When discussing off-road models, Land Rover stands as an unavoidable classic brand. However, as the off-road sub-market continually diversifies, emerging forces are rising prominently, challenging the “classic” market structure and product experience with a comprehensive restructuring of the value chain.
Among these, the newly emerged off-road brand JAECOO, like a dark horse, directly targets the stronghold of Land Rover’s products. Its first urban off-road model, the J7, upon debut, has launched a direct challenge against the Land Rover Evoque.
“Fully Equipped” for an Ultimate Driving Experience
In terms of overall styling, the J7 and Land Rover Evoque share many similarities in their artistic approaches. Whether it’s the use of concise, straight lines, the robust, angular contour, or details like hidden door handles and a floating roof, both models exhibit a high level of design sophistication, creating a sense of shared lineage.
After all, JAECOO’s parent company has been in a joint venture with Land Rover for many years, accumulating rich experience in design, research, development, and manufacturing systems. Moreover, the team of designers and engineers for the J7 also worked with Land Rover while serving the JAECOO brand.
However, compared to the traditionally classic off-road design of the Evoque, the J7 appears more minimalist and exquisite, aligning more closely with the aesthetic demands of the new era. The large hexaggivewaterfall grille paired with segmented LED headlights gives the J7 a bold yet rugged front façade. The minimalist and soaring waistline extends to the rear, complemented by the crystal array LED taillights, creating a wide-body effect comparable to luxury cars. This fusion of classic design and off-road aesthetics enhances J7’s unique charm and allure.
Inside, both vehicles adopt a minimalist industrial style, with the Evoque maintaining a traditional aristocratic stance, while the J7 showcases its prowess in technological ambiance. The J7’s intelligent cockpit is not only equipped with a rare 14.8-inch sky screen in its class, a 540° panoramic camera, and a new W-HUD head-up display, but also optimizes the operating system’s response speed, fluidity, and decision-making capability, thanks to the computational power of the 8155 high-performance chip, enabling multimodal interaction.
In terms of intelligent experience, Evoque does indeed fall slightly behind. Besides requiring certain configurations to be selected in the top-tier Evoque models, the Evoque’s cabin experience is still grounded in traditional vehicular services and lacks the capability for advanced, multimodal intelligent interactions. Furthermore, in terms of practical features like wireless charging, the J7’s 50W wireless charger, both in terms of charging power and heat dissipation, is evidently superior to Evoque’s low-powered charging device.
Additionally, in terms of spatial comfort, although their wheelbases are comparable, J7’s 4500mm body length, 1680mm body height, and a flat central channel in the rear undoubtedly provide an advantage in spatial depth, offering a more spacious and comfortable in-cabin driving experience. The application of double-layer soundproof glass and extensive soundproofing materials within the J7 further enhances its overall tranquility.
Stunning “Core,” Safeguarding the Off-Road Journey
Indeed, the competition among off-road SUVs is invariably rooted in their actual off-road performance. In this arena, the J7 adopts an intelligent, timely four-wheel drive system akin to that of the Evoque. Additionally, in various passability indicators such as approach angle, departure angle, ground clearance, and water wading depth, the J7 matches the Evoque stride for stride. This signifies that both vehicles share equally effective four-wheel drive capabilities for overcoming challenging terrains at their technological core.
Building upon this foundation, to comprehensively rival Land Rover’s All Terrain Response system（ATRS）, JAECOO has developed the new ARDIS (All Road Drive Intelligent System). This system equips the J7 with the capability to traverse seven distinct driving scenarios, including sand, mud, and snowfields, surpassing the five driving modes offered by the Evoque.
Moreover, with the incorporation of Bosch’s IPB intelligent braking system, the J7’s ARDIS can instantaneously engage the four-wheel drive within 0.1 seconds. This feature brings eight core advantages, including high integration, rapid braking, and non-fading, significantly enhancing J7’s safety and driving comfort. Thus, in some aspects, the J7’s ability to handle complex road conditions may even surpass that of its “kin,” the Evoque.
Safety, an eternal topic in the automotive world, is a domain where both models are built based on the “global 5-Star safety standards.” However, they have their respective strengths and weaknesses in specific technical parameters. For instance, while the J7’s body strength of 23,000N/deg already far exceeds that of a typical urban SUV, it is slightly less than the Evoque’s 31,300N/deg. Conversely, in terms of roof crush resistance, the J7’s score of 5.11 surpasses the Evoque’s 4.9.
To construct a comprehensive safety protection system, the J7 innovatively adopts a caged, energy-absorbing space capsule structure with five longitudinal and three transverse elements. Over 80% of the vehicle is covered with high-strength steel. Additionally, it is equipped with nearly 20 ADAS (Advanced Driver-Assistance System) features, offering a broader spectrum of safety assurances compared to the Evoque’s dozen or so functions.
It is undeniable that Land Rover has always been an “invisible king” in the off-road domain. However, in the current era of transition from old to new, consumers, particularly the new elite, are no longer blindly loyal to the old brand myths. In this context, the arrival of JAECOO, a brand embodying the essence of “From Classic, Beyond Classic,” heralds the start of an intriguing chapter in the off-road vehicle saga.
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