Jaecoo J8 to make Malaysia debut at 1 Utama from March 27 to 30 – 2.0T 3-row SUV launching soon?

It appears Jaecoo Malaysia is in for a busy year – less than a month after launching the J7 PHEV, the company has revealed that its next model will be the flagship J8, which will be shown at a roadshow at 1 Utama next week, March 27 to 30. In typical Jaecoo fashion, this will likely kick off a long teaser campaign that will lead to an eventual launch in a few months.

We first saw the J8 early last year when it was previewed alongside the J7 (it was spotted again during the opening of the CKD local assembly plant in June), with the expectation that it would be launched in the fourth quarter of 2024. That proved not to be the case, as Jaecoo Malaysia had its hands full bringing the Omoda C9 and the J7 PHEV to market.

Now, however, seems to finally be the J8’s time. The car was already caught by our own photographer Sherman Sim in Penang earlier this year wearing very light camouflage, so we knew the launch was imminent – something this roadshow has pretty much confirmed.

As expected for the flagship of an SUV brand, the J8 is huge – measuring 4,820 mm long, 1,930 mm wide and 1,699 mm tall, it’s nearly 100 mm longer and 70 mm wider than the already sizeable Tiggo 8 Pro, while its 2,820 mm wheelbase is 110 mm longer. Its size puts it in the ballpark of the Kia Sorento, a car Jaecoo is gunning for with its circa-RM200,000 estimated pricing.

It wears its considerable dimensions well, with a sleek Americana design (there are shades of Lincoln Aviator in the streamlined surfacing, front fender appliqués, blacked-out D-pillars and wraparound full-width taillights) and Mercedes-style interior.

The widescreen display panel, wraparound wood trim, silvery air vents and wide centre console in particular bring to mind the previous-generation W213 Mercedes E-Class, which is not exactly a bad thing. Six-seater models also get plush second-row captain’s chairs, while the front passenger receives a powered ottoman – rare for a petrol car.

It also looks like you’ll be getting a lot of kit with the J8, including full-LED lighting, massive 20-inch alloy wheels, flush pop-out door handles, twin 12.3-inch displays on a widescreen display panel, four-zone climate control, heated and ventilated seats for the first and second rows, a panoramic glass sunroof, cooled armrest storage, paddle shifters, a 360-degree camera system and a 14-speaker Sony sound system.

Power comes from the Tiggo 8 Pro’s 2.0 litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, here churning out 249 PS and 385 Nm (slightly less power and torque). It’s paired with a seven-speed wet dual-clutch transmission and a choice of either front- or all-wheel drive.

The J8 is not the only Jaecoo model to be launched this year – it will be followed by the J6, a smaller (and very boxy) electric model. That car was due to arrive early this year, but with the J8 being ahead of it in the queue, expect its launch to only happen later on.

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