2025 Jaecoo J7 review

The Jaecoo J7 comes armed with plenty of technology, but is that enough to survive in the hyper-competitive mid-sized SUV market?  

According to VFACTS figures, there are no fewer than 28 different models to choose from in the medium SUV segment – make that 61 if you include those that cost more than $60,000. This is the shark tank into which Chinese brand Jaecoo introduced its J7 back in May.

While buyers in this segment aren’t averse to the value proposition Chinese car makers offer – both BYD and GWM SUVs are selling in respectable numbers – Jaecoo is late to the party and the cake is being sliced ever thinner. Can the J7’s recipe of ‘technology and luxury touches for a reasonable price’ win over consumers?

How much does the 2025 Jaecoo J7 cost?

The J7 is available in three model grades: Core, Track and Ridge. The Core and Track are 2WD while the Ridge has AWD.

The base model Core starts at $34,990 drive away, the mid-spec Track is $37,990, and the Ridge is $42,990.

As a mid-sized SUV the Jaecoo J7 is up against a slew of well-established and top-selling competitors, among them the Mitsubishi Outlander, Nissan X-Trail, Toyota RAV4, Subaru Forester, Hyundai Tucson, Mazda CX-5, Kia Sportage, and loads more, with prices ranging from mid-$30k up to $50k and beyond.

The Jaecoo J7 is covered with an eight-year/unlimited kilometre warranty. The capped price servicing schedule adds up to $2952 (2WD) and $3322 (AWD) over the warranty period.

What is the 2025 Jaecoo J7 like inside?

The first thing to catch the eye as you enter the Jaecoo J7 Ridge (our test vehicle) is its 14.8-inch central touchscreen, which is mounted vertically ala the Tesla Model Y.

This is the sensible aspect ratio for a large screen – mounted horizontally, it sometimes means the driver has to lean across to reach the left-hand side. It’s just as well, because the touchscreen is very much the J7’s control centre.

The only physical buttons available are the front demister, a home button for the air conditioning controls (which appear on the screen), hazard lights, and an on/off switch for the infotainment system.

Big screen aside, the J7’s interior styling appears to have taken inspiration from the Toyota RAV4’s ‘utilitarian chic’ look, with lots of straight lines and angles. The jet-fighter gear shifter adds futuristic flair while also serving its purpose, with a simple forward or back action for drive or reverse, a button built into it for park, and an automatic parking brake.

On the centre console are two spaces for smartphones (one with induction charging), plus a vertical slot for a third phone. There’s additional storage in cubby below gear shifter, which is not especially easy to access but it does have rubber matting to stop objects sliding around.

Up front, passengers are treated to wide, comfortable seats with thick synthetic leather upholstery, two deep drink holders, and two speakers. Overall, the materials used in the J7’s trim feel a little cheaper and less likely to wear well than those in its bigger sibling, the Jaecoo J8. Also in common with the J8 is the silly placement of the two USB ports low on the passenger’s side of the centre console, making them all but impossible to access from the driver’s seat.

In the second row, knee room is good, but the shape of floor beneath the front seats compromises foot room somewhat and the C-pillar’s inward slope means head room in the outboard seats is a fraction less than the roof height suggests – and there’s not a lot of space for elbows.

Rear passengers get a single air conditioning vent, one USB-A and one USB-C port, two speakers, a fold-down arm rest with cupholders, and not a lot else.

The seats are comfortable enough, but not adjustable in any way aside from the height of the head rest. Cargo space is satisfactory for the mid-sized SUV category, with 970mm between wheel arches, 850mm from seat back to boot lip, and 710mm between the boot floor and top of the door aperture.

What equipment does the 2025 Jaecoo J7 come with?

Among the Core’s standard inclusions are 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, synthetic leather seats, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, 13.2-inch infotainment touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite navigation and voice command functionality.

The extra $3000 for the Track entitles you to a powered tailgate, front parking sensors, a 360-degree around-view monitor, heated front seats, illuminated vanity mirrors, customisable ambient lighting, dual-zone air conditioning, an eight-speaker sound system, 50-watt wireless charger, rain-sensing wipers and acoustic windscreen glass.

