The new Jaecoo 7, the first UK vehicle from the new ‘premium off-road’ brand, will arrive in in January, priced from £29,435 to take on rivals as broad as the Range Rover Evoque and Kia Sportage.

Created by Chinese car giant Chery, Jaecoo – a portmanteau of 'jäeger', the German word for hunter, and 'cool' – is a sister brand to Omoda, which was launched in the UK earlier this year.

While Omoda is focused on urban buyers seeking practicality, Jaecoo has a more upmarket and off-road focus. Affordability will be a key focus for both brands.

Chery's UK boss, Victor Zhang, said that Jaecoo offered “the best of traditional off-road and sport utility brands, mixed with cutting-edge technology and style”. 

The 7 will be offered with petrol and plug-in hybrid powertrains. At 4500mm, it's slightly shorter than the Sportage, Hyundai Tucson and Volkswagen Tiguan and 100mm longer than the Omoda 5 with which it shares a platform.

The entry-level 7 will feature a 145bhp 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine driving the front wheels with 203lb ft of torque and an official economy of 37.7mpg.

A four-wheel-drive model with the same power unit will be priced from £32,850.

The 4WD plug-in hybrid range-topper combines a 1.5-litre turbo petrol four with an electric motor for total outputs of 201bhp and 229lb ft.

The motor draws power from an 18.3kW battery that gives the PHEV an electric-only range of 56 miles. Jaecoo claims a combined economy of 403mpg (47mpg with the battery depleted), which, with a 60-litre fuel tank, gives an overall range of 745 miles. 

The 4WD 7 is also claimed to offer genuine off-road ability, with seven driving modes, approach and departure angles of 21deg and 29deg and a breakover angle of 200mm.

A Bosch-developed integrated power braking system can simulate a locking differential. It is priced at £35,065.

As with the 5, European market versions of the 7 will feature bespoke suspension settings tuned for the higher speeds and roads here.

Peter Matkin, Chery’s development chief, said: “We’ve enhanced our internal quality practices to make sure this is up there with the best in the market."

The 7 features more rugged exterior styling than the 5, including a large front grille and chunky sidelines.

Inside, entry-levels Deluxe models feature a 13.8in portrait-mounted touchscreen and Luxury models a 14.8in version.

All trim levels include surround-view cameras, synthetic leather seats and a panoramic sunroof. 

Luxury adds features including an eight-speaker Sony audio system.

Unusually, the ICE and PHEV models feature slightly different interior designs. The ICE model features the gear shifter on the steering column and door handles reset in the door side, while the PHEV has a gear selector in the centre console and larger door rests.

Jaecoo said this is to give the ICE car more of a stripped-out EV feel while making the PHEV feel more conventional and rugged.

The 7 is available to order now, with first UK deliveries due in January 2025.