The J7 is an incredibly important vehicle for Jaceoo within the local market. While the brand has a solid foundation being from the Chery stable, the J7 is the marque's first local offering and appears to be popular among the car-buying public. There are three models within the J7 line-up; we will compare them and determine which is best.
Before we begin the comparison, it is essential to note that the three J7 models, the Vortex, Glacier, and Inferno, share the same 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine that produces 145kW and 290Nm, paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. The Vortex and Glacier are front-wheel drive, while the Inferno features an all-wheel drive system. All models come with a 5-year/70 000km service plan, a 5-year/150 000km vehicle warranty and a 10-year/1-million kilometre engine warranty.
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Jaecoo J7 1.6T Vortex- R549 900*
The base model J7 comes with 18-inch alloy wheels, seven airbags, climate control, a refrigerated compartment beneath the driver's armrest, lane departure warning, a 13.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a digitised instrument cluster, a wireless charger, keyless entry/start, artificial leather seats and steering wheel trim, electrically adjustable front seats, USB ports (front + rear), roof rails, an electrically operated tailgate, LED headlights, fog lights and daytime running lights, ISOFIX child seat anchor points, and front and rear PDC with a surround-view camera.
Jaecoo J7 1.6T Glacier- R599 900*
Moving up to the Glacier variant, at R50 000 more, you get the same specification as the Vortex, but with 19-inch alloy wheels, a larger 14.8-inch infotainment system, a panoramic roof, eights airbags, heated and ventilated front seats, a head-up display, integrated dashcam and added semi-autonomous driver systems such as automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, traffic-jam assist, intelligent high-beam and rear cross-traffic alert.
Jaecoo J7 1.6T Inferno AWD- R679 900*
Moving up to the flagship Inferno, and the aforementioned all-wheel drive system is a key feature, as is a heated steering wheel and rear privacy glass.
So which one is the best?
When looking at the three J7 models, it is clear that the mid-tier Glacier strikes a great balance between features and values, making it our choice within the range!
* Prices include all taxes and were accurate when writing but may change without prior notice.