Opting for the Ridge will bring 19-inch alloy wheels, AWD with torque vectoring, a full-size spare wheel, 14.8-inch infotainment screen, panoramic sunroof, driver’s seat with memory function, heated steering wheel, ventilated front seats, an in-built dashcam, and puddle lights.

Between the turbo spooling up and the sludgy seven-speed transmission changing down, it’s almost impossible to drive smoothly. 

— Kris Ashton

1/10

How safe is the 2025 Jaecoo J7?

While ANCAP awarded five stars to the Jaecoo J7 plug-in hybrid, that rating does not apply to petrol variants. Nevertheless, the J7 Core comes equipped with seven airbags and 17 ADAS features, while the Track and Ridge get an additional airbag for the driver’s knees.

What powers the 2025 Jaecoo J7? 

Popping the bonnet reveals a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine that develops 137kW of power and 275Nm of torque. A seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT) swaps the cogs, and drive is either through the front wheels (Core and Track) or all four wheels (Ridge).

Combined fuel consumption claims are 7.0L/100km for the 2WD variants and 7.8L/100km for the AWD Ridge. The Ridge also has a 57-litre fuel tank, slightly larger than the 51-litre tanks in its 2WD brethren. All three require minimum 95 RON unleaded petrol.

What is the 2025 Jaecoo J7 like to drive?

As with so many modern cars, the Jaecoo J7’s focus on digital operation comes with pluses and minuses. The driver’s information screen, for example, encompasses a speedo, tacho, fuel/range, and other car related information, and if you hold down the circle button on steering wheel the entire screen is devoted a satellite navigation map, which is both safer and more convenient. And if you adjust the electric driver’s seat, a prompt comes up asking if you want to save the position – super-handy.

But the central touchscreen, while large and generally user-friendly, just has too many basic functions buried in it. If you’re connected to Apple CarPlay and want to turn on recirculated air before entering a tunnel, for instance, it’s no fewer than four touchscreen presses to achieve the required result. That’s the opposite of safe.

The J7 also has quite a narrow rear window, limiting vision, and Jaecoo’s solution has been to install a convex rearview mirror. But all that really does is shrink and distort the image, making it harder to judge the distance of and array of vehicles behind you.

With 137kW and 275Nm propelling a 1628kg vehicle performance should be ample, but between the turbo spooling up and the sludgy seven-speed transmission changing down, it’s almost impossible to drive smoothly. Things become especially herky-jerky when you’re attempting some quick acceleration, with power arriving in a glut about a second after it is required.

The J7 is nowhere near as cumbersome as the J8, and the all-paw grip with torque vectoring in the Ridge further helps stabilise its dynamics, including fairly linear and responsive steering. Maybe the J7’s not the category leader in ride and handling, but it’s good enough that you stop thinking about it.

The Ridge’s drive mode selections include eco, normal, sport, snow, mud and off-road. While it does have AWD, it wouldn’t be wise to get too adventurous; the Ridge is nobody’s idea of a serious off-roader. That said, it does get a full-sized spare wheel – an increasingly uncommon reassurance for road trippers.

The Jaecoo J7 did display a few quality and engineering concerns during our time with it. The middle rear seat belt reminder kept going off even though no one was sitting in it, and at one point I brushed the lock/unlock touch panel on the pop-out door handle and it tried to withdraw with my fingers trapped in it. Moreover, the internal grab handle is quite a long way back, so if the door is fully ajar you really have to stretch to reach it. 

Open Road’s take on the 2025 Jaecoo J7

Jaecoo is looking to establish itself as a brand that offers premium features without the premium price tag, and to an extent the Jaecoo J7 delivers on that promise, especially on the technology side. But to drive it is to be reminded how Chinese-built cars got their substandard reputation – the clunky powertrain just isn’t satisfactory in a segment full of established and refined Japanese and Korean competitors. 

We have yet to test the Jaecoo J7 SHS plug-in hybrid ($47,990), which may provide a more agreeable on-road experience.

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