JAECOO J7 launched in Malaysia, priced from RM138,800

The J7 SUV from JAECOO, the premium SUV brand in the Chery Group, has been officially launched in Malaysia.

This is the first market in Southeast Asia that the brand is making its debut; not only that but Malaysia is also the first country in the region that the J7 is being assembled in.

2 versions available
Initially, JAECOO Malaysia was not sure if they wanted to offer one or both versions of the J7 and studied the consumer interest. It would seem that both versions – the 2WD and All-Wheel Drive – are of equal interest so both are offered.

Before the launch, we were told that the price range would be between RM150,000 and RM160,000 but JAECOO Malaysia has certainly sprung a surprise: RM138,800 (without insurance) for the J7 2WD and RM148,800 for the J7 AWD. Attractive pricing considering the premium nature of the vehicles.

Both SUVs are powered by a 1.6-litre Kunpeng turbocharged 4-cylinder direct-injection petrol engine. This produces 194 bhp/290 Nm which goes to the front wheels or all four wheels though a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

For the J7 AWD, advanced All Road Drive Intelligent System distributes power and torque to the front and rear wheels to optimise stability and grip. Like many of the modern AWD systems, there are different modes which the driver can choose from to suit different surface conditions.

Selecting one of the modes is like having a pro off-road driver take over and as our experience at M4TREC showed, it can handle all sorts of terrain, reflecting a high level of capability. At the same time, having a monocoque structure gives it passenger car-like comfort on the road.

Premium inside and outside
With its premium positioning, the J7 comes with not only a comprehensive list of features and equipment but the materials inside are also of a high quality.

Chery and Jaguar Land Rover have an association going back some 10 years and apart from a joint venture company making and selling JLR products, the two automakers are also sharing technologies. No doubt, the long experience of JLR in premium products would have benefited the J7 and other JAECOO models.

Confidence in quality and durability
Chery isn’t exactly new in the Malaysian market, having first entered 20 years ago. But the effort back then was largely dependent on the commitment of the local business partner. The brand faded away at the end of the 2000s and while many may have forgotten, the Chery people feel the brand was poorly represented then.

Now they are back and directly involved in all aspects, so they are putting in maximum effort to give the best products and services. With the JAECOO brand, it’s even more important since this is intended to be a premium SUV brand.

In this respect, they have Emily Lek as Vice-President of the JAECOO Malaysia unit and she comes from a background with a German premium luxury brand, so she knows what is required.

10-year/1-million km warranty
With the Chery brand, Chery Malaysia made strong point about durability by offering a 10-year or 1-million-km engine warranty, the first time a warranty of this length (for an engine) has been available in Malaysia. It is now also available with the Extra Peace of Mind package.

JAECOO Malaysia is also offering this 10-year/1 million km engine warranty to those who already booked a J7 as well as those who book before July 21, 2024. For those who miss that date, the standard warranty will be 7 years/150,000 kms.

Additionally, those who take a J7 2WD will have a larger infotainment screen than the 13.2-inch one which comes as standard. This is the 14.8-inch display that is standard with the J7 AWD.

With assembly of the J7 having begun last month at the plant in Shah Alam, Selangor, JAECOO Malaysia has built up stocks by launch day and expects to begin deliveries through its 35 dealers from next month.

JAECOO Malaysia to start off with network of 35 outlets nationwide