Jaecoo made its UK car market debut early this year with the Jaecoo 7 SUV, as part of a three-pronged entry by parent company Chery, which has also come here with cars sold under its own name and under the Omoda brand. Now, the Jaecoo range is expanding with the introduction of the Jaecoo 5. At 4,380mm long, the new model sits roughly between the small and medium SUV segments, along the lines of the Hyundai Kona Electric – the Jaecoo 7, 120mm longer, is a more traditional medium SUV size.

Performance and drive

The Jaecoo 5 is available with two powertrain options – fully electric (badged E5), and pure petrol. The E5 features a 204hp motor, and a 61.1kWh battery allowing an official range of 248 miles. Maximum DC charging capability is 80kW – a bit pedestrian for a modern EV. On the road you don’t really get the initial burst of acceleration you expect from an EV, but there are no complaints about the level of power on offer generally.

As for the petrol version of the Jaecoo 5, this features the same 147hp, 1.6-litre engine we previously tried with the Chery Tiggo 7 – however, with the Jaecoo 5 being smaller and lighter than that model, we much preferred the engine here in terms of both performance and refinement. It’s barely audible at a cruise, and even if you floor the throttle it isn’t intrusive. Our one remaining criticism of the drivetrain is that we would like a faster response when pulling out at junctions. Also, this tester would like more room on the accelerator pedal for his size 11 feet.

The petrol version is 175kg lighter than the E5 with the Luxury equipment grade tested here, and because of this we preferred it as a drive, with good ride quality at higher speeds (though there is a harder edge when potholes are struck around town), and good cornering save for uncommunicative steering. With the E5’s extra weight we felt it rode a little more firmly, and was more susceptible to roll in corners.

Interior and technology

The Jaecoo 5 comes as standard with a 13.2in touchscreen, which is reminiscent of previous Mercedes-Benz designs in the way it swoops up from the centre console. Annoyingly, you need to swipe up from the bottom of this screen to access ventilation controls – not always easy while driving.

We liked the look of the piped trim (white or blue on petrol and EV respectively) on the sporty black seats, which put us in mind of a classic sports car, and the comfort on offer was good too. We were less convinced by the shiny plastic trim on the steering wheel, and the touch controls there too felt a bit cheap.

Rear leg and headroom is decent, and a boot capacity of 480 litres is pretty good for a car of this size.

While the petrol may have dynamic advantages, given the powertrains’ respective company car tax BIK bands it is of course the E5 that will be most interesting to fleets. With a P11D of just over £30k in the range-topping Luxury spec, it comes in around £9,000 cheaper than the equivalent Kona Electric – value that will go a long way to make up for the Jaecoo’s less impressive qualities. 

Positive: Cheap to buy, spacious boot, refined drive.

Negative: Slow DC charging, AC controls in touchscreen, uncommunicative steering.

Standard equipment: 18in alloy wheels, LED DRLs and tail lights, vehicle-to-load system (EV only), electrically adjustable folding and heated door mirrors, 8.8in driver display, 13.2in touchscreen, wireless Android Auto and Apple Carplay connectivity, connected sat-nav (EV only), air conditioning, front and rear parking sensors, autonomous emergency braking, integrated cruise assist, lane departure warning and prevention, rear cross traffic alert.

Engines: Petrol: 147hp 1.6, Electric: 204hp

Equipment grades: Pure, Luxury

Transmissions: Seven-speed DCT automatic, single-speed automatic

ModelJaecoo E5 Luxury
P11D £30,440
Residual value43.2% 
Depreciation£17,323
Fuel£3,988
Service, maintenance and repair£2,619
Cost per mile39.88p
Range248 miles
CO2 (BIK%)0g/km (3%)
BIK 20/40% a month£15/£30
Luggage capacity480 litres
Battery size/power61.1kWh/204hp
Score7/10