PETALING JAYA: Jaecoo, the luxury sub-brand of Chery, has announced its intention to enter Malaysia as a stand-alone brand.
Combining Jaeger (German for hunter) and Cool to bring about the brand's name, the China-based luxury brand now looks to debut two sports utility vehicles (SUVs) starting with the mid-sized J7 SUV that's expected to arrive in the middle of the year.
J7.
This will be followed by the larger full-sized J8 later in the year.
The J7 takes aim at the Mazda CX-5 and Honda CR-V.
J7.
In terms of pricing, the company aims to tag the J7 somewhere under RM210,000.
Its 1.6-litre turbocharged engine with 194hp and 290Nm of torque is mated to a Getrag seven-speed wet dual-clutch transmission featuring an intelligent all-wheel drive system.
J7.
The J7 also promises a 0 to 100kph sprint in 8.0 seconds.
The front features distinguished columnar "waterfall" grille flanked by split automatic LED headlights and daytime running lights.
J7.
Rolling on 19-inch Aurora-inspired wheels with 235/50 series tyres, the J7 has a ride height of 200mm and a wading depth of 600mm for some off-roading abilities.
Getting inside via the pop-out door handles reveals a centrally-located 14.8-inch panoramic screen that will likely receive most of the attention as a 50W wireless fast charger intends to keep the cabin free of Type-C charging cables.
J8.
Meanwhile, a Sony sound system will appeal to audiophiles who will thoroughly enjoy the plush ventilated seats and wide-cupping headrests.
The laminated acoustic windshield combined with the integrated carpet damping pads is said to lower noise, vibration and harshness levels with the cabin becoming as silent as 37.6dB for added comfort.
J8.
Also to be expected are warship-inspired door handles, a panoramic sunroof, a fighter jet-inspired gear shifter and a round all-terrain response control selector.
For safety, up to 21 smart driving functions within the vehicle's advanced driver aid systems (ADAS) can be expected, including a heads-up-display (HUD), automatic emergency braking, front collision warning, lane departure warning and prevention, emergency lane keeping, intelligent evasion system, curve speed assistance and front vehicle move-off alert.
J8.
There's also rear collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert and braking, blind spot detection, lane-changing assistance, door opening warning, park assist, intelligent headlamp control, traffic jam assist, adaptive cruise control and a 540-degree panoramic camera system.
Meanwhile, not many details have been made available on the larger J8 other than the intention to see it grace our shores with 10 airbags and a CDC magnetic suspension system with an adaptive millisecond-level adjustment response system that changes the vehicle's suspension in real-time according to the surface's contours.
J8.
The J8's body structure also incorporates an innovative caged energy-absorbing design and gets a high-strength steel usage rate of 85%.
Among the visible equipment are pop-out door handles, adaptive LED headlights with daytime running lights, 20-inch wheels with 245/50 series tyres, LED rear light clusters, integrated LED signal lights and a turbocharged engine.
J8.
Inside, the J8 gets wireless charging, ventilated front seats, a round gear selector, a panoramic sunroof, leather-wrapped multifunction flat-bottomed steering wheel, power and ventilated front seats, quad-zone climate controls, Type-A and Type-C USB ports, rear manual sun visors and boss-seat controls.
