How efficient is the JAECOO 8 SHS-P on a European road trip?

Range anxiety is fast becoming a thing of the past. Electric cars are now better than ever, easily getting more than 350 miles of range from one charge. 

But there’s another type of car that takes things up a notch, combining petrol and electricity for a very long range – a plug-in hybrid. 

This is why, when JAECOO challenged us to drive across France and Spain on one tank, we jumped at the opportunity. 

The brief was simple: brim the tank and battery in France and drive over 600 miles to Spain without touching either filler cap. Easy right? 

Not quite. Especially in a two-tonne SUV with four people and a lot of luggage, but that didn’t stop us. 

The setup 

So, how did it work? 

JAECOO brought along two brand-new JAECOO 8s with 100% charge in the hybrid battery and a full 70 litres of fuel just outside of Paris. The claimed range of the J8 is 700+ miles, and they wanted us to prove it. 

Each car had four people in at all times and a boot full (seriously full) of luggage.  

Then, we all set off with a feather-light right foot and began the voyage down through French auto routes and twisty coastal tarmac... tucking in behind a lorry here and there to be ultra-efficient.

Day one (Versailles to La Rochelle) 

Bags packed, snacks acquired and car brimmed, we set off from the Palace of Versailles on the first leg of what would turn out to be an epic European road trip. 

The first stint was 124 miles to Yvré-l'Évêque, which gave us plenty of time to get familiar with the car and what it’s like navigating out of a busy city and onto a motorway. 

First impressions of the JAECOO 8 are that it’s seriously comfortable. We’ve been lucky enough to drive top-spec Range Rovers and high-end Mercedes SUVs, and honestly, the J8 rides almost as well while being less than half the price. 

This is mostly thanks to its continuous damping control (CDC), which offers subtle damping control to smoothen out any bumps in the road.  

It’s by far the best riding JAECOO we’ve ever tested (and we’ve driven them all). Even the recent OMODA 9 doesn’t ride as well as this, and they’re more-or-less the same car. This J8 even sat on large 20-inch wheels, which usually make the ride feel harsher than smaller wheels, but we didn’t notice.  

The seating position is another stand-out feature. Due to time restrictions on departure, we had to do a near-Le Mans-style start, which gave very little time to adjust the seating position, but we didn’t need it. 

Once we’d found the electric seat controls (they’re on the door card like in a Mercedes), it was easy to get the seat just right.  

Even for drivers well over six foot, there’s tonnes of headroom and the overall visibility is really rather impressive – something we needed because it was a right-hand drive UK car on right-hooking Euro-spec roads. 

After a brief lunch stop in a quaint French cafe, we were ready for the next stint – 180 miles to La Rochelle via the Le Mans circuit and museum (and if you haven’t been, add it to your list).  

This leg gave us the perfect opportunity to lounge out in the back of the car and test out long-term comfort (don’t worry, we swapped drivers).  

There are two different trims on the JAECOO 8 – Luxury (seven seats) and Executive (six seats), with the latter costing £2,000 more. 

Our car was the swanky Executive model, which has a 4+2 seating arrangement (fancy speak for a six-seater), creating much more space for middle row passengers (less so for the two in the very back). 

Reclining, massaging, heated and cooled seats are the way to go, no matter who you are. We’ve tested a lot of cars with ‘massage’ seats, but they’re little more than a prod in the back. 

The JAECOO 8? It's proper. There are lots of different settings for varying intensities and styles. ‘Cat walk’ was a particular favourite, especially on a longer drive where your back can start to twinge. 

Day two (La Rochelle to Bordeaux) 

On day two, we woke up to a rather windy and wet La Rochelle. Morning outdoor yoga was unfortunately cancelled, but thankfully breakfast went ahead, followed by a spot of beach rugby. We were even joined by ex-England players, Dan Cole and Ben Youngs. Luckily, it was touch rugby. 

The next leg of the journey was a big one – but nothing the JAECOO 8 couldn't handle – or us, thanks in part to those massage seats.  

We set off and began our long motorway stint down to Château Fage La Maison des Vignes – a hotel in the middle of a vineyard just outside of Bordeaux. 

This 120-mile drive was mostly on motorways, which was a great chance to sit behind a lorry and maximise MPG, not that we really needed to. The first day had barely used any fuel, although we did use about 40% of the car’s 83-mile electric range. 

The passengers also took this as the perfect chance to play around with the infotainment system – two high-resolution 12.3-inch screens. 

The driver’s display was really impressive. It’s simple yet has all the information you’d ever need, plus some you wouldn’t expect. 

You can monitor tyre temperatures – something most new Chinese cars seem to have, but a feature usually reserved for racing cars. Either way, it’s fun to monitor if you’re a bit of a number nerd. 

You can also view the remaining fuel range and battery percentage (or remaining mileage – you can change the view).  

The central screen, however, is where most of the car’s controls sit. It’s essentially the hub of the car, but thankfully doesn’t completely take over the cabin. 

To be honest, we connected wirelessly to Apple CarPlay (it also runs Android Auto) on day one and never looked back, and we suspect most buyers will do the same. The built-in system is perfectly capable if you don’t want to, though. 

A Sony sound system is another highlight inside the J8. The bass is punchy bass, high notes are crisp, and there’s even a headrest speaker for the driver in case, which is a nice touch.  

Day three (Bordeaux to San Sebastián) 

By day three, we were all well and truly in tune with the car. We knew all the features, where everything was and how it all worked. 

We also still had just under half a tank of fuel and 30% battery – not bad for the 424 miles we’d already covered. 

The next drive would be 180 miles down to sunny San Sebastián – a mixture of motorways running along the edge of the Pyrenees and coastal roads down into the Spanish city. 

As always, this was a comfortable drive, making the most of the supple seats, soft suspension and great company to appreciate the scenery along the way.  

We arrived at the hotel with fuel and battery range to spare, meaning a proper road trip across Europe is more than possible in a JAECOO 8 – we reckon you could squeeze much more range out of it with an even lighter right foot. 

That evening consisted of Pintxo around the bustling streets of San Sebastián, followed by a well-earned rest. 

Final thoughts: How did the JAECOO 8 get on? 

After covering more than 600 miles in the JAECOO 8, we can safely say this is one of the best long-distance large SUVs on the market. 

Not only is it truly capable of doing the distance, but it’s also incredibly comfortable over many hundreds of miles – whether you’re the one driving or not. 

With a starting price of £45,550, it truly makes you wonder why you’d go out and buy a brand-new Range Rover for double the price. 

Read more about JAECOO cars: 

• JAECOO: everything you need to know

• JAECOO 5 vs. JAECOO 7