New Jaecoo J7 achieves five-star safety rating

The Jaecoo J7 plug-in hybrid has earned a five-star ANCAP safety rating, giving its alternative powertrain strategy a strong safety foundation in the Australian and New Zealand markets. The assessment covered the plug-in hybrid variants currently sold in those markets; petrol versions were not included in this rating.

Its strongest result came in child occupant protection, where the J7 scored 85 percent. The assessment found good protection for both the six-year-old and 10-year-old child dummies in the frontal offset test, although protection for the older dummy's neck was rated Adequate. Maximum points were achieved in the side-impact test, and the vehicle's rear outboard ISOFIX and top-tether anchorages supported the fitment of most child restraints available in Australia and New Zealand.

Adult occupant protection was rated at 81 percent. The passenger compartment remained stable during the frontal offset test, with Good protection recorded for most critical body areas. Driver chest and lower-leg protection was assessed as Adequate, while the full-width frontal test delivered Good driver protection overall. Rear passenger neck and chest protection in that test was Adequate.

The result also identifies areas where the J7's safety systems could be refined. During the oblique pole test, the side curtain airbag did not deploy correctly after catching on interior trim, leading to scoring penalties in both the oblique pole and side-impact assessments. ANCAP also noted that the direct child-presence detection system did not meet its performance requirements and therefore did not receive points.

Active safety technology forms a substantial part of the J7's safety package. Its autonomous emergency braking system was assessed as Good for detecting and responding to pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and other vehicles. Lane-support functions, including emergency lane keeping and lane-keep assist, performed well, although ANCAP noted that the system's implementation could be improved to provide a better driving experience.

The J7 achieved 80 percent for vulnerable road-user protection and 84 percent for safety assist. Its cyclist dooring warning system provided an information alert, but the alert did not sound early enough to meet ANCAP's scoring threshold. Intelligent speed assistance combines speed-sign recognition with adaptive cruise control to help maintain an appropriate speed, while direct driver monitoring met ANCAP's criteria for detecting driver drowsiness.

Overall, the rating presents the J7 plug-in hybrid as a medium SUV with a broad suite of occupant and driver-assistance technology, alongside clearly documented limitations in some systems. The combination of strong child protection, effective autonomous emergency braking and a capable suite of lane and speed-support features is balanced by the curtain-airbag deployment issue and the opportunity to further improve lane-support behaviour.