• Very cheap for a PHEV
• Competitive efficiency with flat battery
• Seven-year warranty

What are the running costs?

The Jaecoo 7’s real appeal comes when you look beyond the list price and consider how much it could cost to run. The petrol model isn’t particularly competitive, with WLTP fuel economy and real-world figures in the low- to mid-30s mpg depending on whether you choose front- or four-wheel drive. That’s behind similarly sized Skoda Karoq and Nissan Qashqai petrols, and you’ll find yourself filling up more often if you drive with a heavy right foot.

The real story, though, is the SHS plug-in hybrid. On paper, it claims an eye-catching 403mpg on the WLTP cycle, but as with all PHEVs, that’s not realistic, even if you keep the battery topped up and use the electric motor as much as possible. Do that, and your petrol station visits should be rare, though – especially if most of your trips are short.

Jaecoo says the SHS will cover 56 miles on battery alone. In reality, you’re looking at 30-35 miles in mixed conditions, but that’s still enough for most school runs, commutes and errands without the petrol engine firing up. It means that for urban drivers who can charge at home, day-to-day running costs could be low, depending on where you get your electricity from.

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Servicing and warranty

Jaecoo offers a seven-year/100,000-mile warranty, with no mileage limit for the first three years. Servicing involves annual or 12,000-mile visits, and service plans can be chosen for three or four years, depending on customer preference, and include interest-free monthly payment options.

At the time of writing, the three-year deal cost £555 for petrol models and £599 for the SHS plug-in hybrid. In addition, the battery in the PHEV is covered separately for eight years/100,000 miles, and all parts used are covered by a two-year warranty.

Reliability

• Backed by Chery group
• Seven-year warranty
• New and unproven

As a new model from a new brand in the UK, there’s no long-term reliability data yet. However, parent company Chery has experience selling cars in other markets, and many of the UK dealers have transferred from other brands, so aftersales performance should be okay.

The lengthy warranty provides peace of mind while the brand establishes itself. If you’ve bought one, we’d love to hear from you, by filling in an owner’s review.