2025 Jaecoo J8 approved for showroom entry

Jaecoo’s promised SUV expansion is already coming to fruition with the three-row J8 having just been approved for sale in Australia and due in local showrooms this June.

Australian pricing and specification details will be announced closer to its release, however this week’s publishing of the 2025 Jaecoo J8’s homologation data gives us some rough insight as to what to expect in terms of the line-up's general composition.

According to ADR approval documents seen by carsales, the J8 will launch here exclusively with a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine good for 183kW/385Nm and the option of either front- or all-wheel drive.

An interesting revelation however is the listing of an eight-speed automatic transmission as opposed to the seven-speed dual-clutch unit offered both overseas and in the related Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max – which uses essentially the same engine.

Despite being offered in China as a seven-seater, the Australian J8s are primed to come here as five- and six-seaters, specifically in a 2+3 and 2+2+2 configuration respectively, giving it a unique point of difference to both its direct rivals and the cheaper Tiggo 8 it’s based on.

That’s not to say a seven-seater won’t come, and we’re positive the PHEV(s) will be on the menu too, possibly even from launch as per the smaller Jaecoo J7.

Other key takeaways include two different suspension set-ups for the front- and all-wheel drive variants, dimensions of 4820mm x 1930mm x 1710mm, a 2672mm wheelbase and ground clearance of 159-162mm depending on the variant.

That nominated ground clearance again varies from the Chinese version’s 181mm, and it will be interesting to see if the Australian cars score the original’s 600mm wading depth – Jaecoo pitches the J8 as its most off-road-capable model and a segment leader amongst its peers.

For reference, the latest Toyota Prado and soon to be retired Mitsubishi Pajero Sport ladder-frame 4x4s are both rated to wade up to 700mm of water.