A proper head-to-head in South Africa — compare price, performance,
fuel economy or electric range, safety and the details that shape long-term ownership.
J7 SHS and SEAL are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.
J7 SHS starts ZAR 318,000 cheaperJ7 SHS from ZAR 689,900 · SEAL from ZAR 1,007,900
Five key differences
Exact selected derivatives
Swipe sideways to compare every column
Specification
J7 SHS
SEAL
Maximum Power
J7 SHS255 kW @ 5500 rpm
SEAL390 kW
Maximum Torque
J7 SHS525 Nm
SEAL670 Nm
Engine Size
J7 SHS1500 cc
SEALNot Applicable
Combined Fuel Economy
J7 SHS100.0 km/l
SEALNot Applicable
Ground Clearance
J7 SHS174 mm
SEAL145 mm
Strongest published figure in that row; no road-test winner is implied.
Independent editorial assessment
Hagalu editorial ratings
When a variant is selected, its rating out of five applies only to that exact derivative; a model-range review is not inherited. Editorial ratings are separate from the Specification Evidence Index out of 100 and are not customer ratings.
Jaecoo J7 SHS
SHS
Hagalu editorial ratingNot yet rated
No complete editorial rating is published for this exact variant. This is not a zero score.
Not yet rated means a complete review is not published; it does not mean the vehicle scored zero. Read the rating methodology.
What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)
J7 SHS
Strengths
Better fuel efficiency
Stronger published practicality figures
Weak Spots
Less powerful engine setup
Fewer listed safety features
Best suited to:Published EfficiencyPublished Practicality
Specification evidence leader
SEAL
Strengths
More powerful engine output
Stronger listed safety equipment
Weak Spots
Lower fuel efficiency
Lower published practicality figures
Best suited to:Published Performance
Which One's Right for You?
J7 SHS
Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use
Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures
SEAL
Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures
Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment
Full Specs, Side by Side
Open a category, then swipe sideways to compare every column
Spec
J7 SHS
SEAL
Model Introduced Year
2025
2024
Generation
Current South Africa J7 SHS range
First South African SEAL generation
Facelift History
Current South Africa version listed by official source
No separately marketed South African facelift announced as at August 2026
Facelift Launched Since
2025
Original current-generation version
Facelift Version Ending
Current
Current
Body Style
SUV
Sedan
Model Year
2026
2026
Production Status
active
Active
Segment
SUV
Medium Sedan
Tare Mass Kg
Not Available
-
Vehicle Type
SUV
Passenger vehicle
Spec
J7 SHS
SEAL
Length
4500 mm
4800 mm
Width
1865 mm
1875 mm
Height
1670 mm
1460 mm
Wheelbase
2672 mm
2920 mm
Ground Clearance (Default)
174 mm
145 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load)
170 mm
120 mm
Fuel Tank Capacity
60 l
0 l
Boot/Cargo Space
500 l
400 l
Kerb Weight
1795 kg
2185 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW)
2210 kg
2631 kg
Payload Capacity
420 kg
446 kg
Towing Capacity
1300 kg
1500 kg
Seating Capacity
5 seats
5 seats
Number of Rows
2 rows
2 rows
Doors
5 doors
4 doors
Minimum Turning Radius
5.4 m
5.7 m
Front Headroom
1010 mm
1000 mm
Rear Headroom
975 mm
920 mm
Front Legroom
1050 mm
1110 mm
Rear Legroom
910 mm
810 mm
Spec
J7 SHS
SEAL
Front Track Width
Not Available
-
Rear Track Width
Not Available
-
Front Suspension
MacPherson strut
Double wishbone
Rear Suspension
Multi-link
Multi-link
Spec
J7 SHS
SEAL
Load Bed Length
Not Applicable
-
Load Bed Width
Not Applicable
-
Climate Control
Automatic
Automatic
Power Windows
Standard
