It seems like there’s a new Chinese-built SUV arriving in Australia every week.
And now here’s another one, the all-new Jaecoo J5, that will land in local showrooms soon.
It’s the little brother to the J7 that launched Chery’s adventure-seeking sister brand earlier this year, and it will be offered with the choice of three different powertrains – petrol, hybrid, and fully electric, as tested here.
The J5 goes up against the likes of the Hyundai Kona, Kia Seltos, MG ZS, Nissan Qashqai, and plenty of others in the ever-expanding compact SUV segment.
We got behind the wheel of the range-topping, battery-powered Jaecoo J5 during a flying visit to Chery’s headquarters in Wuhu, China, last week for an exclusive preview drive before it arrives in Australia.
How much does the Jaecoo J5 cost?
Jaecoo Australia has confirmed the J5 will be offered locally with a choice of three powertrain options including an entry-level variant with a conventional 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, a mid-spec hybrid, and the range-topping battery-electric version we’re testing here.
Interestingly, the EV variant will be the first to hit showrooms from next month, with the petrol and hybrid models to follow in February next year.
Final pricing has yet to be revealed, but the J5 is expected to undercut the larger J7 by a significant margin, with a sub-$30k drive-away price for the petrol version and a sub-$40k sticker for the EV.
Keep an eye on CarExpert for more details closer to the J5’s official local launch.
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What is the Jaecoo J5 like on the inside?
There’s a lot to like about the cabin of the five-seat Jaecoo, even though it presents with a very minimalist design.
For starters, it’s much more spacious than its compact exterior dimensions suggest, with generous headroom in both rows and plenty of legroom in the rear for two adults to travel comfortably, or three kids across the bench.
And there’s 480 litres of cargo space in the boot, which is more than most compact SUVs and around the same as some soft-roaders in a class above.
That is, in most part, thanks to the J5 riding on a 2620mm wheelbase and its front and rear axles being pushed to the extremities and the flat-floor layout with its battery pack mounted underneath, which opens up more packaging freedom inside the cabin.
It feels even more airy when the electronic blind that covers full-length panoramic sunroof is retracted and showers the dark-coloured cabin in light.
The front seats are comfortable and supportive, although the bottom cushion is a little short, and there’s plenty of adjustment to suit all sizes.
Outboard rear occupants get almost the same level of comfort as those up front, separated by a flip-down arm rest in the middle. But anyone in the middle of the rear bench seat sits higher and will rely on those either side for lateral support.
Still, there is a single rear air vent and USB power outlet on the back of the centre console to keep them fresh and their mobile devices charged up.
The materials are generally of good quality, with a mix of fabric and synthetic leather trim for the seats, black plastics in the door trims, piano black highlights on the centre console, and soft-touch fabric on the dash top.
Uniquely, Jaecoo says the J5 is the world’s first certified pet-friendly car with accreditation from the German authority, TUV SUD, for its anti-bacterial and anti-scratch organic silicone seat coverings.
As for its overall design, the J5 follows a similar theme to its larger J7 sibling with a simple T-shaped dash layout. The horizontal section includes an 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster in front of the driver and an array of air-conditioning vents across to the passenger side.
To be honest, the small instrument cluster is all you need and places all of the essential information in easy view. Perhaps the addition of a head-up display would be a good compliment, but it’s not a deal-breaker.
As compensation, the centre console is intersected by an oversized 13.2-inch portrait-style infotainment touchscreen that is positioned at an angle and flows into a felt-lined dual phone holder with a single 65W wireless charger on the left-hand side.
Behind that is a pair of cupholders running 45-degrees across the console and a deep, lidded cubby with an armrest. There’s an additional open storage area underneath, housing USB and 12V power outlets.
The only physical buttons are underneath the infotainment screen for the three different driving modes – Eco, Normal and Sport – plus the hazard lights, and to unlock the doors. Otherwise, all other functions are controlled via the display.
