Styling
Imagine a slightly lower Jaecoo 7 but with 120mm of metal snipped out of its middle. Or, in fact, imagine what a company (Chery) that spent ages importing Land Rover products into its homeland would eventually style its cars like when the time came to enter manufacturing itself. Not for nothing is the bigger Jaecoo 7 known as the 'Temu Range Rover' on social media, but that's an honorific 7 owners use with pride - and the 5/E5 is sure to build on that model's unexpected but most welcome UK sales success, if the boxy styling is anything to go by.
The Jaecoo 5 has the 'waterfall' front grille, no 'EV' badge on its boot and a fuel-filler cap on its nearside-rear wing. The only visual differences with this E5, then, are that the EV badge is added to the tailgate, the charging flap moves to the offside-front wing, and finally - and most distinctively of all - the front end is completely changed. The waterfall is deleted and most of the E5's nose is smoothed off, which then sees larger 'Jaecoo' lettering spaced out in a strip between the headlights. As all Jaecoo 5 and E5 models sit on the same 18-inch alloys and have no visible tailpipes at the rear, regardless of their power source, then really it's the face of the electric model which marks it out most readily.
Interior
A decent interior, with the exception of one or two plastics (including the feebly flimsy interior mirror on the base Pure trim) and also the 'leather' upholstery on the grander Luxury model, is centred on two digital screens - as you'd expect of cars these days, majoring on tech. With a Snapdragon processor for the central 13.2-inch touchscreen and a neat 8.8-inch instrument cluster to go alongside it, this technology works rather well and does not annoy too much - mainly because the driver's display features an actual, useful trip computer which you can reset (unlike in some other
Chery group cars). Mind, it can be an annoyance trying to get to the on-screen climate controls if you're using the wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto functions in the Jaecoo E5, but mainly the cabin looks good and functions helpfully.
Practicality
Arguably the Jaecoo E5's strongest suit. Despite being less than 4.4 metres long from tip to tail, it manages to pack in a 480-litre boot, minimum, and easily enough seating space inside for a quartet of tall adults. Jaecoo is also proud of the fact that there are 35 separate storage areas dotted about the passenger compartment, so as compact B-segment crossover-SUVs go, the E5 is among the most practical of the options out there.
Performance
There are two drivetrain choices in the Jaecoo 5 line-up. One is the 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, as seen in vehicles like the
Chery Tiggo 7, while the other is the first EV from Jaecoo, using the same set-up as the related
Omoda E5. And, with 204hp and nearly 300Nm of torque, the E5 is the obvious choice. It'll go up to 248 miles on a charge, which is about average for a compact zero-emission crossover like this, although an 80kW DC peak replenishment rate isn't brilliant. Nevertheless, with a nicely gradated throttle and regenerative brakes that are well-calibrated, the E5 is a doddle to drive - and, crucially, it's highly likeable and nippy too.
Ride & Handling
After its practicality (and the section of the review we'll come onto below), this is the shining light of the Jaecoo 5/E5 experience. Previous Chery, Omoda and Jaecoo cars we've tried here have never quite ridden correctly, especially if they're the plug-in hybrid models. But with acoustic glass (standard on the Luxury) swathing the front of the cabin, the petrol 5 is already quiet enough - yet the electric E5 takes the rolling refinement to a new, deeply impressive level.
With minimal road, wind and suspension noise to report, we're then delighted to say that the E5 rides brilliantly. It's a lot more composed at all times and isn't so easily flustered by big bumps in the tarmac as we've found previously with some of its compatriot stablemates, and yet in the corners it isn't a roly-poly mess either; yes, there is some pitch, roll and dive from the E5's body, but it's not excessive nor unbearable. The steering's OK, nothing more, so it's not exactly the sort of compact crossover you'd like to hustle along your favourite B-road, but it's more than capable for handling and it's comparatively excellent for ride/rolling refinement - and that's a big dynamic win for the Jaecoo E5.
Value
Another major USP of the Jaecoo 5 and E5. There are just the two drivetrains, the ICE 5 and the EV E5, and then two specifications for each, leading to four total combinations in the line-up. Even Pure cars (from £24,505 as a 5, add £3,000 for the E5) are well-equipped, although the Luxury (£28,000 as the ICE and £30,505 as this EV) really loads in the, well, luxuries. But the sheer size of the Jaecoo 5 is what makes it such great value - in the simplest way of putting it, you're paying
Nissan Juke prices for something that's as practical and good-to-drive as a
Nissan Qashqai.
Verdict
When you play the 'never mind the quality, feel the weight' game, it isn't always possible to overlook some obvious shortcomings in the end product in favour of the money saved. That's certainly true of previous Chery, Omoda and Jaecoo vehicles we've tried, which have all undoubtedly had their merits, but have never quite truly convinced us enough overall to recommend them against more talented and established rivals, despite their obvious financial benefits.
Until now, that is. If you went into a Jaecoo dealership and dropped the maximum money you could spend on an E5 Luxury like this, then you'd rightly feel very smug indeed for the next three years or so while you owned it at having bagged something so practical, so pleasant to drive and so well-equipped, all for 30 grand. The petrol is good enough, although the electric is better, and taken as a whole this is easily the most convincing and polished machine we've tried from anything within Chery's remit yet - it therefore deserves a healthy slice of showroom success as a result.