Standard
Keyless Entry
Standard
Standard
Push Button Start
Standard
Standard
Wireless Charging
Standard
Standard
Sunroof
Standard
Panoramic
Electric Tailgate
Standard
Standard
Rain Sensing Wipers
Standard
Standard
Boot Space Seats Folded
Not Available
-
AC Type
Automatic
Automatic
Loadbox Length Mm
Not Applicable
-
Loadbox Width Mm
Not Applicable
-
Spec
J7 SHS
SEAL
Engine
1.5-litre Turbocharged Petrol Plug-in Hybrid
Dual-motor battery-electric powertrain
Engine Code
Not Officially Disclosed
Not Applicable
Fuel Type
Plug-in Hybrid
Electric
Hybrid System
Plug-in Hybrid
Not Applicable
Engine Displacement
1500 cc
Not Applicable
Cylinders
4
Not Applicable
Cylinder Layout
Inline
Not Applicable
Valves
16
Not Applicable
Valves per Cylinder
4
Not Applicable
Aspiration
Turbocharged
Not Applicable
Fuel System
Petrol injection
Not Applicable
Compression Ratio
Not Officially Disclosed
Not Applicable
Bore
Not Officially Disclosed
Not Applicable
Stroke
Not Officially Disclosed
Not Applicable
Maximum Power
255 kW @ 5500 rpm
390 kW
Maximum Torque
525 Nm
670 Nm
Combined Power
Not Officially Disclosed
Not Applicable
Combined Torque
Not Officially Disclosed
Not Applicable
Motor Type
Not Officially Disclosed
Front Induction; Rear Permanent Magnet Synchronous
Number of Motors
Not Officially Disclosed
2
Motor Location
Not Officially Disclosed
Front + Rear
Drive Type
FWD
AWD
Transmission
Not Officially Disclosed
Single-Speed Reduction Gear
Top Speed
Not Officially Disclosed
180 km/h
0-100 km/h
Not Officially Disclosed
3.8 sec
Quarter Mile
Not Officially Disclosed
Not Officially Disclosed
Drive Modes
Eco, Normal, Sport
Eco, Normal, Sport, Snow
Launch Control
Not Officially Disclosed
Not Officially Disclosed
Rev Limiter
Not Officially Disclosed
Not Applicable
Power-to-Weight Ratio
Not Officially Disclosed
178.5 kW/tonne
Torque-to-Weight Ratio
Not Officially Disclosed
306.6 Nm/tonne
Battery Capacity
Not Officially Disclosed
82.56 kWh
Usable Battery Capacity
Not Officially Disclosed
Not Officially Disclosed
Battery Type
Not Officially Disclosed
LFP
Battery Voltage
Not Officially Disclosed
550.4 V
Electric Range
90 km (WLTP)
520 km (WLTP)
AC Charging Power
6.6 kW
11 kW
DC Charging Power
40 kW
150 kW
AC Charging Time
160 min
8 h 36 min (0-100%)
DC Charging Time
20 min
37 min (10-80%)
Regenerative Braking
Not Officially Disclosed
Yes
Spec
J7 SHS
SEAL
Gearbox
DHT
Single-Speed Reduction Gear
Drivetrain Layout
FWD
Front and rear electric drive units
LSD Available
Not Applicable
Not Available
Transfer Case
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Differential Lock
Not Applicable
Not Available
Paddle Shifters
Standard
Not Applicable
Final Drive Ratio
Not Applicable
Not Available
Number of Gears
Hybrid DHT
1
Transmission Type
Automatic
Automatic
Clutch Type
Automatic clutch
Not Applicable
Gear Shift Indicator
Standard
Standard
Gear Shift Type
Electric
Crystal gear shifter
Drivetrain
FWD
AWD
4WD Engagement
Not Applicable
Automatic electric all-wheel drive
4WD Hi Range
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
4WD Lo Range
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
4WD Selector
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Automatic Shift Paddles
Standard
Not Applicable
Front Differential Lock
Not Applicable
Not Available
Gearbox Type
DHT
Single-speed reduction gear
Low Range Ratio
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Low Range
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Axle Layout
FWD
4x4
Rear Differential Lock
Not Applicable
Not Available
Transmission Speeds
Hybrid DHT
1
Spec
J7 SHS
SEAL
Claimed Mileage
100.0 km/l
Not Applicable
City Mileage
17.4 km/l
Not Applicable