Thankfully, there’s a logical menu structure with phone-style widgets and shortcuts for the ventilation, vehicle settings, and a home button along the bottom of the screen.
There’s even an in-built Karaoke function with optional wireless microphones so your passengers can sing along to their favourite tunes.
What’s under the bonnet?
The Jaecoo J5 EV has a single electric motor that produces 155kW of power and 288Nm of torque, and drives the front wheels via a one-speed transmission.
Providing energy to the powertrain is a 58.9kWh battery pack that can deliver a claimed 402km of range on the WLTP cycle. Jaecoo claims it can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 7.7 seconds on its way to a maximum speed of 175km/h.
It is capable of 80kW DC fast-charging, and Jaecoo says it can be replenished from 30-80 per cent in around 28 minutes.
How does the Jaecoo J5 drive?
Consider this as taste test rather than complete assessment of the J5’s on-road behaviour, as we drove it only on Chinese public roads and at Chery’s test track – neither of which are representative of the variety of conditions it will face in Australia.
Even so, after a couple of hours behind the wheel, we can say the J5 is an impressive little machine that, if priced right, could attract new EV buyers.
Just over 400km of range is enough to convince urbanites that only commute within the city limits, who will appreciate its seamless acceleration, zippy performance, and conservative regen braking properties.
That said, the J5 feels more normal than many other EVs. It has decent performance without ever over-exciting the front wheels and, even in the most aggressive of its three-mode regen braking settings, it doesn’t bob your head forward the moment you lift off the ‘throttle’ pedal.
The overall dynamic character feels well planted too, with sure-footed handling and positive – if lifeless – electric power steering. But once again, we’ll reserve our final judgement on the J5 for when we get to experience it first-hand on Australian roads soon.
The same goes for assessing its comprehensive suite of ADAS safety systems which, oddly, seemed far less intrusive in China than we’ve experienced in other Chery vehicles to date in Australia, despite the chaotic behaviour of Chinese drivers with little regard for lane markings.
What do you get?
As mentioned at the top, Jaecoo Omoda Australia has yet to reveal final specifications for the J5 across all three of its local powertrain variants.
Jaecoo J5 EV equipment highlights – expected:
- 18-inch alloy wheels
- Exclusive EV front styling
- LED headlights and tail-lights
- Mixed synthetic leather and fabric trim
- Dual-zone climate control
- 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster
- 13.2-inch infotainment touchscreen
- Embedded satellite navigation
- Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Wireless phone charger
- DAB+ digital radio
- Sony six-speaker audio system
- Ambient interior lighting
Is the Jaecoo J5 safe?
The Jaecoo J5 has yet to be tested by an independent NCAP authority, but Jaecoo Omoda expects it will match the five-star rating of its J7 sibling thanks to a comprehensive suite of advanced driver aids and crash avoidance systems.
Standard safety features include:
- 8 airbags incl. front-centre, driver’s knee
- Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB)
- Adaptive cruise control
- Lane keeping assistance
- Blind spot detection
- Rear cross traffic alert
- Speed sign recognition
- Speed limit assistance
- 360-degree parking display
How much does the Jaecoo J5 cost to run?
Like all Jaecoo Omoda models, the J5 is expected to come with the same level of aftersales provisions, including an eight-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty with free roadside assistance and capped-price servicing for the same period.
It will also fall under Jaecoo’s Future Price Promise scheme, which guarantees a minimum value for all of the Chinese auto brand’s models over set time periods, regardless of how the vehicle was purchased – either through dealership finance, third-party finance, or outright.
CarExpert’s Take on the Jaecoo J5
Our first impressions of the Jaecoo J5 are pretty positive.
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It looks cute on the outside and is more spacious than you’d think on the inside, which will make it attractive to hip urbanites and young families. Plus, it’s got a decent range and drives more like a normal car than most EVs.
If the price is right, the compact Jaecoo J5 electric SUV could be a watershed model that brings a lot of attention to one of Australia’s newest auto Chinese brands.
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