Jaecoo J8 goes off-road at Sepang Bay 13: Big, capable, but not without quirks
Fresh off its launch, the Jaecoo J8 was put through its paces at Sepang Bay 13, an off-road test drive course built to highlight the SUV’s capabilities.
Powering the J8 is a 2.0-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder (249 PS/385 Nm), paired to an 8-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel-drive system with torque vectoring. There’s also a set of adaptive dampers (they call it Continuous Damping Control), and six terrain modes to pick from.
Straight away, it feels more upmarket than the J7. Not surprising, since this is the flagship. Interior materials feel a notch above, and the cabin feels more hushed. Ride comfort, though, leans on the firmer side. Even in its softest damper setting, it never quite feels plush. Oddly enough, Off-Road mode defaults the suspension to Sport, which seems counterintuitive. You can manually switch it to Normal, but it’s a bit of an odd choice.
Throttle response is also something you’ll have to adapt to. Like most Chery-family models, there’s a slight delay on initial input, then it jumps forward. Fine once you get used to it, but not ideal for technical low-speed sections where smooth inputs matter.
Still, quirks aside, the rest of the course was pretty much a walk in the park for the J8. Here’s a breakdown:
Elephant Steps
Big dips, diagonal wheel lifts. A good test of frame rigidity and articulation. From inside the cabin, it felt drama-free. No flexing sounds, no groans. Power gets shuffled around seamlessly even when one wheel is hanging.
Rock Crawl
Slow-speed torque distribution and underbody clearance. Nothing scraped. Traction logic did its job, though the throttle’s on-off nature needs a gentle foot to avoid jerky crawling.
Side Slope
The J8 leans, but never feels like tipping. Good lateral control and roll stability. Easy to modulate with the ESC staying quietly in the background.
Water Wading
Claimed wading depth is 450 mm, and the water here came close. No water ingress, no electrical drama. Intake placement and seals are clearly doing their job.
Log Run
This one’s about suspension travel and grip across uneven surfaces. The J8 holds its line well, but again, it rides a bit firmer than expected. The adaptive dampers help with control, but if you’re expecting something floaty, this isn’t it.
Big Hill
Steep climb, sharp descent. Hill Descent Control comes in smooth, no choppy braking. Traction was never an issue even with aggressive throttle input. Everything worked as it should.
Final thoughts? Hard to judge the J8 in full just from a course like this, given that it’s designed to play to the car’s strengths. That said, it showed no major weaknesses. Aside from the slightly odd ride tuning and throttle mapping, the J8 feels well-sorted. No squeaks, no slip, no nonsense. It just goes about its business and gets the job done.
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