JAC Motors wants a piece of the vast and competitive MPV market in the Philippines. Enter the JAC Refine RF8, the do-it-all PHEV minivan.
Already established in the Chinese market, the Refine RF8 comes in several trims that vary in luxury. The many variations of the RF8 give JAC’s MPV a considerable fight against the likes of the Toyota Zenix and the Toyota Alphard.
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At first glance, ‘MPV’ wouldn’t necessarily be the classification that the RF8 belongs in. Its long, wide, and flat fascia gives off executive SUV-like impressions, and the sliding doors on both sides clearly say ‘van.’ Its intentions to take on the Toyota Alphard are clear, but the comparisons to the Mitsubishi Xpander, Toyota Innova, and other MPVs are still cloudy. Yet JAC is insistent that its hybrid can serve more than one purpose.
Coming in at 5,215mm long, 1,895mm wide, and 1,830mm tall, it definitely fits the bill for minivans. All variants of the RF8 seat seven passengers (except for the top version), and the different levels of luxury will be mostly seen in the second and third rows.
In the standard RF8, second-row passengers will be traveling on two bucket seats that feature individual USB-A charging ports and an adjustable backrest while passengers on the third row will be on a bench seat that is comfortably cushioned. The RF8’s MPV agenda is now brought to light as the third row folds down in two different angles to give the trunk an almost flat layout.
Luxury starts to shine in the flagship variants of the RF8. These two variants seem to ditch the MPV aspirations and fully focus on luxury and comfort.
On the first flagship, there is a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine that produces 253hp. The leather bucket seats on the second row can be controlled through screens located on the right armrest. The screen gives the passenger the ability to configure the seat’s massage, heating, and ventilation features while adjusting the footrest, backrest, and position. Second row passengers also have tables mounted on the driver and front passenger’s seats. Third row passengers get a similar bench seat as the standard model, but without the versatile folding capabilities.
The third row on the second flagship RF8 gets an unrivaled amount of comfort, and other carmakers should take notice. While the third row loses one in seating capacity, it adds the ability to fully recline the backrest and extend the actual leather-stitched seat. It might just be the most comfortable third row in the minivan market at the moment. The second row houses the same feature-filled buckets seats as the previous variant, but with the added ability to swivel 180 degrees.
The flagship RF8 variants traded power for comfort and luxury with a smaller 1.5-liter engine powering both. With about 163hp, the PHEV variants should run for 150km on just its electric battery, and a total of 1,150km with a full tank of gas. Not a bad trade-off after all.
There is no exact date on when the JAC Refine RF8 will be driving on Philippine roads, but sometime between the first and second quarter of 2025 is most likely. No word as well on local prices, but from what we’ve seen from other carmakers from China, it will definitely make us look twice.
