Jaecoo E5 review

Electric compact crossover offers attractive pricing and design, but what of its user appeal and dynamic finesse?

The rollout of Jaecoo (sibling to Omoda, both export-only brands of Chinese conglomerate Chery) continues with the Jaecoo 5, a relatively compact crossover of the sort you find quite a lot these days.

The electric E5 (and a petrol variant called simply the 5) sit on the same platform as the larger Jaecoo 7, already on sale, as well as Omoda and Chery models various. 

Jaecoo is supposed to be the active, outdoorsy brand; Omoda is meant to be a bit more sleek and urban; while Chery is the own-brand brown bread of the trio. There are other brands elsewhere in the world.

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DESIGN & STYLING

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The 5 is a 4.38m-long five-seater, which puts it at a similar length to the Range Rover Evoque or Hyundai Kona, a wee bit shorter than the Nissan Qashqai or Audi Q5.

At the moment, you have two powertrain options: electric or petrol.

The E5 shares, as you might imagine, most of its design and interior and platform with the 5, save for the engine and transmission bit plus a few design touches, like the front grille. 

 

INTERIOR

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The look and feel of the inside is good at the money, the rear seats are spacious and there’s a 480-litre boot.

There are actual switches for the door mirrors and rear windows and lights, and while most other controls are relegated to the big touchscreen, we’ve used worse – and it includes features like setting the maximum tailgate opening height, which, if you frequently park near an overhanging object, is quite a neat touch.

The driving position is generally good, although the steering wheel has very broad spokes around the quarter to three, just where you might like to hold it.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

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The E5's electric motor makes 201bhp and 212lb ft of torque, which is said to be good for a 0-62mph time of 7.7sec.

The battery has a capacity of 61.1kWh, which gives a WLTP range of 248 miles.

And as is the way of things with EVs, most of the time the powertrain just slips into a background of quietness and smoothness.

There are three drive modes, but the E5 passively damped and sprung (as is the 5), so the biggest difference between Eco, Normal and Sport is the amount of regeneration you get by default. Eco has the least and was to my feet the most pleasant of them all.

RIDE & HANDLING

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Dynamically, what goes for the 5 applies quite a lot here too.

The ride is mostly pliant, so if you don’t ask very much of the E5, it’s an amenable enough companion – but this is where its showroom appeal and keen pricing start to unravel.

You don’t have to be driving like a tearaway to induce unseemly scrabble or body looseness. It’s a slightly indecorous, unfinessed driving experience.

I haven’t driven a Jaecoo 7 so couldn’t tell you if the ADAS kit which we found irritating there is better or worse here. Obviously it has to have it and it has to default to on, so you have to do a 30-second pre-flight check to turn the poor bits off, but for testing purposes I gave it the opportunity to make needless bongs and tug at the wheel, and it didn’t miss its cue. Still, less infuriating than some cars I’ve tried, so maybe these systems are improving.

MPG & RUNNING COSTS

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The E5 is priced at £27,505 in Pure trim or £30,505 in Luxury trim. 

Being electric, it has a bearable benefit-in-kind tax rating.

It’s pretty well equipped in its base form, with the upper spec adding a huge glass roof, Sony audio, powered, vented and heated seats and a powered bootlid. 

Trim levels and equipment largely mirror those of the 5, with the exception that the Luxury trim comes with a Pet Mode, which lets you set the climate control so you can you leave an animal in the car and the screen displays ‘Pet Mode’ in big letters so nobody breaks your windows.

There’s also a Camping Mode, which lets you play audio and even do karaoke through a loud under-bonnet speaker, encouraging fellow campers to want to break your windows.

Other than paint colour (white free, anything else £500, two-tone £1000), you don’t get any options.

It’s a straightforward offering, and Jaecoo has more than 80 dealers already offering it.

VERDICT

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The E5 is an affordable crossover/SUV thing with an amiable appearance inside and out, plenty of kit, a rapidly increasing number of dealers and a price that many people will not overlook.

There’s a lack of dynamic finesse to it, so it isn't for us, but I suspect that won’t bother prospective buyers so much.

Matt Prior

Matt Prior
Title: Editor-at-large

Matt is Autocar’s lead features writer and presenter, is the main face of Autocar’s YouTube channel, presents the My Week In Cars podcast and has written his weekly column, Tester’s Notes, since 2013.

Matt is an automotive engineer who has been writing and talking about cars since 1997. He joined Autocar in 2005 as deputy road test editor, prior to which he was road test editor and world rally editor for Channel 4’s automotive website, 4Car. 

Into all things engineering and automotive from any era, Matt is as comfortable regularly contributing to sibling titles Move Electric and Classic & Sports Car as he is writing for Autocar. He has a racing licence, and some malfunctioning classic cars and motorbikes.