First Impression Jaecoo J8, A Beautiful Car That Can Go Off-road

The second-row seats already use captain seats to increase passenger comfort and ease of access to the third row.

In the driver's seat, the seat, mirror, and steering wheel adjustments are all electric, making it easy for us to find a suitable driving position.

However, like most Chinese cars, many feature controls are managed through the head unit. So it can be quite troublesome if you are not used to it.

Then, the transmission shifter has been moved to a stalk on the right behind the steering wheel. Meanwhile, to adjust the seat position, the buttons are located on the driver's door panel.

Photo : KatadataOTO

Driving Impressions

The Jaecoo J8 has quite large dimensions, with a width of nearly two meters. But thanks to the comfortable and ergonomic driving position, the surroundings of the vehicle are easy to monitor from the driver's seat.

In the first session, the Jaecoo J8 was taken for a short drive on normal paved roads in Sentul.

Comprehensive safety features, including a 360-degree camera, help when the car has to navigate narrow road sections.

Similar to the Chery Omoda E5, the J8's instrument panel can detect and display animations of vehicle types around the car, from motorcycles to trucks.

Photo : KatadataOTO

The J8's cabin is quiet enough to dampen the sound of other vehicles outside. However, using normal mode, the engine's roar is quite audible when accelerating at high speeds.

When using sport mode and the gas pedal is fully pressed, the power delivery feels a bit ‘lagging’ before accelerating. The engine sound also becomes more audible in the cabin.

But a highlight for us, when compared to its close sibling, the Chery Tiggo 8 CSH, the J8 feels easier to control, especially when we decelerate.