Big-league dressing
7
Big-league dressing
I had a moment with the Jaecoo J5 parked in front of me, where I had to take a step back. The styling seemed overly familiar. A front bumper flowing from the LED headlights into the curved front quarter panels, with a hint of restrained British elegance about it. Almost Range Rover-ish. It’s not a copy-paste kind of SUV, but it definitely forces you to do a double-take.
Before I dare say this is an affordable Range Rover, it’s not. It resembles something akin to what you’d find in a British catalogue, and there’s in fact a good reason for that. Chery, the originator of the Jaecoo brand, has a joint venture with Jaguar Land Rover to primarily produce JLR vehicles in China, and those influences were bound to bleed into Chery’s products. We saw it in the J7, and now in the J5, and you’ll find that fingerprint on other Chery products as well. Whether it’s a clever reinterpretation from experts in the field of luxury or an **‘inspired-by’** product is entirely subjective. Anyhow, the product of this endeavour is a classy-looking crossover, attractively priced at R479,900.
Away from its lines and underneath the bonnet, you’ll find a 1.5-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder. It’s an engine that is predictable, torquey, and well-suited to daily driving. 115kW and 230Nm offer a confident level of acceleration off the line, with a 7.7-second sprint time to 100km/h, while it will happily sit on the highway or traverse inclines without breaking a sweat. Bolted to this power unit is a CVT gearbox, which can make for a slightly noisier driving experience, but it’s responsive for the most part and gets the job done. Where this engine falls short is in its fuel consumption. Jaecoo claims it can sip at 7.5l/100km, whilst in the real world, it’s considerably higher. Driving calmly, the trip computer sat around 8l/100km, and it increased when I applied more pressure on the accelerator pedal.
Where the J5 redeems a few points is in its ride quality; it’s stiff on rougher road surfaces, but that stiffness, in turn, provides a stronger sense of confidence in the corners. That said, it’s smooth with little to no rattles, and overall, it offers a pretty impressive driving experience for a budget-friendly crossover.
The cabin is where the J5 develops a stronger sense of individual identity. The copy-and-paste mindset of modern automotive manufacturers has resulted in twin screens that are often identical across brands, creating a sea of sameness. The J5, however, is unique and fresh in its tech presentation. In front of the driver is an 8-inch driver’s display that is simple to interpret, providing only the information you need and nothing more. It’s not overly busy and indicates your speed, engine revs, fuel gauge and temperatures. The same goes for the central infotainment screen. It’s slanted, sleek, and feels considered within the cabin’s layout while offering modern necessities like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Yes, most cabin functions are here, like climate control, but it’s never a chore to navigate. It looks like Jaecoo really considered cabin ergonomics and touch points.
Moving through the cabin, there is a generous use of black plastic materials, but it looks upmarket without ever overdoing textures or design elements. It’s minimalistic in its delivery, and I found myself enjoying its simplicity. Yes, the rear is cramped for taller passengers, but in a small crossover, that is expected.
The J5 Inferno here is the range-topping model and comes in at R479,900, which is attractive for this car. It comes with extras such as rear collision warning, lane-change assist, and 18-inch alloy wheels. If you like the look but want to keep costs down, the J5 starts at R339,900 for the Core variant.
The J5 has the elegance of British luxury, but it never pretends to be a multimillion-rand car. Still, it’s comfortable and stylish, and its elegant design, combined with a unique, well-thought-out cabin, is refreshing to see in this segment. If you want every single bell and whistle, the option is there with little to no annoying bings and bongs originating from overbearing safety systems. Yes, the engine is noisy, and the gearbox is, well, a CVT, but it gets the job done with only a slight drinking problem. Overall, it’s a good value-for-money product that very few can compete with.
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