Chery C5 vs GWM Haval Jolion

What's the difference?

The Chery C5 Hybrid Urban does manage to be cheap and cheerful for some things and it should tick some boxes for those wanting premium features and good fuel economy without breaking the bank. However, it’s ride, handling and tech didn’t convince me.

For someone who prioritises price, features and fuel economy above all else, the C5 Hybrid Urban could make a lot more sense.

The GWM Haval Jolion Lux offers affordability in a modern, attractive package. However, the execution of some of its features isn’t always convincing. So yes, it’s sharply priced but it also feels underdone in some respects which doesn’t necessarily equate to value. But if affordability is at the top of your priority list and one or two shortcomings doesn't mean the end of the world, this could be the urban SUV you're looking for.

The Chery C5 Hybrid has plenty going for it when it comes to kerbside presence. It has a shapely silhouette with a coupe-like rear, while the 17-inch alloy wheels suit its crossover-SUV proportions nicely.

The front end looks a little bulbous from some angles, at least to my eye, but the diamond-pattern grille adds some much-needed pizzazz and helps give the C5 a distinctive face.

Inside, things are a little more restrained. The black synthetic leather upholstery gets contrasting white piping, while synthetic-woodgrain panels add some warmth to the cabin. It’s nicely styled overall, but it’s still fairly basic in terms of presentation, with few physical buttons, dials or other real focal points beyond the pair of 12.3-inch screens doing most of the heavy lifting.

It's inoffensive but lacks any real personality.

The Jolion is now longer and wider than it's rivals at 4472mm long, and 1874mm wide. The next largest 'small' SUV is the Kia Seltos at 4385mm long and 1800mm wide which does the Jolion a whole lot of favours for internal passenger space and kerb-side appeal.

The Jolion looks substantial and well-shaped, with enough bells and whistles in the design to keep it fresh; like the swoopy LED DRLs at the front and a curvy behind that’s accentuated by a black spoiler.

The interior has interesting features, like the rotary-dial gear selector, push-button starter and minimalist button panel that sits below the large technology screen.

The dashboard juts out into the cabin and the low-key design is too pared back for my taste. But the cabin looks nice and new with lots of tactile accent panels and shiny screens.

There is still too much plasticky-looking styling to elevate it properly, but for its grade level this is almost luxurious.

The C5 offers enough room across the front row that occupants aren’t constantly nudging elbows, and its relatively compact dimensions make getting in and out easy enough. The front seats are less impressive when it comes to comfort, though, with limited support and no lumbar adjustment, which can lead to some fatigue on longer journeys.

Storage is reasonably well catered for up front, with a decent glove box, a deep centre console with its own air vent, a shelf underneath the centre console, two cupholders and a drink bottle holder in each door.

Charging options are a little less convenient. The single USB-A and USB-C ports are positioned over on the passenger side rather than within easy reach of the driver, while there’s also a 12-volt socket up front.

The 12.3-inch multimedia touchscreen is laggy, which is particularly frustrating because so many functions, including climate control, are housed within it. The interface itself is relatively simple and there is some scope for customisation, while wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both included.

Unfortunately, the wireless CarPlay connection can be inconsistent, while Bluetooth also drops in and out during music playback and phone calls. It’s not the strongest multimedia system.

The rear row offers a decent amount of space, with enough legroom for an adult of my 168cm height sitting behind my usual driving position. The sloping roofline means taller passengers may need to watch their heads when getting in, but once seated, there’s a reasonable amount of room for adults.

Storage is fairly typical for the class, with door bins, two cupholders in the fold-down centre armrest and map pockets behind the front seats. Rear passengers also get directional air vents and their own USB-A and USB-C ports.

The boot offers up to 372 litres of capacity, which is enough for a decent load of groceries, and the flat floor makes it easy to make use of the available space. There’s a small storage pocket underneath for the tyre repair kit. Which means there's no spare wheel of any kind.

The Urban misses out on a powered tailgate, which is reserved for the Ultimate, and the manual boot lid feels quite heavy to close.

It's a running theme but the practicality of the Jolion doesn't always land. However, what it does well, it does very well.

Take the access and space for passengers. Both rows offer class-leading head- and legroom for its occupants, even middle seaters should be happy considering the transmission tunnel isn't tall.

Despite the manual passenger seat being set too high and both seats lacking lumbar support, front seaters still enjoy the most comfort. The heated front seats are also a pleasant surprise for the grade level, although their function is buried deep within the multimedia system and I mostly forgot about them.

The rear seat is fairly hard and doesn't offer much side bolstering, although the middle armrest helps to secure outer passengers in corners.

Storage is solid throughout the cabin with a reasonably sized glove box that can hold a thick manual, middle console and dedicated phone shelf, as well as a second phone 'slot'.

There is a sunglasses holder (sunnies rattle when stored, though) and a cubby underneath the centre console that can hold a small handbag but anything stored might interfere with the USB ports housed there.

There are two cupholders up front but you can't fit two cups side by side. Two cupholders, a couple of map pockets and storage bins finish up the storage in the back seat.

