Ben Talks Auto

Manufacturer: Jaecoo

  • The new Jaecoo 8 looks alarmingly like a Range Rover Sport and that might be exactly why it will do well

    The new Jaecoo 8 looks alarmingly like a Range Rover Sport and that might be exactly why it will do well

    There is a moment when you first see the new Jaecoo 8 and think, hang on a second, I know what you’re doing here.

    The stance. The bluff front end. The clean surfacing. The flush door handles. The big wheels. The broad-shouldered SUV shape. It is not a copy in the most literal sense, but let’s not dance around it, the Jaecoo 8 gives off very strong Range Rover Sport energy. And in the UK, that is not a bad place to start.

    Because while plenty of buyers would love the look and road presence of a luxury SUV, not everyone wants the badge prestige pricing, the running costs or the image baggage that can come with it. Jaecoo seems to understand that better than most. The new 8 is basically saying, here is a large, high-spec, plug-in hybrid SUV with six or seven seats, 428PS, four-wheel drive, plenty of tech and a cabin loaded with toys, but for well under £50,000. Official UK pricing starts at £45,495 for the seven-seat Luxury and £46,995 for the six-seat Executive.

    That immediately makes this one of the more interesting new arrivals heading to the UK this year.

    And it matters because Jaecoo is no longer some obscure new badge nobody has heard of. The Jaecoo 7 has already proven that British buyers are far more open-minded than many legacy car brands probably hoped. In January 2026, the Jaecoo 7 racked up 4,059 registrations and finished as the UK’s second best-selling new car for the month. That is not a niche success story. That is a proper arrival.

    So the Jaecoo 8 does not turn up as an outsider. It turns up with momentum.

    What I find most interesting is that Jaecoo has not just made the 8 bigger than the 7 and called it a day. This feels like a deliberate move upmarket. You can have it as a seven-seat family SUV, or in Executive trim with a six-seat layout and proper second-row captain’s chairs. That second option feels especially telling. It says Jaecoo is not just chasing mainstream family buyers. It is trying to tempt people who like the idea of a more luxurious, more indulgent SUV without moving into traditional premium-brand territory.

    The numbers are strong too

    Official UK specs confirm 428PS, 580Nm and a 0-62mph time of 5.8 seconds, which is seriously brisk for a big plug-in hybrid SUV. UK reports also say it can manage up to 83 miles of electric-only range, which, if it translates even half-decently into real-world use, could make it a very usable PHEV rather than the usual token effort. Many plug-in hybrids look good on a brochure and then give you just enough battery range to feel mildly smug on the school run. The Jaecoo 8, at least on paper, appears to be aiming higher than that.

    The equipment list is huge

    Jaecoo’s UK site lists 20-inch alloys, torque-vectoring four-wheel drive, adaptive CDC suspension, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a Sony 14-speaker sound system, 50W wireless charging, over-the-air updates, online navigation, Wi-Fi hotspot capability and a connected app-based system. It also gets a long list of safety kit including curtain airbags, a centre airbag, eCall, ISOFIX and a 540-degree panoramic camera system.

    That is the sort of spec sheet that would have looked fantasy-land stuff at this price point not very long ago.

    Inside, it majors on comfort

    The front seats are power-adjustable, the driver gets ventilation and memory, there is ambient lighting, a panoramic roof and a heated and cooled centre armrest, while the Executive adds reclining and folding second-row seats with massage. Massage seats in the second row. In a sub-£50k Jaecoo. That tells you everything about where the Chinese brands are pushing hardest right now. Not just lower prices, but higher perceived value.

    The funny thing is, even if you ignore the styling conversation, the Jaecoo 8 still looks like a smartly judged bit of market positioning.

    The Hyundai Santa Fe has gone big on visual drama. The Skoda Kodiaq remains one of the most sensible and complete family SUVs out there. Premium German SUVs still dominate aspirational buyer wish lists. Jaecoo seems to have looked at all of that and gone for a different route. Give buyers the wow factor, pile on the features, make it feel expensive, keep the powertrain relevant to UK needs and land it at a number that forces people to pay attention.

    Yes, it really does look familiar

    The design, though, will be what gets everyone talking first.

    I can already imagine the comments sections filling up with the same line over and over again. It looks like a Range Rover Sport. And yes, from some angles, it really does. The waterfall grille is Jaecoo’s own, the rear light signature has its own shape, and the overall execution is not a straight photocopy, but the influence is obvious enough that pretending otherwise would be silly.

    Still, car buyers have never shopped in a vacuum. Familiarity sells. Aspirational design sells. Road presence sells. If you can offer all three while undercutting more established rivals and throwing in a genuinely useful plug-in hybrid system, people will forgive a lot.