Highway Mileage
23.0 km/l
Not Applicable
Fuel Tank Capacity
60 l
Not Applicable
Emission Standard
Euro VIb
Not Applicable
AdBlue Tank Capacity
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Auto Start Stop
Standard
Not Applicable
Real-world Mileage
100.0 km/l
Not Applicable
Charging Port Type
Plug-in hybrid AC/DC
Type 2 AC; CCS2 DC
Charging Type
AC/DC
AC and DC
Fuel Tank Litres
60
Not Applicable
Combined Driving Range
1200
520 km (WLTP)
Electric Consumption
18.7
18.2 kWh/100 km (WLTP)
Range Real World Highway
Not Available
425 km
Range Real World Mixed
1200 km
510 km
Spec
J7 SHS
SEAL
Airbags
Multiple airbags
9
ABS
Standard
Standard
Electronic Stability Control
Standard
Standard
Traction Control
Standard
Standard
Hill Descent Control
Standard
Not Applicable
Hill Start Assist
Standard
Standard
Child Safety Lock
Standard
Standard
ISOFIX Mounts
Standard
Standard
Brake Assist
Standard
Standard
Tyre Pressure Monitor
Standard
Standard
Engine Immobiliser
Standard
Standard
Seatbelt Warning All Seats
Standard
Standard
Front Parking Sensors
Standard
Standard
AEB
Standard
Standard
BA
Standard
Standard
Brake Override System
Standard
Standard
Curtain Airbags
Standard
Standard
Driver Airbag
Standard
Standard
EBD
Standard
Standard
Engine Immobiliser
Standard
Not Applicable
Hill Hold
Standard
Standard
Passenger Airbag
Standard
Standard
Rear Cross Traffic Alert
Standard
Standard
Seatbelt Pretensioners
Standard
Standard
Seatbelt Reminder
Standard
Standard
Side Airbags
Standard
Standard
Stability Control
Standard
Standard
TCS
Standard
Standard
Knee Airbag
Standard
Not Available
ABS EBD
Standard
Standard
Spec
J7 SHS
SEAL
Cruise Control
Standard
Standard
Adaptive Cruise Control
Standard
Standard
Lane Keep Assist
Standard
Standard
Lane Departure Warning
Standard
Standard
Blind Spot Monitoring
Standard
Standard
Rear Cross Traffic Alert
Standard
Standard
Parking Sensors
Standard
Standard
Rear View Camera
Standard
Standard
360 Degree Camera
Standard
Standard
Autonomous Emergency Braking
Standard
Standard
Driver Fatigue Alert
Standard
Standard
Traffic Sign Recognition
Not Available
Standard
Auto Highbeam
Standard
Standard
Auto Wipers
Standard
Standard
Rear Parking Sensors
Standard
Standard
Reverse Camera
Standard
Standard
Adaptive Cruise Control
Standard
Standard
Park Assist
Not Available
Standard
Around View Monitor
Standard
Standard
Blind Spot Warning
Standard
Standard
Forward Collision Warning
Standard
Standard
Spec
J7 SHS
SEAL
Seat Material
Leatherette / leather
Synthetic leather
Heated Seats
Standard
Standard
Ventilated Seats
Standard
Standard
Ambient Lighting
Standard
Standard
Front Shoulder Room
Not Available
-
Rear Shoulder Room
Not Available
-
Steering Wheel Material
Leather
Synthetic leather
60 40 Split Seat
Standard
Standard
Driver Seat Adjustment
Power
Electric adjustment
Passenger Seat Adjustment
Power
Electric adjustment
Seat Trim
Leatherette / leather
Synthetic leather
Spec
J7 SHS
SEAL
Infotainment System
Touchscreen infotainment
15.6-inch rotating touchscreen
Apple CarPlay
Standard
Standard
Android Auto
Standard
Standard
Bluetooth Connectivity
Standard
Standard
Number of Speakers
8
12
Digital Instrument Cluster
Standard
Full LCD instrument display
USB Ports
Front and rear USB where listed
Front and rear USB-A/USB-C ports
Infotainment Screen
10.25-inch or larger by trim
15.6
Touchscreen
10.25-inch or larger by trim
15.6
Spec
J7 SHS
SEAL
LED Headlamps
Standard
Standard
Daytime Running Lamps
Standard
LED
Fog Lamps
Standard
Rear fog lamp
Roof Rails
Standard
Not Applicable
Exterior Colour Options
Khaki white, carbon crystal black, model green, olive grey, moonlight silver and two-tone colours where listed.
