Suzuki Across vs Jaecoo J7

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — we cover price, performance, petrol economy, safety and what it'll actually cost you to own each one long term.

Suzuki Across in South Africa

Suzuki Across

1.5 GLX 6AT Petrol Mild Hybrid 6-Speed Automatic Current
ZAR 464,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 76 kW 🔧 137 Nm ⛽ 18.9 km/l
VS
Jaecoo J7 in South Africa

Jaecoo J7

Vortex Petrol 7-Speed DCT Current
ZAR 519,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 145 kW 🔧 290 Nm ⛽ 14.3 km/l
Add a 3rd car

At a Glance — Who Wins What

Performance J7
Fuel Economy Across
🛡 Safety Tie
📦 Practicality J7
🔑 Ownership Not enough comparable data
Across starts ZAR 170,000 cheaper Across from ZAR 349,900 · J7 from ZAR 519,900

Key Specs Side by Side

The specs that matter most — highlighted where one car leads.

Spec Across J7
Maximum Power 75.8 kW @ 6000 rpm 145 kW @ 5500 rpm
Maximum Torque 136.8 Nm @ 4400 rpm 290 Nm
Engine Size 1462 cc 1600 cc
Combined Fuel Economy 18.9 km/l 14.3 km/l
Ground Clearance 210 mm 200 mm
Boot / Load Bay 333 l 584 l
Airbags 6 Multiple airbags
Kerb Weight - -
Seating Capacity 5 seats 5 seats
Warranty 5 years / 200,000 km promotional warranty 5 Year / 150 000 km

= leads in this spec

The Bottom Line

J7 has a modest catalogue-index lead, while Across remains close.

Where They Actually Differ

Performance J7 +25 pts
Efficiency Across +20 pts
Safety Equal
Practicality J7 +16 pts

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

Across

Strengths
  • Better fuel efficiency
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Lower published practicality figures
Best suited to: Published Efficiency
Catalogue-index leader

J7

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Stronger published practicality figures
Weak Spots
  • Lower fuel efficiency
Best suited to: Published Performance Published Practicality

Which One's Right for You?

Across

  • Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use

J7

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures
  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures

Full Specs, Side by Side

Spec Across J7
Model Introduced Year 2026 2024
Generation First South African generation of the current Across Current South Africa J7 range
Facelift History All-new March 2026 South African launch model; no facelift yet Current South Africa version listed by official source
Facelift Launched Since Original current-generation version 2024
Facelift Version Ending Current Current
Body Style Five-door compact SUV SUV
Model Year 2026 2026
Production Status On sale active
Segment C-segment family SUV SUV
Tare Mass Kg 1200-1250 kg Not Available
Vehicle Type Passenger vehicle SUV
Spec Across J7
Length 4360 mm 4500 mm
Width 1795 mm 1865 mm
Height 1655 mm 1680 mm
Wheelbase 2600 mm 2672 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 210 mm 200 mm
Fuel Tank Capacity 45 l 51 l
Boot/Cargo Space 333 l 584 l
Payload Capacity 460 kg -
Seating Capacity 5 seats 5 seats
Number of Rows 2 rows -
Doors 5 doors 5 doors
Minimum Turning Radius 5.4 m -
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) - 1939 kg

Source-backed Catalogue Index

A transparent specification index shown only when every vehicle clears the minimum comparable-data threshold.

Weighted / 100
Catalogue-index readout

J7 leads by 8 points

J7 has a modest catalogue-index lead, while Across remains close.

Index leader 72 /100
Lead 8 points
Data 58% source coverage
72
#1 Index leader

J7

58% source coverage 2 strong categories
Best at Safety 91 Check Efficiency 56
Performance 59
Efficiency 56
Safety 91
Practicality 78
Leads by 8 points
64
#2

Across

73% source coverage 2 strong categories
Best at Safety 91 Check Performance 34
Performance 34
Efficiency 76
Safety 91
Practicality 62
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance J7 +25 Efficiency Across +20 Safety Level Practicality J7 +16

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Catalogue-index leader

J7

Performance 59/100
Efficiency 56/100
Safety 91/100
Practicality 78/100

Across

Performance 34/100
Efficiency 76/100
Safety 91/100
Practicality 62/100

How to Read This Comparison

🏆 Jaecoo J7 leads the catalogue index with 72 pts vs 64 pts for Across

In Hagalu's source-backed catalogue index, J7 leads. However, Across may suit buyers prioritising different confirmed fields. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

Buyers Also Looked At These

Other comparisons that people in the same boat tend to check out.

Questions Buyers Usually Ask

There is no universal winner. Use the comparison table to match the exact South African derivatives on price, safety equipment, space, powertrain and ownership cover. The category indicators summarise published catalogue data; they are not a road test or customer rating.

Compare the published consumption or mileage rows for the exact derivatives using the same unit and test basis. A catalogue figure is useful for like-for-like comparison, but traffic, speed, load, weather and driving style can change actual fuel use.

Compare only equipment explicitly listed for each derivative, including airbags, stability control and driver-assistance systems. Confirm the exact trim with the manufacturer, and treat any independent crash-test result separately because equipment and ratings can differ by market.

A reliable five-year total cannot be calculated from catalogue data alone. Add the exact purchase and finance cost, fuel or electricity, insurance quotes, scheduled servicing, tyres and expected resale value. Check whether the selected derivative includes a service or maintenance plan.

Use the seating, boot or load-space, ISOFIX and safety rows as a first check. Then test the exact cars with your child seats, passengers and typical luggage, because published dimensions do not show every access or comfort difference.

Compare the published power, torque and 0–100 km/h rows when they are available for both exact derivatives. Vehicle weight, gearing and power delivery also matter, so catalogue outputs alone do not establish real-world overtaking or response.

Hagalu does not publish a guaranteed resale winner. Depreciation depends on age, mileage, condition, derivative, colour, supply and demand. Compare several current used-market listings and obtain trade-in valuations for equivalent examples before relying on a resale estimate.

Check the exact derivatives for drive type, ground clearance, tyres, approach and departure angles, wading depth and low-range gearing where officially disclosed. SUV styling or all-wheel drive alone does not prove that a vehicle is suitable for demanding off-road use.

Calculate each exact derivative using your monthly distance and a current fuel or electricity price, then add finance, insurance, scheduled service, tyres and licence costs. Hagalu does not claim a fixed monthly saving without those buyer-specific inputs.

It is worth more only when the exact price difference buys equipment, space, performance or ownership cover that matters to you. Compare like-for-like lifecycle states and derivatives; a current offer and a historical last-listed price are not directly equivalent.

In Depth — Breaking It All Down

This Across and J7 comparison uses the exact South African derivatives selected above. The catalogue index covers performance, efficiency, safety equipment, practicality and ownership cover only where comparable source-backed fields are present.

Performance index: Across 34 vs J7 59.

Efficiency index: Across 76 vs J7 56.

Safety-equipment index: Across 91 vs J7 91.

Practicality index: Across 62 vs J7 78.

Ownership-cover index: Across not separately scored vs J7 not separately scored.

These figures are Hagalu catalogue-comparison indicators, not customer ratings, crash-test scores, resale guarantees or a substitute for a road test. Each page shows its weighted source coverage beside the result.