    What will it be like to drive?

    The more important question is what it will be like to drive.

    Officially, we know it gets torque-vectoring four-wheel drive and CDC adaptive suspension, which at least suggests Jaecoo wants to talk about more than just touchscreen sizes and seat massage programmes. But until I get behind the wheel, that part remains the unknown. A big, heavy, high-powered plug-in hybrid can either feel surprisingly polished or surprisingly synthetic. There is not usually much middle ground.

    First thoughts

    So first impressions?

    The Jaecoo 8 looks like one of the boldest statements yet from a Chinese brand in the UK. Not because it is cheap, because it is not exactly cheap. But because it understands what a lot of buyers actually want. Space. Style. Power. Presence. Tech. Reassurance. A premium feel without an eye-watering premium invoice.

    And if it just happens to look a bit like a Range Rover Sport while doing all that, Jaecoo probably will not lose much sleep over it.

  • The rise of Chinese car brands in the UK

    The rise of Chinese car brands in the UK

    A quiet shift has been happening on UK roads.

    In just a couple of years, Chinese-owned car manufacturers have gone from fringe names to serious players. Not concept cars. Not future promises. Real cars, on sale now, and selling well.

    Brands like Chery, Geely, Jaecoo, Omoda, Leapmotor, XPeng and Changan are now part of the UK conversation. More are on the way, with Aion expected to arrive in 2026.

    For a long time, Chinese OEMs were talked about as “ones to watch”. That time has passed. They are here, and they are changing the market fast.

    Jaecoo 7
    Omoda 5
    Geely EX5

    Buyers care less about badges than ever

    One of the biggest shifts is attitude.

    UK buyers, both private and company car drivers, are becoming far less loyal to traditional badges. If the car looks good, feels modern, and costs less per month, the logo matters less than it used to.

    That is especially true in the EV space.

    Chinese brands have leaned hard into electric and hybrid tech. They offer long equipment lists as standard, strong range figures, and interiors that feel closer to premium than budget. When you put those cars next to a German or Japanese rival that costs more and includes fewer features, the choice becomes simpler.

    This is not about people “taking a risk”. Many buyers now see these brands as smart value rather than unknown quantities.

    Leasing has poured fuel on the fire

    Leasing has played a huge role in this rise.

    Monthly payments matter more than list price. Chinese OEMs understand that. Aggressive pricing, strong finance backing, and a willingness to support volume have made these cars extremely competitive on lease.

    That is why some models have climbed search rankings at a startling pace.

    The standout example is Jaecoo 7. It only became widely available in the UK in early 2025, yet within months it was topping leasing search charts and comparison site enquiries. For many drivers, it hit the sweet spot of size, tech, and cost.

    Once customers realise they can drive a brand-new, well-specced SUV for the same money as a smaller, lower-spec alternative from an established brand, habits change quickly.

    Legacy brands are feeling the pressure

    This shift has not gone unnoticed.

    Traditional prestige brands have seen softer demand in some fleet and personal leasing channels. Not because their cars are suddenly bad, but because the value equation has moved.

    Chinese OEMs are forcing competition back into a market that had become predictable. More equipment as standard. Sharper lease rates. Shorter product cycles. Faster responses to what customers actually want.

    For buyers, that is a good thing.

    For established manufacturers, it is a wake-up call.

    What happens next?

    This feels like the early chapters, not the peak.

    More Chinese brands will arrive. Existing ones will expand their ranges. Expect better dealer coverage, improved brand awareness, and stronger resale confidence as volumes grow.

    You will also start to see clearer brand identities forming. Right now, many buyers are discovering these cars through price and spec. Over time, design, driving feel, and ownership experience will matter more.

    The key point is simple.

    Chinese OEMs are no longer “new”. They are part of the UK market, and they are reshaping it at speed. If you are shopping for your next car in 2026, chances are one of them will already be on your shortlist, whether you planned it or not.

    Personal take for Ben Talks Auto

    I’ll be honest. A couple of years ago, I would have skimmed past most Chinese car brands without a second thought.

    That has changed quickly.

    I’ve now spent proper time around cars from brands like Jaecoo, Omoda and Geely, and the biggest surprise is not the tech or the spec sheets. It’s how normal they feel to live with.

    The interiors are well thought out. The tech works. The cars feel calm, comfortable and easy to drive. When you then look at the monthly lease costs, it suddenly makes sense why buyers are moving so fast.

    These brands are not trying to be niche or quirky. They are going straight for the mainstream, and doing it with confidence. If I was choosing a new EV or hybrid today, I would absolutely be cross-shopping at least one Chinese OEM alongside the usual European names. Not out of curiosity, but because the value is hard to ignore.