Jaecoo J8: an SUV unafraid of corners

The beefy, hefty multi-seat plug-in hybrid with adaptive damping promises range, verve and drivability

- Christopher Tan

Instead of extolling the exceptional range of the new plug-in hybrid Jaecoo J8, its agent Vertex Automobile spins an alternate tale of the 2,260kg seven-seat sport utility vehicle (SUV).

To do this, it invites motoring writers to twisty South Buona Vista Road to enact a local version of Initial D (1995 to 2013), an iconic manga about the exploits of Takumi Fujiwara, a tofu deliveryman and drift king.

A cup of water dyed blue is placed in the car’s cupholder and the task is to do a lap as quickly as possible without spilling a drop. The J8’s continuous damping control is supposed to help in the endeavour by mitigating body roll.

It is an interesting experiment, a version of which I tried with the Rolls-Royce Ghost in June 2021. Measuring 4,820mm long, 1,930mm wide and 1,710mm tall with a 2,820mm wheelbase, the J8 is noticeably taller than the Ghost and merely 10 per cent lighter.