Jaecoo J7 SHS Summit PHEV 2025 Review

The 2025 Jaecoo J7 will officially go on sale in Australia in May, with a suite of both 2WD, AWD and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variants (or SHS, or Super Hybrid System, in Jaecoo-speak).

The lineup starts with the 2WD Core ($34,990 drive away) and Track ($37,990 drive away) variants, before stepping up to the AWD Ridge ($42,990 drive away). That leaves the flagship J7 SHS Summit, priced from $47,990 drive away, which is the subject of this review.

Thanks to its mix of combustion and PHEV drivelines, the Jaecoo J7 will launch in the mid-size SUV segment amid a wide range of rivals, including the Toyota RAV4 ($42,260), GWM Haval H6 ($33,990) and Mazda CX-5 ($36,590), among others.

When it comes to the PHEV, the BYD Sealion 6 ($42,990) and Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV ($57,290) are also very much in Jaecoo’s sights.

On the tech front, the Jaecoo J7 SHS Summit features a 10.25-inch LCD digital driver’s display, a massive 14.8-inch infotainment touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, sat-nav, a dash-cam, and ‘Hello Jaecoo’ intelligent voice commands.

Distinguishing the Jaecoo J7 from the Chery Tiggo 7 Pro with which it shares its underpinnings, is the former’s more upmarket and premium look, feel, and inclusions.

Jaecoo says it’s appealing to ‘the new elites’ – weekend adventurers, urban city slickers, and young couples with pets with an eye for design and style – while the Chery is pitched as more of a family car for parents after plenty of space.

The J7’s bold styling is strongly reminiscent of a Range Rover Evoque. The large waterfall grille, slimline LED daytime running lights and stacked LED headlight clusters create a striking front profile, while 19-inch alloy wheels with aero covers and an integrated rear lightbar featuring the ‘JAECOO’ name across the boot add further flair.

Aerodynamic tweaks (including the wheels, side mirrors and roof rails) set the model apart from its petrol siblings, and lower its drag coefficient from 0.351cd to 0.318cd.

It even has pop-out door handles, which sees the Jaecoo J7 leaning into the premium car space, while differentiating it both from a crowded market and offerings from Chery.

The more premium feel extends to the synthetic leather seats, which offer excellent cushioning and support. The seating features six-way adjustment for the driver, four-way for the front passenger, plus heating and ventilation for both.

There’s also a 360-degree around-view parking camera system with front and rear parking sensors and an eight-speaker Sony sound system. Meanwhile, a massive panoramic sunroof with slide and tilt function and powered sunshade really tops off the interior’s upmarket push.

While the car is yet to receive an ANCAP safety rating, Jaecoo is anticipating it will receive the full five stars like its counterpart, the Chery Tiggo 7 Pro.

As standard there are eight airbags and 17 advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), which Jaecoo says have been tuned for Australian roads and conditions. These include Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Emergency Lane Keeping (ELK) and Lane Departure Warning (LDW).

Under the bonnet, the Jaecoo J7 SHS gets a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine that puts out 105kW and 215Nm, while the single electric motor has 150kW and 310Nm. Both drive power to the front wheels only via a single-speed Dedicated Hybrid Transmission (DHT).

The Super Hybrid System works a little differently compared to some other PHEV and hybrid setups. As a Stepless Electric Hybrid System, it offers four driving modes of pure electric, series, parallel, and energy recovery. Most of the time, the front wheels are driven via the electric motor with the engine working to either charge the battery or, at speeds over 80km/h, help drive the front wheels.

Impressively, when the battery is above 30 per cent charge, the SHS can run as a pure EV up to speeds of 120km/h. Average fuel consumption is said to be 1.0L/100km and the battery has about 106km of pure EV range. On our drive loop of around 200km on city, freeway and country roads, we saw it average around 4.5L/100km and deplete 59% of the battery.

When it comes to charging that 18.3kWh battery, it can charge from 30-80% at up to 40kW on a DC fast charger in 20 minutes, while it can charge from 25-100% at up to 6.6kW via an AC charger in 160 minutes. This puts it on the faster end of the PHEV charging rate scale.

Jaecoo has announced an impressive warranty period of eight years and unlimited kilometres for the J7, as well as eight years of capped-priced servicing costing $3372 over the eight years (and $299 for the first three years).

The brand also includes 12 months of complimentary roadside assistance, which will auto renew yearly for the next seven consecutive years if you service your J7 within the authorised Jaecoo dealer network.

Just like the 2WD Track model we’ve already reviewed, it’s all about the style and design of the J7 SHS Summit.

The subtle and not-so-subtle nods to the Range Rover Evoque really drive the intrigue and personality of this car. As we were driving around, it was certainly getting looks from passers-by, while on our socials many thought it was a Range Rover.

From that front waterfall grille to the checkerboard headlight treatment, pop-out door handles and the side profile’s boxy yet curved lines that are synonymous with the British luxury off-road brand, it’s easy to understand why it caught many by surprise.

The Jaecoo J7 is serving luxury car dupe vibes with its exterior design and that isn’t a bad thing. While the 2WD’s interior didn’t quite match the luxe exterior cues, the SHS Summit rectifies this with more soft-touch materials, a revised door handle setup as well as a pop-top centre console.

The massive panoramic sunroof really makes the cabin feel bigger and brighter too.

Then there’s the price. For $47,990 drive away, the J7 SHS Summit comes in well under comparable rivals like the Kia Sportage HEV, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, and BYD Sealion 6 PHEV, while still ticking plenty of boxes including its fuel-saving tech.

