The Jaecoo J7 SHS (super hybrid) Track doesn’t need to be exciting to make sense. There’s no fake sportiness, despite its name. Instead it simply has a strong presence, particularly draped in its Forest Green paint scheme.
The colour works well with the boxy proportions, gloss black detailing and upright front end, giving the car a more premium and outdoorsy look without leaning too hard into the tough SUV act.
The J7 SHS carries a traditionalshape, but Jaecoo has dressed it with enough modern detailing to keep it from looking plain. Up front, the signature waterfall grille gives the car a large, confident face.
LED daytime running lights, projector type LED headlights and black exterior trims make for a cleaner, more contemporary appearance. In its entry level trim, it still gets a decent amount of exterior equipment.
Standard features include dark grey roof rails, power retracting door handles, and gloss black side mirrors, rear roof spoiler, beltline and roof pillars. LED tail lights and intelligent high beam control feature.
Rain sensing front wipers and frameless wiper blades are joined by 19-inch alloy wheels wrapped in 235/50 R19 Kumho PS71 tyres. Dimensionally, the J7 SHS measures 4,500mm long, 1,865mm wide and 1,680mm tall, with a 2,672mm wheelbase.
That puts it right in the heart of the mid-size SUV territory. If Forest Green isn’t your thing, you can choose from Lunar Silver, Carbon Black, Arctic White and Ocean Blue. The latter is only available on the range topping Summit.
Inside, the J7 SHS Track focuses on comfort, equipment and usability. It is a five seat SUV with synthetic leather wrapped perforated seats, with the front pews offering 6-way power adjustment and 4-way lumbar for the driver and power for the passenger.
Both are heated and ventilated. There’s dual zone automatic climate control, rear passenger air vents through the centre console and footwell areas, LED interior lighting, illuminated vanity mirrors, and front and rear cup holders.
Rear seat map pockets and a folding second row centre armrest round things out. From a practicality point of view, the J7 SHS does SUV well. Boot space is listed at 340-litres up to the cargo cover, 500-litres up to the roof and 1,265-litres with the second row folded.
The second row folds 60:40 and the car includes a retractable cargo blind. It’s not trying to be a massive seven seat family hauler, but as a five seat plug-in hybrid SUV, the packaging is sensible and flexible enough for daily use, grocery runs, work gear or weekend luggage.
A lot of the J7 SHS experience is centred around its screens and onboard technology. In Track form, it gets a 10.25-inch LCD driver instrument cluster and a 13.2-inch LCD infotainment touchscreen.
Standard infotainment features include Bluetooth, inbuilt GPS navigation, AM/FM radio, digital radio, steering wheel mounted controls, wired and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus intelligent voice command through “Hello Jaecoo”.
Device charging is also, with a front USB-A port for charge and data transmission, a front USB-C fast charge port, a rear USB-A charge only port, a rear USB-C fast charge port and a front 12-volt outlet.
This is where the J7 SHS feels more technology led than emotionally led. It’s clearly a major part of its pitch, from the infotainment system to the hybrid energy modes and driver assistance suite.
It does not necessarily make the car exciting, but it does feel modern and well equipped. The J7 SHS combines a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine with an electric motor and an 18.3kWh lithium iron phosphate battery.
The petrol engine produces 105kW and 215Nm, while the permanent magnet synchronous electric motor produces 150kW and 310Nm. Drive is sent to the front wheels through a dedicated hybrid transmission.
The plug-in hybrid system gives the J7 SHS two energy modes: EV and HEV. Around town or on shorter trips, the car can operate in electric mode. For longer driving, the petrol engine and hybrid system work together to extend range and reduce fuel use.
Combined fuel consumption is listed at 1.0-litre/100km, with a claimed combined driving range of up to 1,200km. Charging is handled through a Type 2 AC port or CCS2 DC fast charging.
AC charging is listed at up to 6.6kW, with a 25 to 100 percent charge taking around 160 minutes. DC charging is listed at up to 40kW, with a 30 to 80 percent charge taking around 20 minutes.
The J7 SHS Track is not positioned as a performance SUV and it is better judged as a practical hybrid offering, rather than something designed to entertain. The performance figures are more about usable torque, efficiency and flexibility than outright speed.
The electric motor’s 310Nm output should help with low speed response, especially around town PHEVs tend to make the most sense. It also includes Eco, Normal and Sport drive modes, giving the driver some control over how relaxed or responsive the car feels.
Suspension is handled by MacPherson struts at the front and a multi-link setup at the rear, with electronic power steering, ventilated front discs, solid rear discs and an electronic parking brake with auto hold.
The J7 SHS Track also comes with a broad list of safety and driver assistance systems. Standard equipment includes autonomous emergency braking, forward collision warning, emergency lane keeping, lane departure warning and prevention.
You’ll also find adaptive cruise control, traffic jam assist, integrated cruise assist, blind spot detection, lane change assist, rear collision warning, rear cross traffic alert, rear cross traffic braking, speed limit information, speed control assist and driver monitoring.
Pricing sits in a sharp part of the market, with the J7 SHS Track hovering around the $41,000 drive away mark, depending on current offers and dealer availability. At that money, it makes a clear argument for itself, especially with a hybrid powertrain.
Servicing is covered by Jaecoo’s 8-year or 120,000km capped price servicing program, with intervals set at every 15,000km or 12 months. As we mentioned, the J7 SHS Track is not necessarily an interesting car in the emotional sense.
It is not a car that begs you to take the long way home and it is not pretending to be a performance SUV. But it does not really need to. What it does instead is play the practical SUV game with a strong equipment list, useful range and modern tech.
That looks even better when you add generous safety features and a long ownership package. In Forest Green, it also has enough visual personality to avoid disappearing into the car park.
You can find out more on the Omoda-Jaecoo website, or by talking to your local dealership. To get a low rate finance quote, talk to Australia’s best reviewed car finance broker; Credit One. To see a great range of vehicles for sale, check out OnlyCars.com.au.
Our test vehicle was provided by Omoda-Jaecoo Australia for independent review purposes. Exhaust Notes Australia has not been paid to review this vehicle.
