New Jaecoo 8 is a seven-seat SUV set to take on the Hyundai Santa Fe
The newest UK offering from Jaecoo will be a large plug-in hybrid SUV with up to seven seats...
On sale Spring 2026 Price from £45,500
In Chinese culture, the number 8 is considered to be very lucky, representing wealth and prosperity – so it makes sense that the new Jaecoo 8 is the Chinese brand’s biggest and most luxurious model yet.
Indeed, the 8 will join the smaller Jaecoo 5 and 7 SUVs as the brand's range-topping model, positioned as a more premium offering for large families. As such, it'll be available in both six- and seven-seat forms.
The Jaecoo 8 shares its underpinnings with the Chery Tiggo 9 and Omoda 9 SUVs launched here in the UK last year, dubbed the ‘Super Hybrid System’. It combines a 1.5-litre petrol engine with a 34.46kWh battery and two electric motors powering both the front and rear wheels for four-wheel drive. In total, the system pumps out 422bhp, which is enough juice for it to complete a 0-62mph sprint in 5.8sec. That's significantly punchier than the Hyundai Santa Fe PHEV, which can complete the same race in 8.0sec.
That battery provides the Jaecoo 8 with an official all-electric range of 83 miles, which puts it among the longest-range plug-in hybrids on the market. Indeed, it's significantly further than the 55 miles of the Peugeot 5008 PHEV and the 33 miles of the Santa Fe, but the Chery Tiggo 9 is slightly more efficient, with its official 91-mile figure. With the battery and petrol engine working together, Jaecoo claims a combined range of more than 700 miles.
With maximum charging speeds of up to 40kW, the battery should be able to top up from 30-80% in around 20 minutes. It's also equipped with vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality, which allows you to charge up external devices using the battery.
In line with its rugged styling, the Jaecoo 8 also comes with an adaptive all-terrain response system and has a wading depth of up to 600mm, matching the Land Rover Discovery Sport.
In other markets including Australia, the Jaecoo 8 is available in pure-petrol form, using a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine pumping out 245bhp, but it seems unlikely this power option will make it to the UK.
Two versions of the Jaecoo 8 are available: seven-seat Luxury and six-seat Executive. Inside, both versions get dual 12.3in screens, one for infotainment and the other for digital instruments. There’s also a head-up display, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, wireless phone charging, heated, ventilated and massaging front seats, and a 14-speaker sound system as standard. In top-spec six-seat variants, the interior is furnished with Nappa leather, and it adds heated, ventilated and massaging rear seats.
Prices for the Jaecoo 8 will start at £45,500 for the seven-seat Luxury model, jumping up to £47,500 for the six-seat Executive version. Both of those prices undercut the Hyundai Santa Fe PHEV, but they're in line with what you'd pay for a plug-in hybrid Peugeot 5008.
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