By Sala Masindane

It is no secret that Chinese OEMs are flooding the local market with products. This influx isn’t necessarily a bad thing—competition often drives innovation and better pricing. However, the products must be up to standard. Brands like Chery and GWM have been introducing affordable and competitive vehicles, raising the bar in the market. Chery recently introduced its sister brand, Jaecoo, to the world. We had the chance to spend time with the Jaecoo J7 Inferno to see if it lives up to the strong reputation Chery has built.

Exterior

The range-topping SUV boasts a sleek and modern exterior design. Key highlights include a distinctive grille, LED headlights, and stylish 19-inch alloy wheels. The exterior design is undoubtedly the biggest attraction of this SUV—fresh and bold in its approach.

Interior

The trend of a stylish exterior continues inside. The Jaecoo J7 Inferno offers a tech-focused cabin featuring a 14.8-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 50W wireless charging, a digital instrument cluster, and premium leather seats.

The infotainment screen is intuitive and serves as the focal point of the interior. However, the 412-liter boot space is on the smaller side, suitable for compact families. Thankfully, folding down the rear seats expands it to a more practical 1,335 liters.

Drive and performance

Under the hood, the J7 is powered by a 1.6-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, delivering 145 kW and 290 Nm, paired with a 7-speed automatic gearbox. The power is channeled through Jaecoo’s All-Road Drive Intelligent System, providing all-wheel drive capability.

The engine offers sufficient power for daily driving, with a smooth and comfortable ride quality. While Jaecoo claims a fuel consumption of 7.8 L/100 km, our week-long test returned an average of 8.7 L/100 km, which is still commendable for an SUV of this size. Although marketed as an off-road SUV, our experience was limited to city commutes, leaving its off-road capabilities untested.

Final word

The Jaecoo J7 Inferno is every bit as impressive as it claims to be. Stylish, well-equipped, and competitively priced, it delivers strong value at a starting price of R679,900. While it remains to be seen how well the J7 will age over time, Jaecoo has certainly made a striking debut with this model.