Is the JAECOO 7 the best hybrid SUV in 2025?
The car behind me is the new JCU 7HS or super hybrid system. And in this video, we’re going to find out whether this over £35,000 newcomer from China can really compete with similarly priced rivals from Europe. This super hybrid isn’t just 5 grand more than the standard pure petrol JQ7. It’s also dangerously close to hybrid rivals like the Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage and pricier than the equivalent MGHS. But you might have noticed sales of JQ’s Range Rover lookalike are already off to a quick start in Britain. So, what’s the fuss all about? And why would you choose this over more established rivals? It’s clearly got a bit of a US thing going on here. Look at it next to this Kia. The Kia admittedly looks quite futuristic, but this looks butch and a little bit American. The telltale sign that it isn’t American is the fact that it comes on some dinky little wheels. Now, what size are they? They are 19-in wheels, but because of the chunky tire and because of the arrow on the exterior, and also because they’re a little bit inlet, look, they don’t sit out in a muscular stance. They’re quite tucked away. It looks muscular up front, but it doesn’t have the muscular stance. Although, from the side, it is Butch as anything. Look at that. Even at the rear, there’s a little bit of Range Rover going on there, isn’t there? And of course, we have a light bar as well. And just to let you know, it’s plug-in hybrid. Here is the FEV with a little lightning bolt at the end. That’s a nice touch. Inside the JCU, the interior is pretty simply laid out, but it’s definitely well put together. The screen itself, the important stuff is, is it easy to use? Is it responsive? And the answer to that is yes, it is. There is a lot buried in here. And look, climate controls down here, which is for me a negative cuz on the move, you have to take your eyes off the road. What is good though is the space because you’ve got the gear selector up here. There’s no gear selector down here. You’ve got space for two phones. Uh, one is charged and cooled as well. And there’s a load of storage space in here as well as you can see. Like I’m up to almost my elbow, so that’s pretty good. Door pockets are also nice and large. Plus, there is a load of headroom above me. And look, we’ve even got a panoramic sunroof. Now, hopping into the back is quite nice if you’ve got the key in your pocket cuz the door handles pop out. And look, if I get in, my feet can tuck under there despite the seat being down low. And my legs are at a slight angle, but it’s comfortable. And look, a crucial thing is for middle passengers, there is no foot tunnel. USB USBC port down here, so your passengers shouldn’t annoy you and charge using your front one. ISOIX as well if you’ve got to get little ones in there. And if there’s no one in the middle seat, you do get a couple of cup holders as well. Do you get a ski hatch? No, because I can see this seat is all part of that and that. So, you’d have to fold down the two or the one to access the boot. But otherwise, it’s quite roomy. You can move this sun uh visor all the way back here. So, it’s a nice airy feel. Materials again feel good. There’s a little bit of storage here. So, it’s good news in the interior. But what about back in the boot? Looks pretty good to me. Look, you’ve got space here. What have we got underneath? There’s an all right around here. I mean, that is nothing substantial, but that’s classic electrified car. A lot of the space underneath this polyarin will be taken up by electric stuff. So, that’s an okay amount of room. And before you ask, nope. There’s no under the bonnet boot or fruit or frunk as everyone tells me I have to call it. Now, now this is of course a hybrid car, so we need to find out how it drives on the road because it’s going to spend a lot of time in bumpy cities and maybe even on the motorway. And handily, right next to the Cinch Office car park, there are some of the bumpiest and busiest roads in Britain. Now, first things first, as you pull away, it’s clear that this car biases to electric, which is predictable. It means it’s very smooth. And driving off this very bumpy road next to the office. I can feel actually that the car feels pretty squidgy and not too roly poly at the same time. I’ve read reports of people thinking it doesn’t ride very well. So, that’s something I’m going to investigate. I can definitely sense that it’s aware of these cracks and ruts. At the moment, we’re in hybrid electric. If we press EVs, this forces it to stay in EV. Oh, that’s quick. It is nippy. Should we see what it’s like going between hybrid, petrol, and electrics? Oh, bit of wheel bit of wheel spin on the get- go. So, it’s quite a nippy punchy car. Over 200 horsepower, of course, so that’s not too surprising, but it’s quite a big chunky car. It’s quick. I think a lot of people are going to enjoy that. But yeah, in terms of the ride, it is a little bit fidgety at times, but generally speaking, it is actually very comfortable and it’s just easy to pilot around the city. And the visibility is naturally pretty good. You’ve got that butch bonnet to look over, chunky door mirrors, and while the view out the back isn’t great, you have got some decent camera tech, which I’ll show you now. Camera is the screen visibility for the camera is big. Look how much screen I have here. I’ve also got different views here by the looks of it. Oh, I can change the angle. Okay, that’s nice and nifty. But it is quite cool that you can look at it from different angles at all times on the big screen. Look, I’m aware of that lady carrying the plants or vegetables, whatever that is. But she’s quite grainy. But, uh, terms of visibility, you can’t knock it. I mean, that’s really, really good. Look, and even the shadows and everything are quite clear on the above view as well. So, it’s clear you get a lot of tech, a lot of space, and of course, therefore, practicality and a lot of face on this JU7 for not a lot of money. This is a rightfully popular car already in Britain, capable of saving you money with a realworld 45 MPG fuel economy. Sure, it doesn’t have the sporty stance of an Audi Q3 or BMW X1, nor does it have as much space as an MGHS, but overall, the JQ7 in hybrid form does really feel like a rounded and easy to live with SUV. And of course, if you want more inspiration for cars in the world of hybrid SUVs, we’ve actually compiled some of our favorites in the video on screen
The JAECOO 7 SHS (Super Hybrid System) has arrived, and it looks like it’s here to stay. With Range Rover-like looks and a seriously promising plug-in hybrid system, should the likes of Audi and Kia be worried?
Join Sam Sheehan as he puts the new JAECOO 7 through its paces, testing it on London’s roughest roads.
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Scripted, filmed and edited by @SamSheehan55
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Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:13 Rivals
0:34 Design
01:17 Interior and tech
01:56 Rear seats
02:38 Boot space
02:56 Is there a froot/frunk?
03:04 Driving and ride comfort
04:31 Clever camera tech
04:57 Conclusion – is it worth it?
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