The Jaecoo J7 PHEV was the first in a new generation of plug-in hybrids, one which prioritised fuel efficiency over performance. It was a slow start, but buyers appear to have warmed up to it, as the petrol-electric version is now outselling the purely combustion-engined model.
Omoda & Jaecoo Malaysia personnel told us that the PHEV model made up 57% of all J7 sales so far this year, up from just 26% in 2025. This is despite the higher price compared to the petrol car and a historical aversion towards plug-in models, the latter due to alleged reliability issues with past European PHEVs.
No doubt the current volatility of global fuel prices will have pushed buyers towards more efficient electrified models, even though our RON95 petrol continues to be subsidised. The recent launch of the Proton eMas 7 PHEV with similar powertrain technology could also have something to do with it, spurring interest for such vehicles and, thus demand. There is surely a sizeable group of people that want a car like the eMas 7 PHEV but don’t want to “buy local”.
Anyway, a recap about the J7 PHEV, priced at RM158,800 on-the-road without insurance, versus RM138,800 for the petrol 2WD model and RM148,800 for the AWD. Power comes from a 204 PS/310 Nm electric motor that’s juiced by a 143 PS/215 Nm 1.5 litre turbo four-cylinder engine and a 18.3 kWh BYD-produced LFP battery, leading to a total system output of 279 PS.
So equipped, the car is able to accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in 8.5 seconds on its way to a top speed of 180 km/h. The single-speed dedicated hybrid transmission (DHT) enables the petrol mill to clutch in and drive the car at higher speeds where it is more efficient.
Speaking of efficiency, the J7 PHEV delivers a combined fuel consumption figure of 4.9 litres per 100 km, and even with the battery depleted, this only rises to 5.99 litres per 100 km. You’ll have to drive around quite a bit to get to that point, too, as the car has a pure electric range of 88 km on the WLTP cycle, plus a total range of 1,200 km.
As for charging, the J7 PHEV can support up to 40 kW of DC fast charging, topping up the battery from 30 to 80% in 20 minutes. It can also accept up to 6.6 kW of AC charging, with a full charge taking under four hours. A 3.3 kW V2L function is also included.
The post Jaecoo J7 PHEV is now outselling petrol version in Malaysia – 57% chose plug-in hybrid in 2026 appeared first on Paul Tan’s Automotive News.
