Jaecoo J5 EV review: Stylish small electric SUV takes on BYD’s Atto 2

Chery’s premium arm Omoda-Jaecoo established a foothold in its first year of sales in Australia, selling a respectable 3721 cars in 2025. That was on the back of Its J7 small-to-medium SUV and J8 large SUV offerings but now it introduces a small electric SUV called the J5 EV.

How much does the J5 EV cost to buy?

For now, there’s just one Jaecoo J5 on offer in Australia: The EV, which is priced from $35,990 plus on-road costs ($36,990 driveaway for a limited time). Using the same underpinnings as the popular Chery Tiggo 4 and C5/E5 (formerly the Chery Omoda 5), the J5 will also soon offer both petrol and hybrid drivetrains. We expect pricing for those to sit below $30,000.

The J5 EV’s biggest rival is the BYD Atto 2 (priced from $31,990 plus on-road costs, or in top-spec Premium form, the same as the J5’s $35,990 +ORC). While the Atto 2 starts at a lower price and is slightly more practical, the J5 is more powerful, uses a larger battery for a longer range and can be charged faster.

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Visually, the J5 is more modern and a step up on the Tiggo 4 and indeed the Atto 2. There’s a certain resemblance to the [far more expensive] Range Rover Evoque, but it’s more distinctive than the Tiggo 4 and earned quite a few stares from onlookers during our time with it. The J5 EV suits the ‘Stormy Blue’ colour of our test car, and it teams well with the white upholstery (black will also soon be available).

What’s the interior of the J5 EV like?

It’s the same story with the interior of the J5, which is more richly trimmed and expensive to look at than the Tiggo 4, let alone other rivals like the Suzuki Fronx. The centre console flowing into the huge 13.2-inch touchscreen is a stylish piece of design, while some materials such as the plastics on top of the dashboard and door tops feel properly plush.

The synthetic leather trim on the steering wheel is fake, but still feels appropriately high quality in the hand, and the same trim on the seats is “chaos proof”, according to Jaecoo, meaning that they can be easily cleaned.

Where the J5’s cabin stumbles a bit is in its technology. Like many other modern cars, the J5’s touchscreen handles almost every one of the car’s features, which would be fine if its touchscreen featured shortcuts to go between – for example – Apple CarPlay and the air-conditioning screen, but it doesn’t, so users must press the screen a minimum of four times to get there.

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The same HVAC bar at the bottom of the screen not disappearing in the CarPlay screen and featuring a home shortcut button would be a quick fix for the J5’s interior usability.

The J5’s cabin is quite functional aside from the touchscreen, however, with plenty of storage space like a large tunnel under the centre console and a cubby behind the screen. Front seat comfort is fine, though more adjustment like lumbar support would be appreciated. Thankfully, the synthetic leather trim is also ventilated in the front to dissipate heat and the huge glass roof features a thick blind to keep heat out.

How practical is the J5 EV?

The rear seat is spacious for the J5’s size, and two six-footers will fit fine with ample leg- and headroom. Rear seat amenities include door and map pockets, a face-level air vent with feet vents under the front seats, a singular USB-A port and a central armrest with cup holders.

Behind the rear seat of the J5 is a healthy 384 litres of storage with the rear seats up and 1180 litres with them folded, plus a 35-litre front boot with drainage so it can be used as an esky. The boot itself is practical with side and ample under-floor storage, and the rear seats fold almost flat. The electric tailgate is somewhat slow, however, and there’s no spare wheel despite there being space for one.

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How far can the J5 EV drive on a charge?

The J5 EV uses a 58.9kWh LFP battery for a claimed 402km of range (WLTP), and it can be DC fast charged at a reasonable 130kW for a claimed 30-80 per cent charge time of 28 minutes. Claimed energy consumption for the J5 EV is 14.3kWh/100km, and we used 15.4kWh/100km in our week with it in mixed driving, which could be better.

Performance is quite peppy for the segment with 155kW/288Nm outputs, as the claimed 7.7-second 0-100km/h time proves. By comparison, the Atto 2’s 51.3kWh battery gifts it a 345km WLTP range that can only be charged at up to 82kW.

What is the J5 EV like to drive?

The J5 EV’s driving experience is an otherwise mixed bag. The higher speed ride quality is excellent and it feels mature at speed, though its porky 1710kg tare mass shows through at lower speeds as it rarely feels properly settled with road imperfections constantly felt. What also needs improvement is the inconsistent regenerative braking, which can’t be switched off and activates even at highway speeds, resulting in excessive braking and a jerky driving experience.

The J5 EV is clearly no performance car, but chuck it at a corner with some speed and its body roll quickly reveals itself. The steering, although more feelsome than the Tiggo 4, is still too light and quick. Thanks to the oversensitive lane keeping assistance, minor steering adjustments at highway speeds almost have you entering another lane much like the Atto 2. But the light steering and excellent visibility make it easy to drive in the city.

What warranty covers the J5 EV?

Omoda-Jaecoo’s impressive eight-year/unlimited km warranty covers the J5 EV, including its battery. There is also eight years of roadside assistance as standard, and five years/100,000km of servicing costs just $915 (or $183 per year). The J5 EV’s service intervals are a long annual/20,000km (whichever comes first).

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Should I buy a Jaecoo J5 EV?

The J5 EV is a good effort for Omoda-Jaecoo’s first electric product in Australia and it makes a strong argument for itself for value-focused shoppers looking for an electric small SUV. It’s priced comfortably under $40,000 driveaway, is better value and features a longer driving range than a BYD Atto 2, and is covered by a stronger ownership proposition too.

It’s also quite practical for a small SUV, good quality and quite well equipped. Counting against it are the driving experience, which needs tweaks such as retuned suspension, revised regenerative braking and beefier steering would make it sweeter to drive. More shortcuts for the touchscreen would also make it easier to operate. But otherwise, there’s plenty to like with the J5 EV and it’s well worth consideration if you’re after a cheap electric small SUV.

Jaecoo J5 EV specifications:

Jaecoo J5 EV standard features:

• 18-inch alloy wheels with tyre repair kit
• Dusk-sensing automatic LED lighting
• Front and rear LED daytime running lights
• Rain-sensing automatic wipers
• Keyless entry and start with remote start
• Heated/auto-folding mirrors
• Panoramic glass roof with electric cover
• Roof rails
• Electric tailgate
• Synthetic leather upholstery
• Six-way electric front seat adjustment
• Heated/ventilated front seats
• Synthetic leather steering wheel
• Dual-zone automatic climate control with rear air vents
• 8.8-inch digital driver’s display
• 13.2-inch touchscreen
• Wired and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• DAB+/FM/AM radio
• Bluetooth calling and audio streaming
• Eight-speaker sound system
• 3x USB ports
• 50W wireless phone charger
• Anti-theft alarm

Jaecoo J5 EV safety features:

• 7x airbags
• Autonomous emergency braking
• Adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist
• Lane keeping assistance with adaptive lane guidance
• Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert (with braking)
• Auto high beam
• Driver attention monitoring
• Traffic sign recognition
• Front and rear parking sensors
• 360-degree camera
• Tyre pressure monitoring
• Door open warning