2024 JAC JS8 Pro Flagship 1.5 T-GDI

Big SUV at a Solid Price

It wasn’t too long ago that the four-door sedan epitomized what a family car should be. But like everything else, the times have changed, and the seven-seater SUV has taken its place. Why? Simply because it offers more in areas where it matters most, making it attuned to the needs of Filipino families.

A larger vehicle translates to extra cabin space and more seats, allowing it to accommodate every family member, including the pet dog, and luggage, and don’t forget the pasalubong. It's also more capable, equipped with robust underpinnings and ample ground clearance, allowing more Filipino families to travel to faraway destinations in one car. Or SUV. 

This carry-everything, go-anywhere trait of the seven-seater SUV segment explains its continued popularity. This brings about strong competition among them as buyers carefully tick the boxes and find out which brand can offer more. While the established Japanese brands continue to occupy center stage, there’s brewing competition coming from the Chinese automakers. They may not be as popular yet, but from the looks of things they have more to offer. They're stirring the pot.

As proof, here’s the newest addition to the seven-seater, SUV segment. It’s the JAC JS8 Pro. The brand may not instantly ring bells for most folks, but the company has been around for 50 years doing trucks and buses for export to other countries. It wasn’t until 2002 that they started manufacturing passenger cars.

JAC has had a somewhat unusual history in the country. There's a company offering JAC trucks successfully, but for the passenger car business, the brand had a troubled first stint. New distributor Astara is working hard to revamp that by reaching out to existing customers to let them know that someone is now here to take care of their cars for service. That's the foundation they want to build JAC's new arrival on. 

Back to the JS8 Pro, compared to its smaller SUV sibling the JS6, the JS8 Pro does have a more commanding presence. This is a midsize crossover as it measures, 4,825 mm long, 1,870 mm in width, 1,758 mm in height, and a wheelbase of 2,830 mm. That's much larger and wider than many vehicles at the same price point.

Up front, there's a massive grille with chrome inserts surrounded by a pair of uniquely styled headlamps. It looks futuristic. On the bottom of each side, styled accents rise above the rocker panels. This gives added character to the exterior, breaking the monotony of the door panels.

Occupying the middle of the dashboard is a 12.3-inch-wide, touchscreen LCD that’s becoming a common sight on most modern vehicles. More importantly, this one’s blessed with an easy-to-navigate interface, providing quick access to the infotainment, A/C, and other vehicle settings. Although, there’s an array of switches found below the A/C vents, including a fan speed switch. It’s a small thing, but it does make turning up/down the fan speed easier.

The minimalist interior consists of leather-lined seats with firm bolsters, offering adequate support. Although the driver’s seat lacks height adjustment, it does make up for it with a host of practical features. A touchpad for charging phones, self-adjusting cupholders, leather lined center console instead of the usual gloss black piano finish that’s prone to smudges, mood lighting, a deep console box that doubles as a mini cooler, rear a/c vents and more.

It's a three-row SUV, so two can sit in front, three in the middle, and 2 more in the back. If you don't need so much seating, then you can fold the back rows. If you do that, you'll get plenty of cargo space as the third and second-row fold-flat seats can offer up to 2153 liters of volume.

Propulsion comes from a turbocharged, 1.5-liter turbo inline-four that churns out 182 PS and 300 Nm of torque. Power delivery comes on as needed, but I’d like to see it offer more grunt at low revs as it’s more useful for urban traffic.

After having driven it consecutively for several days along the Skyway, the 7-speed DCT transmission can be best appreciated on long drives. Although, I have noticed that it does take some prodding on the throttle to really get it going when taking off from a standstill. Some may wonder why it comes with a 1.5L, and the reason is that it gives them the biggest edge when it comes to import duty and pricing. And yes, there are limitations with the 1.5 even with a turbo. 

The overall ride quality leans towards the stiff side over most road irregularities as this does come with 19-inch alloy wheels on 55-series tires. The ride is not that jarring as it remains composed and comfortable enough. The good news is that this translates to better overall handling as I have observed, exhibiting just a slight body roll on most corners.

On paper the 160 mm of ground clearance doesn't look class-leading, but only when you look below do you realize it probably has more; remember that clearance is measured from the lowest point underneath, so most likely they were measuring from one of the suspension arms. Whichever the case, it does seem like a practical go-anywhere daily driver and capable enough to handle rough roads if needed, even though it's just front wheel drive. 

Safety features abound as the JS8 Pro has its own Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) comprised of lane change assist, door opening warning, and blind spot detection which I find the most useful. It might be startling at times, but it does alert you when there are vehicles or motorcycles nearby. Another welcome addition is the 360-degree panoramic camera, which lets you view your surroundings for added vehicle safety.

Overall, the JS8 Pro ticks all the right boxes, despite some minor refinements that can be addressed. What’s notable here is that the JS8 Pro certainly offers more, as it comes loaded with most features one would only expect to find in a top-of-the-line variant.

With a price point of just PHP 1.350 million, this seven-seater SUV can directly compete against the likes of the Mitsubishi Xpander Cross, Geely Okavango, Suzuki Ertiga, and Toyota Veloz. Overall, what it lacks certainly makes up for it in many other ways. It all depends on your preferences.