Jaecoo J5: All the bells and whistles

A few years ago, buying a Chinese car was still accompanied by a fair amount of uncertainty. Today, buyers have a much longer list of reasons to consider one, particularly when it comes to equipment, technology and value for money.

The Jaecoo J5 is a good example of this.

The J5 is a compact SUV aimed at buyers who want plenty of kit without necessarily wanting a large vehicle. It also has styling that makes it easy to identify as a Jaecoo.

It is offered in four derivatives: Core, Vortex, Glacier and Inferno.

The front end gets a large, bold grille, slim headlights mounted high on the nose and squared-off wheel arches that give it a slightly tougher stance. A full-width rear light bar is standard across the range, while LED daytime running lights are fitted to every model. LED headlights are reserved for the Glacier and Inferno.

Wheel sizes vary according to specification. The Core rides on 17-inch wheels, while the Vortex, Glacier and Inferno get 18-inch alloys.

Under the bonnet, all four versions use the same turbocharged 1.5-litre petrol engine. It produces 115kW and 230Nm of torque, with drive going to the front wheels through a continuously variable transmission.

The suspension combines MacPherson struts at the front with a multilink arrangement at the rear. That is a useful setup for a vehicle expected to spend most of its life dealing with the mixture of potholes, speed humps and less-than-perfect roads that South African drivers know so well.

Space is another part of the J5’s appeal. Its 2,620 mm wheelbase provides useful room for passengers, while the boot offers 480 litres with the rear seats upright. Fold the 60:40 split rear bench down and that increases to 1,284 litres.

Inside, the differences between the four models becomes more obvious.

The Core starts with black cloth upholstery, six-way adjustment for the driver and four-way adjustment for the front passenger. Automatic climate control, a nine-inch infotainment screen and an eight-inch digital driver’s display are included. Wireless Android Auto is standard, along with USB and USB Type-C connections.

Move to the Vortex and the infotainment screen grows substantially, to 13.2 inches. Automatic headlights and wipers are added, along with a four-speaker sound system.

The Glacier brings leather upholstery, a power-adjustable driver’s seat and a six-speaker sound system.

The Inferno takes the equipment list considerably further, with dual-zone climate control, a powered tailgate, ventilated front seats, wireless smartphone charging and an eight-speaker Jaecoo sound system.

While the Core is the entry level model of the Jaecoo J5, it includes electric seats for driver and front passenger. This is an example of the Chinese vehicles having all the bells and whistles that are absent in many of the badge vehicles from elsewhere.

The technology story is particularly interesting because this is one of the areas where Chinese vehicles have made themselves difficult to ignore.

Rather than making buyers work their way through an expensive options list to get features that have become commonplace on smartphones and other consumer electronics, Chinese manufacturers have generally packed a lot of technology into their vehicles from the outset. Large screens, smartphone connectivity, digital displays, cameras and driver assistance systems are increasingly available at prices that would have seemed unlikely a few years ago.

That does not automatically make every Chinese vehicle the better choice, of course. Brand history, resale values, dealer networks, parts availability and long-term ownership experience still count. But the value equation has changed, and buyers now have more choice than ever.

The J5’s safety specification follows the same philosophy.

Standard equipment includes ABS, Electronic Stability Programme, Brake Assist, Electronic Brake-force Distribution, traction control, Hill Descent Control and Hill Start Assist, as well as ISOFIX child-seat mounts. Dual front and front-side airbags are standard across the range.

The Core also gets Roll Stability Control and Secondary Collision Mitigation Multi-Collision Brake, while Glacier and Inferno versions add side curtain airbags.

Driver assistance equipment is progressively added as you move up the range. The Core gets rear parking sensors, while the Vortex adds a reverse camera, cruise control and speed-limit setting.

That 540-degree camera deserves a special mention because it is the kind of feature that illustrates the changing expectations around Chinese vehicles. A compact SUV with a camera system designed to give the driver a view around the vehicle would once have felt like something reserved for far more expensive machinery.

The J5 has been released into a South African market that has become much more competitive. Buyers are no longer simply comparing engine size, boot capacity and fuel consumption. They are comparing screens, cameras, connectivity, driver assistance and the sheer amount of equipment included for the money.

There are plenty of compact SUVs competing for attention, but Chinese manufacturers have made sure that buyers have to look beyond the badge when making a decision that includes all the bells and whistles.

The Jaecoo J5 pricing is as follows:

● Core – R339,900

● Vortex – R379,900

● Glacier – R439,900

● Inferno – R479,900.

* Sheryl Goldstuck is general manager of World Wide Worx and editor of GadgetWheels. Follow her on Bluesky on @crazycatbuzz.bsky.social.