Most large crossover SUVs offer three rows of seating in Australia and many are available with some form of powertrain electrification. Not so the Jaecoo J8.

Chery Australia, however, says the model range of its new flagship SUV could expand in future.

“We’re only launching as a five-seater. Based on customer feedback, if the market is there, obviously we’ll talk to [head office] about it and see what can be done,” Chery Australia communications boss Tim Krieger told Australian media at the launch of the J8.

The J8 is offered in three-row guise in other markets, with either a six-seat configuration with second-row captain’s chairs (pictured below) or a seven-seat configuration with a second-row bench.

Australian Government documents show the six-seat configuration has already been approved for sale in Australia.

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Almost every other large, combustion-powered crossover SUV from a mass-market brand offers a third row of seating in Australia, with the only exceptions being the Mazda CX-70 and Subaru Outback.

There’s also potential for a plug-in hybrid version of the J8 which – combined with a third row of seating – would give Omoda Jaecoo a rival to PHEV versions of the Kia Sorento and Mazda CX-80.

“Based on what we’ve seen on how successful J7 has been, certainly we’d love to get a hybrid version. We’re talking with the factory about this at the moment, but at launch we’ve only got the ICE variant,” said Mr Krieger.

Revealed at last year’s Beijing motor show as pictured below, the J8 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) is fitted with a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and two electric motors for total system outputs of 450kW and 915Nm.