By Malusi Msomi

We recently spent part of the December festive season with the Jaecoo J7 SHS, putting it through long-distance travel and everyday driving. From a trip down to Durban to local errands, it gave us a proper sense of what this electrified SUV is like to live with.

The J7 SHS pairs a boxy, confident design with serious performance under the surface, positioning itself as something of a sleeper in the segment.

Interior

The exterior carries a bold, squared-off look, but inside it shifts to comfort mode. The cabin is properly comfortable, with supportive seats that make long journeys easy to manage. There is also plenty of rear legroom, making it well suited to family duties or longer road trips.

The 14.8-inch infotainment screen dominates the dashboard and elevates the Apple CarPlay experience thanks to its size and clarity. The Sony sound system delivers good audio quality, while the panoramic sunroof adds a welcome sense of ambience and openness to the cabin.

Jaecoo has opted for a largely buttonless layout. Climate control functions and mirror adjustments are handled through the infotainment screen. At first, it can feel like a bit much, especially if you prefer physical controls, but with time you do get used to it.

Overall fit and finish feel competitive for this price bracket.

The drive

On the road, the J7 SHS operates in stealth mode. It blends into traffic quietly, without drawing attention to itself. Underneath, however, there is 255kW and 525Nm available, making overtakes and highway merges effortless. It genuinely feels like a sleeper SUV.

Efficiency is where it really stands out. Jaecoo claims a range of over 1,200km. In the real world, combining highway cruising and town driving, we managed around 1,000km on a tank and charge, including a run down to Durban. That is impressive, especially during the festive period when fuel stops can quickly become inconvenient.

Fuel consumption during our time with it ranged between 4.3L/100km and 6.0L/100km, depending on driving style and conditions. Those are strong figures for a vehicle with this level of output.

The ride is composed and comfortable over long distances. That said, some of the safety systems, particularly lane keep assist, can feel a bit finicky and would benefit from further software refinement.

Verdict

At R689,900, the Jaecoo J7 SHS offers solid value. You get strong performance, impressive real-world efficiency, and long-distance capability in one package.

It is not without faults. The screen-heavy controls may not appeal to everyone, and some driver assistance features need polishing. But overall, it delivers plenty of bang for your buck, especially if you value efficiency without sacrificing performance.