Sky Black, Atlantis Gray, Aurora White, North Ice Blue, Rosemary Gray, Wind Grass Green
Headlights
Standard
Standard
Panoramic Sunroof
Standard
Standard
Spec
J7 SHS
SEAL
Approach Angle
Not Available
13 deg
Departure Angle
Not Available
14 deg
Wading Depth
Not Available
Not Applicable
Terrain Modes
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Locking Differential
Not Applicable
Not Available
4WD System Type
Not Applicable
Electric all-wheel drive
Breakover Angle
Not Available
Not Applicable
Ground Clearance Max
174 mm
-
Ground Clearance Min
174 mm
-
Spec
J7 SHS
SEAL
Tyre Size
235/50 R19
235/45 R19
Front Brake Type
Ventilated Disc
Ventilated disc
Rear Brake Type
Disc
Disc
Spare Wheel Type
Not Available
Tyre repair kit
Wheel Rim Size
235/50 R19
19
Handbrake Type
Electronic parking brake
Electronic parking brake
Spec
J7 SHS
SEAL
CO2 Emissions
Not Available
0 g/km
Fuel Octane Requirement
Petrol
-
Spec
J7 SHS
SEAL
Service Plan
5 Year / 75 000 km
5 years/100000 km maintenance plan
Spec
J7 SHS
SEAL
Ownership Role
range-specific
flagship all-wheel-drive derivative
Price Zar
689900 ZAR
1211900 ZAR
Pricing Role
range-specific
flagship all-wheel-drive derivative
Starting Price
689900
1211900
Starting Price Zar
689900
1211900
Spec
J7 SHS
SEAL
Warranty
7 Year / 200 000 km
5 years/100000 km complete vehicle; 8 years/200000 km power battery; 5 years/100000 km drive unit
In depth: how these cars differ
This J7 SHS and SEAL comparison uses the exact derivatives selected above for South Africa. The catalogue index covers performance, efficiency, safety equipment, practicality and ownership cover only where comparable source-backed fields are present.
Performance index: J7 SHS 91 vs SEAL 100.
Efficiency index: J7 SHS 96 vs SEAL 90.
Safety-equipment index: J7 SHS 94 vs SEAL 98.
Practicality index: J7 SHS 62 vs SEAL 57.
Ownership-cover index: J7 SHS not separately scored vs SEAL 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.
Model imagery
J7 SHS and SEAL image comparison
Open an image for its full canonical file or visit the model page for the complete vehicle record.
A transparent comparison of published catalogue fields. This is not a road-test score, owner rating or editorial review rating, and it appears only when every vehicle clears the same comparable-data threshold.
Evidence / 100
Evidence-index readout
SEAL leads by 1 points
J7 SHS and SEAL are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.
Performance
SEAL +9
Efficiency
J7 SHS +6
Safety
SEAL +4
Practicality
J7 SHS +5
Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.
Why this scoreView full breakdown
Evidence-index leader
SEAL
Performance
100/100
Efficiency
90/100
Safety
98/100
Practicality
57/100
J7 SHS
Performance
91/100
Efficiency
96/100
Safety
94/100
Practicality
62/100
What the evidence means
Evidence indexBYD SEAL
leads the specification evidence index with 86 pts
vs 85 pts for J7 SHS
In Hagalu's specification evidence index, SEAL leads. However, J7 SHS may suit buyers prioritising different confirmed fields. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.
Related comparisons
Continue with closely related South Africa models and comparable body styles.
There is no universal winner. Use the comparison table to match the models and available derivatives in South Africa 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.
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