Should you buy the most expensive Kia Sportage, or the bigger Jaecoo 8 for the same price? Mat Watson finds out

I recommend the Kia Sportage to a lot of people. It’s a solid, dependable, practical family SUV with a reassuring warranty, but there are some Chinese alternatives swooping in at the moment and undercutting the Kia on price.

The Jaecoo 7 is the most obvious example, with most versions costing less than the equivalent Sportage by a few thousand pounds, but there’s now the Jaecoo 8 to consider as well.

It’s bigger than the Sportage, and has an extra pair of seats, but it costs about the same as a top-spec Sportage PHEV. Should you be tempted? I’m going to compare their prices, standard equipment, interiors, practicality and see how they drive to help you decide.

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Jaecoo 8 vs Kia Sportage: prices and deals

The Jaecoo 8 starts from £45,500 for the seven-seater, or you can add an extra £2,000 to get the six-seat version with a pair of captains chairs in the back in place of the three-seat bench.

I’d stick to the seven-seater because it’s much more practical. Through Carwow, you can save up to £2,455 on a new Jaecoo 8 at the time of writing, bringing the price down to around £43,000.

All cars come with heated and ventilated front and rear seats, a panoramic sunroof, a surround-view camera, a head-up display, adaptive cruise control and a Sony 14-speaker sound system.

To get that level of equipment in a Kia Sportage, with a plug-in hybrid engine to match the Jaecoo’s, you’ll need the top-spec GT Line S model. It costs just under £48,000, but through Carwow it’s available for as little as £43,200 at the time of writing.

So there’s not much in it when you buy in cash, but there’s a surprising twist when you look at leasing prices. This top-spec PHEV version of the Sportage will cost you a hefty £663 per month over three years and 30,000 miles, and that’s with an initial payment of £8,300.

On the other hand, the Jaecoo 8 will cost you £452 per month over the same time and mileage, with an upfront payment of £5,730. That’s a saving of £10,000 over three years.

There are better deals to be had on the lower-spec GT Line Sportage with the self-charging hybrid engine – that car will cost £308 per month with a £4,000 up-front payment at the time of writing. But if you want a PHEV with all the kit, the Jaecoo 8 is a lot cheaper to lease.

Jaecoo 8 vs Kia Sportage: interior and technology

I was really impressed with the Jaecoo 8’s interior when I tested the car. There’s more than a hint of Mercedes GLE about the dashboard layout – just look at the square air vents and stepped dashboard.

That’s not a bad thing though, because it looks really smart. Material quality is really good as well, with plenty of soft-touch leatherette and solid-feeling switchgear. I did notice some wonky trim though, which isn’t great.

The standard-fit 12.3-inch screen is only average as well. It’s pretty easy to use, but it’s set quite a long way from you in the driver’s seat. That’s especially annoying when all the climate controls are buried on the screen – you have to lean forward quite a bit to adjust anything.

You also get a 12.3-inch screen in the Kia, and it’s got a similar problem. It’s far away from you, but there are separate climate controls in a panel which is in easy reach. It’s a more user-friendly cabin, and the build quality is slightly more solid than the Jaecoo’s as well.

That said, the design isn’t as interesting or upmarket, and the materials don’t feel quite as posh. There are more scratchy plastics in the Kia.

It’s close, but I prefer the Jaecoo’s interior. It just looks more impressive.

Jaecoo 8 vs Kia Sportage: space and practicality

The Jaecoo 8 has one clear advantage here: an extra pair of seats. The third row is tight though, and getting in is a pain thanks to the tiny opening when you fold the middle seat forward. It’s still handy for kids, but if you want a more spacious seven-seater then a Hyundai Santa Fe is a better bet.

Space in the middle is very similar between these two cars, which is surprising when you consider the fact that the Jaecoo is a lot longer and wider than the Kia. I reckon the Jaecoo is slightly roomier, and it’s better for carrying three in the back thanks to the flat floor, but there’s plenty of room to stretch out in both cars.

It’s in the boot where the Jaecoo’s additional size pays off, because the 738-litre boot (with the third row folded away) dwarfs the Kia’s 587-litre capacity.

The Sportage’s boot is very big for its class, and it’s more than spacious enough for a family of four, but you can’t get away from the fact that the Jaecoo 8 is bigger, and therefore, more practical.

Jaecoo 8 vs Kia Sportage: engines and driving

It’s behind the wheel that a lot of Chinese cars tend to show their budget underpinnings. The Jaecoo 7, for example, is nowhere near as comfortable over bumps or composed through corners as a Kia Sportage. However, the Jaecoo 8 is different.

It handles the UKs rough roads pretty well, managing to smooth out the worst of the potholes. The steering is decent as well, putting the car where you point it without much fuss. It’s not better to drive than a Sportage, but it’s as good as.

Powering the Jaecoo 8 is a 1.5-litre petrol plug-in hybrid system, and it puts out a whopping 430hp. That means it’ll do 0-60mph in 5.8 seconds, about the same as a Volkswagen Golf GTI hot hatch. More importantly, it can do up to 83 miles on electric power alone.

The Kia Sportage does offer more choice on the engine front. You can have a 1.6-litre petrol engine paired with either a manual or automatic gearbox, there’s a self-charging hybrid and the plug-in hybrid which I’m focussing on here.

The Sportage PHEV uses a 1.6-litre engine paired with an electric motor, and combined they make 283hp. It can’t match the Jaecoo in terms of performance, but it’s more than nippy enough. You also only get 43 miles of electric range in the Kia.

To drive, the Sportage is not a thriller but it’s very pleasant. It’s quiet at speed, easy around town and decent on the motorway, but I wouldn’t say it’s leaps and bounds ahead of the Jaecoo in this area.

Mat’s final verdict: which car should you buy?

The Kia Sportage is undeniably a brilliant car, and I’ll continue to recommend it to a lot of people. I’d just steer clear of this pricey top-spec model. The Storm version with the self-charging hybrid engine has all the kit you really need, including adaptive cruise control, heated front and rear seats and a Harman Kardon sound system, all for £35,000 through Carwow.

If you just need a five-seater SUV with loads of kit, a spacious interior and which is good to drive, that’s what I’d buy.

However, if you’ve got £45,000 burning a hole in your pocket for a plug-in hybrid family car, I’d buy the Jaecoo 8 over a top-spec Sportage. You’re getting more space and equipment for your money, and it’s good to drive as well.

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