The car we tested was the six-seat Executive version, and we were lucky enough to be chauffeured for a bit of the journey and can confirm it’s a great car for the job. 

Not only are the seats heated, cooled, and have a massage function, but they’re also incredibly comfortable. There’s impressive bolstering, folding armrests and lots of electronic adjustability to find your desired position. 

There are also no issues with head space or knee room, and the panoramic sunroof extends all the way back. There are also sun blinds on the windows, should you wish to use them. 

Our one annoyance with the Executive’s rear seats was the lack of rear cupholders. You have generous door bins, but not many places to put your drinks.  

Storage solutions 

The JAECOO 8 is full of nifty storage solutions. There are large door bins in all four doors, a deep central storage area between the front seats, two cupholders in front of it, space for two phones and a cubby underneath this unit, too. 

The glovebox is merely average, but there are so many other options that it’s not a problem. 

JAECOO 8 dimensions  

– Height: 1,710mm 

– Width: 1,930mm 

– Length: 4,820mm 

– Kerb weight: 2,260kg 

Safety 

Euro NCAP hasn't yet safety tested the JAECOO 8, but the mechanically similar OMODA 9 and JAECOO 7 both scored five stars, so we anticipate this will do well too. 

Onboard safety features include up to 10 airbags, a high-impact-resistant frame, a 540-degree camera, stability control and a wide range of other standard features that all modern cars have these days. 

It also comes fitted with all the usual mandatory ADAS settings, but these can be easily turned off by swiping down on the infotainment screen. We found the lane-keep assist to be particularly aggressive, sticking you to the road markings instead of the middle of the road, so we just turned it off. 

Fuel economy 

Having spent a few days and many hundreds of miles with the JAECOO 8, we can safely say it will do the distance. 

We filled up with petrol and fully charged the battery, and could comfortably drive over 600 motorway miles with four people and a lot of luggage – this isn’t something you get in all large SUVs. 

It has a 70-litre tank and a 34.46kWh battery, which offers a claimed 700+ miles of range when they work together, and up to 83 miles on electric power alone. 

In reality, this gave us between 40 and 50mpg on a long run, which just shows you the power of the SHS-P plug-in hybrid system. 

What does SHS-P stand for? It means ‘Super-Hybrid System’, which is the name JAECOO gives to its plug-in hybrid system. 

By comparison, when we tested the Kia Sorento, we saw 43.8mpg, and 37 to 41mpg in the Hyundai Santa Fe. Safe to say the JAECOO stands up well against well-established competition. 

Reliability 

It’s very early to tell the long-term reliability of the JAECOO 8, with the model being so new and the brand being fresh to the UK. 

But we are confident, given JAECOO’s current lineup, that it’ll keep you happy for many miles to come. 

Every new JAECOO comes with a seven-year/100,000-mile warranty, which will cover any niggles that could spring up.