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Australia was made for road trips. From winding coastal roads to endless country highways, there’s something uniquely Australian about packing the family into an SUV and heading off.
The destination almost becomes secondary. It’s the journey that matters. And it’s for journeys like these that the all-new Jaecoo J8 SHS feels perfectly suited.
As Jaecoo’s new flagship seven-seat SUV, the J8 SHS has been designed to deliver something Australian families increasingly expect from a modern family car: genuine comfort, premium appointments, impressive efficiency, and the confidence to cover serious distances with ease.
To discover what it’s really like to live with, I pointed it towards one of my favourite stretches of coastline – the spectacular New South Wales South Coast. Specifically, the delightful boutique Motel Molly in picturesque Mollymook.
It’s the sort of drive that quickly reveals whether an SUV genuinely delivers on its promises.
Premium without the premium price
First impressions matter, and the J8 SHS certainly makes a strong one.
Measuring almost five metres in length, it has genuine road presence without looking oversized. The bold waterfall grille, slim projector LED headlights, retractable door handles and elegant full-width rear light bar combine to create a design that’s sophisticated rather than showy.
Even the details have been properly considered.
The handsome 20-inch alloy wheels are wrapped in Michelin tyres – one of those subtle premium touches that enthusiasts immediately notice. It’s another indication that Jaecoo hasn’t simply focused on appearance, but on using quality components throughout.
The overall design is clean, well-proportioned and refreshingly restrained. Rather than trying too hard to stand out, the J8 SHS simply looks like a far more expensive SUV.
An interior that exceeds expectations
Open the door and that’s where the biggest surprise begins. The cabin feels more luxury hotel than mainstream family SUV.
Beautiful quilted real-leather seat trim immediately creates an inviting atmosphere, while the twin 12.3-inch high-definition digital displays dominate the dashboard without overwhelming it.
Ambient lighting subtly lifts the cabin after dark, while the panoramic glass roof floods the interior with natural light.
One of my favourite details is the suede-like trim that extends across the headliner, dashboard, and door panels. It’s a finish normally reserved for premium European brands and instantly elevates the overall ambience.
Then there are the features you’ll appreciate every single day.
The front seats are heated, ventilated and include an excellent massage function that’s surprisingly effective after several hours behind the wheel.
A crisp head-up display keeps your eyes where they belong, while the 14-speaker Sony sound system, with speakers cleverly integrated into the driver’s head restraint, delivers an immersive soundtrack that makes every drive feel just a little more indulgent.
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come standard, along with an impressive 50W wireless phone charger that actually keeps pace with modern smartphones.
There’s even an integrated fragrance system, adding another subtle touch that reinforces the premium feel throughout the cabin. Great if you’ve got four-legged pets that might like rolling in you know what…
Collectively, these aren’t simply features for the brochure. They genuinely improve everyday life behind the wheel.
Built around family life
Perhaps the biggest point of difference with the SHS is the addition of genuine seven-seat practicality. For growing families, flexibility matters.
Whether it’s children, grandparents, friends or sporting commitments, those extra seats can make all the difference from a practicality standpoint.
Even with all seven seats in place there’s still usable luggage space for everyday errands and grocery shopping, while folding the third row transforms the cargo area into a genuinely huge load space for holidays, more shopping, or sporting equipment.
USB-A and USB-C charging ports throughout the cabin ensure everyone’s devices stay powered, while the spacious second row provides excellent comfort for adult passengers on longer journeys.
Need to tow a camper trailer, small caravan, box trailer, or a jet-ski on the weekend? Easy, the J8 SHS offers a practical 1600kg braked towing capacity, further reinforcing its credentials as a genuine family touring vehicle.
The Super Hybrid difference
Of course, the biggest story lies under the bonnet.
Jaecoo’s new Super Hybrid System combines a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with no less than three electric motors to produce impressive combined outputs of 315kW of power and 580Nm of torque.
While those numbers certainly grab your attention, what impressed me more was how naturally the entire system behaves.
Around town, the J8 SHS feels remarkably EV-like. Mostly, I couldn’t tell if the petrol engine was running or not. The instant response from the electric motors makes it smooth and effortless away from traffic lights, while overtaking requires little more than a gentle squeeze of the accelerator.