A real highlight of this vehicle is its PHEV system. Not only is the 106km EV-only range enticing, a total range of 1200km from its 60L tank is a great selling point. The 2WD petrol model displayed lag on take-off and during overtaking, but this hybrid-electric drive system feels and operates like a pure EV. Inner city driving was a much more enjoyable experience.

Noise suppression is excellent, so much so that it was hard to tell if the petrol engine was running or not. The single-gear transmission works effortlessly, ensuring a smooth driving experience both around town and on the freeway. I far preferred this to the dual clutch transmission found in the petrol models.

It was actually enjoyable to drive this car in bumper-to-bumper traffic yet when open roads and higher speed limits allowed, you could really take off and reach that limit with minimal effort. Although the vehicle is substantially heavier than the petrol 2WD and AWD models (by over 250kg, depending on the variant), it certainly doesn’t feel it.

The ride is generally compliant, the car soaking up the bumps and rough patches on the road loop we drove between Sydney Airport and the NSW Central Coast, without much bounce or body roll.

The SHS Summit rides on 19-inch wheels and you can certainly notice a difference when compared to the 18-inch wheels of the 2WD Track variant.

While the 19-inch setup was an improvement over the 18-inch wheels in terms of the way the car handled road imperfections, with less bounce and more control (the extra weight of the PHEV system perhaps also playing a role here), there were more noticeable road noises and thuds bouncing around the cabin, especially on the Hills M2 motorway, on the bigger wheels.

The Jaecoo J7’s 14.8-inch infotainment screen is large but for the space the portrait layout works well. Viewing things in a vertical format makes it much easier to find things quickly, I find, especially through the iPhone-style menu system.

The 360-degree around-view monitor display is incredibly clear and perfectly suited for the portrait orientation. The interactive 360-degree parking camera mode is another standout; it’s a big help when navigating those tighter, trickier parking spaces.

Life in the second row is quite pleasant too. Fitting two adults comfortably, there’s heaps of head room and the knee room is decent, even if the bench depth might be a little on the shorter side for taller types.

There are USB-A and USB-C slots in the rear as well as up front, and a nifty door opening warning that sees a light bar in the door trim illuminate red if there is an object or cyclist passing by, for example.

The adaptive cruise control works well enough, and the car is placed in the centre of the lane firmly. The occasional hard yanks from the wheel can catch you off guard, especially when the road ahead looks relatively straight, but for the majority of the time it’s controllable.

A challenge for the Jaecoo J7 regardless of what variant you purchase is that for a mid-size SUV, it’s 10cm shorter than the segment top seller, Toyota’s RAV4. Although its width, height and wheelbase are almost identical, for those looking for an SUV of this size, a smaller boot when compared to rivals could be a dealbreaker.

The SHS summit also misses out on a spare wheel; it only gets the goo. Inside the boot compartment where the spare would usually reside lives the hybrid’s battery pack. At least the complimentary roadside assist is available if you do find yourself stuck with a puncture.

On the road, the steering does not feel as sharp or as direct as I’d like. I have a personal preference for firmer steering, but even with the sport steering mode selected I found there wasn’t sufficient weight to deliver a strong sense of connection with the road, or the direction you’re pointing the car towards. The front-drive format might be a catalyst for this numb feeling at centre; it might be different if the car was all-wheel drive.

Like any new car these days, it takes some time to familiarise yourself with all the technology, settings, displays and even buttons. As a design choice, there are none of the usual window buttons, door lock or mirror adjustments you’d usually find on the driver’s door. Most of these functions are carried out via the infotainment screen, if you can find the shortcut. Nothing can be done in a hurry.

The same goes for the climate-control buttons. Everything is adjusted on the screen, which when in Android Auto mode as I was, involved a swipe up before several tap attempts to change the temperature. Yes, you can use the voice control, but when has that ever been a truly successful exercise?

While the prices across the range are incredibly competitive, there are a few aspects where build quality and materials fall short, reflecting its keen pricing. Some of the interior materials were on the more plasticky side of things, and I’m not convinced of the durability of the finish on the metal-look plastics on the air-vents. The boot’s thud and rattle could have been fixed with some foam or a different number plate housing – just little things that are at odds with the ‘premium’ styling.

If you want a stylish, feature-packed hybrid SUV that turns heads, the Jaecoo J7 SHS Summit is a serious contender. It looks like a luxury car, comes loaded with tech, and offers impressive hybrid efficiency – all for a price that undercuts most competitors. The fact that it can run for over 100km on electric power alone and still stretch to 1200km in total range makes it one of the more practical PHEVs on the market.

However, it’s not perfect. While the design screams premium, some of the materials inside don’t quite match the expectation. Plus, as a new brand in Australia, long-term reliability and resale value are still unknowns, although the eight-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty should at least give peace of mind to those keen to take the plunge.

If you love something a little different from the mainstream and love paying less for it, the Jaecoo J7 SHS Summit could be a great buy. But we will be interested to see whether Aussies will get onboard with the same enthusiasm here as they have with the BYD Sealion 6 PHEV.

2025 Jaecoo J7 SHS Summit PHEV at a glance:
Price: $47,990 drive-away
Available: May 2025
Powertrain: 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol-electric
Output: 105kW/215Nm (electric motor: 150kW/310Nm)
Combined output: 255kW/525Nm
Transmission: Automatic
Battery: 18.3kWh lithium iron phosphate
Range: 106km (NEDC)
Energy consumption: 15.9kWh/100km (ADR)
Fuel: 1.0L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 31g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested

Join the conversation at our Facebook page
Or email us at editor@carsales.com.au