REVIEW: Jaecoo J5 has big-spec luxury in a compact, cut-price SUV

Late in 2025, Jaecoo launched the new J5 in South Africa as a more affordable compact SUV that slots below the larger J7.

Jaecoo, a fledgling marque that made its global debut at Auto Shanghai 2023, is part of a flood of new Chinese brands entering the country and was introduced in April 2024 as one of Chery’s sub-brands, alongside Omoda.

The Jaecoo name is inspired by a fusion of the German word “jäger” (meaning “hunter”) and the English term “cool” and is sold through a dedicated network of Omoda & Jaecoo dealerships. Jaecoos are sold with a five-year/150,000km warranty, 10-year/1,000,000km engine warranty, five years of unlimited roadside assistance and a two-year/30,000km service plan.

The brand’s first car offered locally was the J7 midsized SUV, which sells in four models priced between R519,900 and R689,900. The new J5 brings more attainable pricing, with four variants priced from R339,900 to R479,900.

All J5 variants are powered by a turbocharged 1.5l petrol engine with outputs of 115kW and 230Nm, with power sent to the front wheels via continuously variable transmission (CVT).

Compared with the J7’s 4,500mm, the J5 is 4,350mm in length and competes against compact SUVs such as the Chery Tiggo 7 Pro, Haval Jolion Pro, Kia Seltos and VW T-Roc.

Though smaller than the J7, the J5 has a spacious cabin that comfortably accommodates four to five adults. The generous 480l boot swallows a decent stack of luggage — albeit making use of a space-saver spare tyre — and expands to 1,284l with the rear seats folded down.

Jaecoo’s chief designer is former Mercedes-Benz man Chris Rhoades, and he has created a striking visual language for the Chinese brand. The J5 has a lot of presence with its bold, toothy grille.

Specification levels are generous across the line-up, with the entry-level J5 Core coming standard with automatic wipers and headlights, black cloth upholstery, a 9” touchscreen infotainment system, automatic climate control, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and an 8″ digital driver’s cluster.

The spacious cabin has a modern, upmarket feel with interesting textures and soft-touch surfaces. (DENIS DROPPA)

The more premium Vortex, Glacier and Inferno models feature a larger 13.2″ infotainment system and additional upgrades such as leather upholstery and an electrically adjustable driver’s seat.

The top-of-the-range J5 Inferno — the model on test — adds dual-zone climate control, a powered tailgate, ventilated front seats, a wireless charger, an eight-speaker sound system and a panoramic sunroof, among other features.

This well-stocked variant also has advanced driver assist features such as lane change assist, blind spot detection, rear cross-traffic alert and door-open warning. As a bonus, safety nannies such as the lane-change assist can be disabled if you find them intrusive, and the car remembers your settings the next time you start it.

The spacious cabin has a modern, upmarket feel with interesting textures and soft-touch surfaces.

Like many modern cars, the Jaecoo J5 does away with a clutter of buttons in favour of a cleaner, digitised interface. The infotainment system is generally straightforward and intuitive to anyone familiar with using a smartphone; the screen is huge, and it has a convenient wireless connection for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

The ventilation system is controlled from the touchscreen, but an ergonomic gaffe is that you have to exit Android Auto to access it; it’s not a simple and quick process and takes your attention off the road.

The front-wheel-drive SUV is no off-roader but has a raised 174mm ride height to provide it with the elevated driving position popular with many car buyers and to help it climb kerbs without scraping the belly.

The top-of-the range J5 Inferno has features such as a powered tailgate and ventilated front seats. (DENIS DROPPA)

The J5 Inferno wears high-profile 18” tyres, which make it a practical vehicle for navigating potholed streets, but the car’s ride quality is a little on the firm side, especially when driving over rough roads and over speed humps. The handling is neat and predictable, with very light steering.

On the whole the J5 delivers good refinement with a solid feel and minimal noise intrusion, with some typical CVT droning when the car is revved harder.

The car is satisfyingly perky without delivering fireworks. It nips through suburbia with clean, brisk acceleration and cruises easily on the open road. There are Eco, Normal and Sport driving modes which make a meaningful difference in throttle response.

The test car averaged 8.9l/100km which is acceptably frugal without being class-leading. The factory-claimed figure is 7.5l/100km.

The Chinese imports coming into South Africa typically offer substantial price savings over legacy brands from Korea, Japan and Germany, and Jaecoo is no exception. In a short time, Omoda & Jaecoo has shot up to become the 11th biggest car company in South Africa, displacing Nissan, Mercedes-Benz and BMW.

The Jaecoo J5 Inferno is stacked with an impressive list of comforts and features at a relatively bargain price of R479,900. Combined with its honest performance, practical space and eye-catching styling, it is another Chinese SUV destined to erode the market share of long-established brands and cause headaches for the establishment.