Power delivery is seamless but, more importantly for a South Coast trip like this, high-speed overtaking is unexpectedly impressive. I mean, it’s properly quick and swallows up steep hill climbs with uncanny ease.
The transition between electric and petrol power is virtually imperceptible, creating a level of refinement that’s often difficult to achieve in electrified vehicles.
Intelligent electric all-wheel drive continuously manages traction between all four wheels, giving the J8 reassuring confidence whether conditions are dry, wet or somewhere in between. It was pouring on the way home to Sydney and yet grip was rock-solid.
It’s a plug-in hybrid drivetrain that never feels complicated. It simply works – flawlessly.
Designed for real-world Australia
Where the SHS system really shines is how easily it fits into everyday family life.
The large 34kWh battery provides around 114km of electric-only driving range (WLTP), meaning many Australians could complete their daily commute entirely on battery power alone.
Charge the vehicle overnight at home and you may never need to visit a petrol station during the working week, which is a very good thing.
When it’s time for a family holiday or interstate road trip, the petrol engine seamlessly extends total driving range to more than 1000km.
That combination removes the range anxiety still associated with fully electric vehicles, while still allowing owners to enjoy the quiet, smooth character of electric driving whenever possible.
Charging has also been thoughtfully integrated into the ownership experience.
Using an AC wallbox installed at home, the battery can be conveniently recharged overnight, ready for the next day’s driving. When travelling further afield, DC fast-charging enables the battery to charge from 30 to 80 per cent in around 25 minutes, adding approximately 85km of electric driving range while you stop for lunch or a coffee.
It’s a system that feels remarkably well suited to Australian lifestyles.
Comfort engineered into every kilometre
Long-distance comfort isn’t simply about comfortable seats. It’s as much about how an SUV behaves once the road becomes less than perfect.
The J8 SHS features Continuous Damping Control (CDC), an electronically controlled suspension system that constantly adjusts damper stiffness according to road conditions and vehicle movement.
The technology works quietly in the background, but the results are seriously impressive.
Over broken country roads it delivers impressive ride comfort, helping isolate occupants from rough surfaces. Through faster corners it improves body control and reduces unwanted roll, while under braking it minimises nose-dive, making the vehicle feel noticeably more composed.
This level of comfort over potholes, broken roads and course-chip surfaces isn’t what I was expecting. It exceeds the comfort levels of some European luxury models. And I don’t say that lightly.
Combined with excellent cabin insulation and the smooth characteristics of the hybrid drivetrain, it creates an SUV that’s genuinely relaxing to drive over long distances.
After several hours behind the wheel, that’s something you really appreciate.
Confidence comes standard
The J8 SHS also arrives comprehensively equipped from a safety perspective.
Ten airbags are fitted as standard, supported by adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, forward collision warning, emergency lane-keeping assistance, and a wide range of advanced driver-assistance technologies designed to reduce your workload behind the wheel.
The 360-degree camera system also makes manoeuvring this substantial SUV remarkably straightforward, whether it’s parking at the local shopping centre or reversing into a tight holiday accommodation.
Peace of mind for the long term
Buying a new vehicle is about more than today’s features. It’s also about tomorrow’s ownership experience.
Jaecoo backs the J8 SHS with an eight-year, unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty, an eight-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty for the high-voltage battery, eight years of capped-price servicing, and up to eight years of roadside assistance.
For buyers considering their first electrified vehicle, that’s a reassuring level of long-term support.
The verdict
The family SUV segment has never been more competitive, but every now and then a new model arrives that genuinely shifts expectations.
The Jaecoo J8 SHS feels like one of those vehicles.
It combines genuine seven-seat practicality with a beautifully finished interior, an impressively refined and powerful Super Hybrid drivetrain, intelligent electric all-wheel drive, and the kind of long-distance comfort that makes Australian road trips something to look forward to.
Most importantly, it delivers all of that at a price that will have many established rivals looking over their shoulder.
At $59,990 before on-road costs, the Jaecoo J8 SHS doesn’t just represent strong value, it has all the ingredients to become one of Australia’s most compelling large family SUVs.
For families wanting premium comfort, everyday efficiency and the freedom to explore further, it’s a package that’s very difficult to ignore.