Battery size: 61.1 kWh
Company car tax: 3%
Range: 248 miles
Max charging rate: 80kW
Introduction and Model History
Right, let's start by answering the question that many of you will be asking: Who the heck is Jaecoo? Well, Jaecoo is a new brand from Chinese car maker Chery. Chery hopes that it will be something of an equivalent to slightly rugged but still premium brands like Land Rover and Range Rover. Chery's other European brand - Omoda - offers much the same technology but with a bit more of a luxury, on-road attitude, rather like Audi or Kia, for instance.
The Jaecoo 5 and E5 are the latest models to arrive, but we'll be focussing on the all-electric E5 rather than the hybrid Jaecoo 5. We're all about the plug-in cars at Electrifying, after all!
At 4.38m long, the Jaecoo E5 is a fairly high set, boxy SUV that has a huge array of rivals, including the Kia EV3 and Skoda Elroq that our personal favourites in the compact electric family SUV class. But there's also the Jeep Avenger, Peugeot E-2008, Ford Puma Gen-E, Hyundai Kona and many more that the Jaecoo must compete with.
To do that, it's offering a WLTP range of 248 miles, and pricing starting from under £28,000 despite a pretty comprehensive equipment list.
Range, Battery and Charging
The Jaecoo E5 uses a 61.1kWh lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery, which is good for a WLTP range of 248 miles. That's not far off the range you get in the smaller battery variants of the EV3, Elroq and Scenic, but all of those cars offer bigger battery models for a range of around 350 miles, so I reckon some might be asking Jaecoo where the long range variant is... I actually did ask them that, but this will be the only battery available... For now, anyway! I didn't get to spend quite enough time with the car to get a proper real-world range estimate, but I'd expect that you'll see between 150- and 210 miles of range depending on how you're driving and what the conditions are like. We'll report back with a more accurate estimate when we've had more time with the car.
Regardless, that's a decent enough range for many buyers, but it is a shame that DC rapid charging is a bit slow at 80kW, compared to the 100- to 150kW speeds that most rivals offer. That'll mean a 10-80% in around 40 minutes, or a 100 mile top-up in around 25 minutes.
Mind you, the Jaecoo E5 does get vehicle-to-load (V2L) charging as standard on every model, so that you can charge your electric devices from the car's high voltage battery when you're out and about. It's a useful feature that few rivals offer, although the MGS5 EV and higher-sped models from Renault, Kia and Hyundai do offer V2L. By the way, if you are considering an E5, you should check out our comparison video between the MGS5, Puma Gen-E and Renault 4 as it'll give you a great idea of what else you can get for your money.
Practicality and Boot Space
A 480-litre boot space is one of the roomiest you’ll find in this class; that’s more space than in the Kia EV3, and even the MG S5 EV. It’s bigger than the Renault 4 too, but can’t the Puma (not many cars can). It’s certainly a really useful boot, although it’s a shame that there’s not much versatility. No sliding seats or clever storage solutions. Just a big boot with 60/40 split rear seat backs that fold down to leave a smooth but sloping extended load bay.
Rear passenger space is good, with plenty of leg- and headroom for a couple of adults to get comfy.
Interior, Design/Styling and Technology
So, I don't think this looks too bad from the outside but it's a bit too obviously a pastiche of a Range Rover, isn't it?! I think so, but the Jaecoo 7 is much the same and lots of people have bought it, so it's hard to argue with Jaecoo's decision to use such similar styling. Anyway, what about the inside?
Well, I actually think the interior is really nice! The quality feels pretty good, and it’s all quite clean and modern-looking. Nothing too untoward, and it's all very inoffensive and comfortable. The 13.2-inch infotainment touchscreen responds snappliy, and gets the features you want including wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There’s also a ‘Hi Jaecoo’ voice assistant if you don’t fancy stabbing at the screen, and you do get a basic readout to show you the speed and other essential driving information - which I'm a big fan of. I struggle to get used to those cars like the Volvo EX30 and Tesla Model Y, where you have to look at the central screen for the speed readout.
If you are in a Luxury trim Jaecoo E5, which is the higher spec of two trim levels on offer and costs an extra £3,000, you also has an eight-speaker SONY audio system, and six-way power seats that are heated and ventilated. Loving that! The ambient lighting and the big sunroof that also come as part of the Luxury trim also make it feel a bit more upmarket and much brighter, and you also get LED headlights instead of the (very old-fashioned) halogen lights that the Pure model gets. For the extra cash, you're getting a lot more if you go for the Luxury trim.
As for the other tech features? Well, I know many on the Electrifying team will love the ‘Pet Mode’ and ‘Camping Modes’. These keep pets or humans at a comfortable temperature when parked, and there are a load of pet accessories available too, to help keep your dog safe and your car clean even after those muddy walks. More worryingly, there is also an on-board karaoke, which uses an under-bonnet speaker. I think this will be VERY popular with a certain presenter... Check out the BYD Atto 2 review to find out more about that. Oh, and the Atto 2 is yet another of the Jaecoo E5's rivals, too!
Motors, Performance and Handling
The E5 gets a 204ps electric motor that powers the front wheels, for a 0-62mph time of 7.7 seconds. It feels more than perky enough in terms of how it responds; I never felt like I was short of pace, it felt confident enough on the motorway, and yet also with light enough steering to make it easy to drive around town or in traffic.
The brake regen’ helps with that, too. There are three levels, with the heaviest enabling a one-pedal mode. The regen’ systems in the Kia, Renault and Skoda are all a touch easier to predict and modulate, and it’s annoying that you have to change the settings for the E5’s regen’ in the screen… That makes it much harder to change the regen’ on the move. But I just left it in the middle setting and that was heavy enough to gather quite a bit of energy on the move, and it was easy enough to get used to.
Overall, the E5 is just fine to drive. Others are more fun, and just feel more intuitive and pleasant, but there's nothing really offensive about the E5. It just does the job.
Running Costs and Pricing
The Jaecoo E5 is available in Pure or Luxury trims, priced at £27,505 or £30,505 respectively. Even the entry-level Jaecoo E5 Pure gets alloy wheels, keyless entry, front and rear parking sensors, keyless entry and go, adaptive cruise control and all of the driver assistance systems that you expect. You don’t get heated seats, though, which is really annoying as I consider that an essential, so I’d go for the Luxury model; not only do I really like those electrically adjustable seats, but the pano roof really brightens up the interior. You also get a powered tailgate with the Luxury trim, so I suspect this will be the best selling version of the E5. We haven’t got monthly PCP prices confirmed, yet, but those will be key to the E5’s success – especially with BYD offering the Atto 2 for around £300 per month, with almost no deposit required.
Browse the used family EVs for sale on Electrifying.com
However you look at it, the Jaecoo E5’s list prices are super competitive, and even undercut some much smaller EVs, so you can see why it’s a tempting proposition! A standard seven-year, 100,000 mile warranty is another perk, and makes Jaecoo one of the few brands that can compete with MG, Kia and Hyundai for standard warranty cover. The E5’s high voltage battery is covered for eight years and 100,000 miles.
Verdict
The Jaecoo E5 is, ultimately, a pretty average car. It’s big enough and practical enough, and it drives just fine, but other have better range and faster charging. Where the E5 excels is in the financial incentives. It’s so much cheaper than its rivals, even before you factor in the equipment! And then there’s the warranty, too. So no, the E5 isn’t a brilliant car – it’s just an adequate one. But there’s no doubting the value it offers, and for many buyers that is all that really matters.
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