There are two versions, both with three rows of seats: the seven-seat Luxury at £45,500 and the slightly plusher Executive at £47,500, whose second row has only two, considerably roomier seats.
Once you step into the 8, you forget any notion that it will earn its success merely with a low price. Judged on quality and equipment level, it’s as good as much pricier rivals. For a BMW X3 of similar spec you pay 50% more; for a BMW X5 it’s more like 80%.
Jaecoo makes great play of the fact that the Executive is one of the rare models that comes with four heated and cooled captain’s chairs that incorporate a massage function. The second-row seats are especially spacious, because the 8 is expected to be used frequently for chauffeuring.
There’s a ‘boss’s button’ on the side of the front passenger’s seat to allow a chauffeured rear passenger to move it forward and out of the way.
Jaecoo makes a play of offering stuff you would expect in cars from a class above, and that’s how it works with the interior quality and equipment too.
Long-distance comfort isn’t as good as the best, though. The third-row seats are best suited to children. When these are folded, the 8 has a generous 738 litres of carrying space, despite carrying a full-size spare wheel as standard.
The impressive fascia gives the driver access to twin 12.3inch touchscreens (but buttons for the most critical functions too) and the standard Sony audio system has 14 speakers.
In the Executive model, two speakers in the front headrests allow the driver to respond discreetly to phone calls or receive navigation instructions with minimal disturbance to the cabin ambience, which is impressively calm.
