Jaecoo J5 has reason for being the SUV bargain of the year

Although a step down from the J7, the Jaecoo J5 feels slightly better overall. Images: Charl Bosch Similar to parent company Chery, Omoda & Jaecoo has increased its stake in the South African automotive landscape comparatively quickly since debuting with the C5 two years ago. Its entire product range currently comprising the C5, the newly launched C7 and C9, and on the Jaecoo side the J7, the latter’s unveiling of the smaller J5 in September came as the proverbial masterstroke Limited to a single powertrain across all three available models, the J5’s pricing from R379 900 for the entry-level Vortex was, however, the biggest talking point considering its similar size and significantly more list of features than say the Toyota Corolla Cross.

The O&J brand’s second best-seller behind the C5, with sales of 816 units so far this year, the arrival of J5 for the weeklong stay involved the flagship Inferno priced at an almost too low R479 900. An uptake of R100 000 on the Vortex and R40 000 more than the mid-spec Glacier, the Inferno’s sub-R500 000 sticker isn’t without substance as it comes equipped with not only more features than the Glacier, but almost equal to that of the base spec J7 Vortex priced at R519 900. A situation that could be argued avails the admittedly slightly smaller and less powerful J5 Inferno as a better buy, the seven-day tenure saw it found lacking for little compared to the flawedC5 driven in 2023.

Aesthetically, Chery’s well publicised partnership with JLR, previously Jaguar Land Rover, comes to the fore most prominently in the J5 than in the J7. Styled to resemble the Range Rover Evoque and Velar, particularly when viewed from the rear and side, the J5 cuts a sleeker and less macho figure than the off-road devised J7 as insisted on from the beginning. Finished in a colour called Deep Blue, the Inferno is mounted on 18-inch alloy wheels, and counters its sibling’s supposed lack of bulkiness by being more stylish and upmarket looking as per the vertical chrome slats on the grille and lack of black cladding around the wheel arches. Tugging open the door handle, which pop-out upon unlocking or in proximity to the sensor, sees the J5’s interior feature an identity of its own instead of sharing fundamentals with the J7.