First Drive: Jaecoo J7 PHEV – 1,300 KM from Guangzhou to Wuhu!

Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) are often touted to be the ‘great bridge’ between full-battery EVs (BEVs) and internal combustion engines (ICEs), as they offer flexibility for drivers who want to try out guilt-free low-emission driving without worrying about range anxieties.

Given that many PHEVs currently sold are from the higher-end spectrum, it is high time for our market to see more affordable PHEV options, as we reckon this will broaden the access to this astounding technology. Fortunately, those days are about to come sooner rather than later as Jaecoo Malaysia is slated to launch its first PHEV offering, the Jaecoo J7 PHEV.

We sample the upcoming new Jaecoo J7 PHEV in a 1,300 KM drive across China, and here’s what that was like.

Prior to its local debut, we were invited to sample the J7 PHEV in an adventure spanning 1,300 KM from Guangzhou to the brand’s headquarters in Wuhu, China. Aside from giving us first-hand experience driving this new model, albeit overseas, the main agenda here is to demonstrate the true capabilities of the J7 PHEV, which the brand claims can provide a combined driving range of up to 1,200 KM.

Without further ado, here’s how our first go in the Jaecoo J7 PHEV in China went…

The Car

A little bit of a background on this upcoming PHEV model, the J7 PHEV is essentially an electrified version of the J7 C-segment SUV that’s already marketed in Malaysia.

The J7 PHEV uses the brand's proprietary SHS plug-in hybrid setup that features a 1.5-litre TGDi petrol engine as the base.

Unlike its full-ICE twin, the J7 PHEV adopts Jaecoo’s new Super Hybrid System (SHS). The package consists first of Jaecoo’s fifth-gen 1.5-litre 4-cyl TGDi Dedicated Hybrid Engine (DHE), which features a sublime thermal efficiency rate of 44.5%, and a single front-mounted e-motor plus a Dedicated Hybrid Transmission (DHT).

Combined, this setup delivers an astounding total system output of 347 PS and 525 NM, making the J7 PHEV much peppier than its ICE-powered twin. In contrast, the latter’s 1.6-litre 4-cyl TGDi mill is rated at just 197 PS and 290 NM.

Juicing the J7 PHEV’s e-motor is a sizable 18.3-kWh battery pack, which not only grants it up to 90 KM of EV-only range (WLTP), it also accepts DC fast charging inputs to enable 30-80% re-charges in about 20 minutes. Combined with its DHE powertrain, this whole PHEV setup grants the J7 PHEV up to 1,200 KM of driving range and a frugal fuel economy figures as low as 5.2 litres/100 KM (WLTP).

On paper, the J7 PHEV’s specs are pretty respectable with high claims of power and long-range performance. Then again, like many things in life, the proof is in the pudding…

The Journey

For this challenge, representatives from seven countries (including Malaysia) were invited to drive the J7 PHEV in a 1,300 KM journey from Guangzhou to Wuhu using just a single full tank and single full battery charge. The first leg covers about 800 KM, which takes place from our starting point in Guangzhou to the midpoint in Nanchang, while the second part entails a 500 KM stretch towards our final destination in Wuhu.

We managed to get an impressive 125 KM of pure EV range from the J7 PHEV.

For our first stretch, we started the journey in the full EV mode, where we traversed a mix of urban city streets and rural B-roads, and here’s where we put J7 PHEV’s all-electric driving mode to the test. To our surprise, the J7 PHEV surpassed its claimed 90 KM EV range here as we recorded an astounding 125 KM before the combustion mill kicked in and initiated its self-charging HEV drive mode.

With the battery pack depleted below 15%, we continued the rest of our first leg in HEV mode, with the range indicator on the instrument cluster estimating that we can get roughly 1,100 KM from the on-board 60-litre fuel tank. The second part of our first stretch mostly involved driving on a highway at speeds ranging between 80 KM/H and 120 KM/H through some slight uphill and downhill sections.

In HEV driving mode, the J7 PHEV’s battery percentage is kept at around the 20% mark, as both the engine and e-motor constantly re-charge and discharge the battery whilst we drive along. At slower speeds, especially through urban areas, the system automatically switches to full EV driving mode.

Unlike other self-charging hybrids, the J7 PHEV behaved rather quietly when we drove it in the HEV mode. The engine noise is noticeable, but still felt lower compared to other self-charging HEVs. The drive itself was pretty smooth and comfortable, as most of the driving was being done by the electric motor.

The long and winding highway driving section ended as we got closer to our first overnight stop in Nanchang. At this point, we’ve covered 775 KM from our starting point, with the instrument display showing 405 KM of travel left in our tank.

For the second part of our challenge, we were about to cover roughly 450 KM to 500 KM from Nanchang to the Omoda & Jaecoo (O&J) headquarters in Wuhu. With only 400 KM left in our tank, it seems that we might not be able to make it all the way to Wuhu, given that we’ve depleted a healthy portion of our fuel during the longer first stretch.

Towards the end of our journey, we managed to cover almost 1,200 KM of distance with a single full tank and full charge of the J7 PHEV.

With about 1,159 KM in, 85 KM left in our fuel tank, and roughly 120 KM to go, we decided to forfeit the challenge entirely by breaking the fuel cap seal and refuel to reach our final destination safely. Though we didn’t reach the 1,300 KM mark, we have instead charted a total of 1,244.6 KM with just a single full tank and one full battery charge, which exceeded its official claimed total distance figure of 1,200 KM.

Granted that we managed to keep our speeds constantly around the 100 KM/H mark throughout the journey and resisting the urge to fully utilise all 347 PS and 525 NM available, we reckon we could have achieved the targeted 1,300 KM mark set to us for this challenge.

And that is exactly what the winning UK team did, with the contingent charting a total distance of 1,352 KM from a single full tank and one full charge. Said feat, saw the team was crowned as champions in our 1,300 KM challenge.

Conclusion

Being able to get over 1,300 KM from a single full tank and charge is not an easy feat, and that’s exactly what the Jaecoo J7 PHEV has managed to achieve during this challenge, albeit not in our hands. Even with our spirited driving and not taking any hypermiling measures, we still managed to muster over 1,200 KM out of the J7 PHEV. This is perhaps proof that the average Malaysian driver can easily reach the claimed combined range of this PHEV SUV.

Not only the 1,200 KM claimed combined range for the J7 PHEV was spot on, its EV-only range of over 100 KM has surely exceeded our initial expectations.

Above all, the J7 PHEV’s pretty stellar all-electric range bolstered this too, as we managed to get more than 100 KM from its 18.3-kWh battery pack. Not only more usable than other PHEVs out there, this ability should also allow drivers to have guilt- and emission-free driving in their daily commute.

Given its stellar performance, the Jaecoo J7 PHEV promises to be a solid PHEV offering that bridges the gap between full ICE and full BEVs - it delivers low-emission driving perks minus the range and charging anxieties. With the current void for an affordably-priced PHEV offerings in our local market, the J7 PHEV has all it takes to entice Malaysian prospects with its electrified perks. That, by the way, will come with the same level of luxe, comfort, and practicality as its ICE-powered counterpart.

Registration of Interests (ROIs) for the all-new Jaecoo J7 PHEV have opened in Malaysia via Jaecoo Malaysia’s official website. Given that the locally-assembled (CKD) J7’s price did not exceed the RM150,000 mark, it will be exciting to see how Jaecoo Malaysia will price this upcoming PHEV twist to its signature SUV model.