The boot capacity sits at 337 litres and while large enough for a good grocery haul it falls on the lower end for the class. By comparison, the Kia Seltos offers 433L.

Now, on to what the Jolion doesn't do all that well. It's new 10.25-inch multimedia screen and 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster look the part - all shiny and new-looking - but their usability falls somewhat short.

The media touchscreen is responsive but a punish to use on the go as most functions, including climate control, are accessed via the screen. A few dedicated buttons would be welcome, so changing bits on the road doesn't leave you flustered.

The digital instrument cluster isn't customisable and is set to a dark display screen with a typeface that looks blurry on some key displays, especially the speedometer.

There is a rather large and in-your-face driver monitoring camera installed on the A-pillar which feels too much like you're under surveillance while driving (not a fan, clearly).

Charging options include four USB-A ports and a 12-volt socket but that's it and it would be good to see a newer, faster USB-C port somewhere in the car.

A feature the Jolion does get right is the wired Apple CarPlay as it maintains a steady connection and is very quick to set up. The Lux also has wired Android Auto.

You don't get a powered tailgate and you might miss it as the boot lid is fairly heavy.

The Jolion line-up consists of six variants and the model on test here is the Lux, which sits second-from-the-bottom.

Its $29,990, drive-away, price tag positions it as one of the more expensive options compared to its nearest rivals with the MG ZS Excite the most affordable at $25,083, drive-away and the Mitsubishi ASX ES next at $27,990, drive-away.

Despite a similar specification, the Kia Seltos Sport+ FWD is hamstrung on price as it sits a way up the price ladder at $38,890, drive-away, but comes with the longest servicing schedule.

Premium equipment for the Lux includes synthetic leather upholstery, an electric driver's seat, heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry and start, a 360-degree view camera system and rear parking sensors.

Other standard features include a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster, four USB-A ports, a 12-volt socket, a 10.25-inch touchscreen multimedia system and (wired) Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

A fixed cargo cover and temporary spare tyre round out its features list. Not bad at all considering it's almost a base model but the usability of those features can be hit or miss.

The C5 Hybrid is front-wheel drive and combines a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine with a single electric motor for a combined 165kW and 295Nm.

That puts it broadly on par with its closest hybrid rivals, and there’s plenty of punch available for both urban driving and getting up to speed on the open road.

The Jolion Lux has a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-petrol engine that produces 105kW of power and 210Nm of torque.

The Lux is a 2WD and has a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission which isn’t always smooth with its gear changing but power is sufficient if you don't expect it to be zippy.

The C5 Hybrid has a claimed combined fuel consumption of 4.9L/100km, which is certainly respectable for a small SUV, but it’s not segment-leading. For comparison, the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid is claimed to use as little as 4.2L/100km, so there are more efficient options if fuel economy is the priority.

That said, the C5’s relatively frugal fuel use and 51L fuel tank means its theoretical driving range stretches beyond 1000km, which should appeal to urban drivers who don’t want to be making regular trips to the fuel pump.

My real-world consumption after a mix of city and open-road driving has come out at 5.7L/100km and I’m pretty happy with that result given how the C5 has been driven over the past week.

The Haval Jolion Lux has an official combined (urban/extra-urban) fuel cycle figure of 8.1L/100km and based on its 55L fuel tank, theoretical driving range is around 680km, which is respectable for a little SUV.

My real-world usage came in at 7.8L/100km after mostly open-road driving, with a smattering of urban stuff. Overall, it's a solid result.

The C5 Hybrid delivers its power quickly, and there’s enough punch on tap that overtaking doesn’t feel like you’re scraping the bottom of the power barrel, even when tackling an incline. It’s not what you'd call fun, per se, but it’s certainly capable and has enough grunt for everyday driving.

The handling becomes less convincing when the road gets twisty. The C5 isn’t particularly settled through corners, with more body movement than expected, so it pays to back off your speed a little when tackling bends. It feels more at home around town, where its easy-going nature suits the urban environment.

There are three levels of regenerative braking, and none feel particularly intrusive, which should make the transition to a hybrid relatively easy for newbies.

Around town, the cabin is reasonably comfortable from a noise perspective, but things change once the C5 hits the open road. Road and tyre noise become much more noticeable at higher speeds, and after a long highway drive, the cabin can leave your senses feeling a little battered.

Parking is straightforward enough, with good visibility from the reversing camera. There is an oddity with the parking sensor display, though as the static graphic behind the sensors looks like asphalt and tricks you into thinking it's a 360-view! Until you get used to it, it can be distracting when manoeuvring.

The Jolion's on-road experience is underwhelming and unsophisticated most of the time. It's strictly an A to B style car, which will work well for some people.

The power and its delivery are okay but this car doesn't get close to zippy and its well of performance feels decidedly shallow on the open road.

The engine whines loudly when trying to get up to speed and its gear changes can come a tad too swiftly, especially between first and third.

The accelerator and brakes are touchy, and until you get used to them the Jolion can feel a little jerky in the city. But the steering is on the right side of firm and that at least feels direct and responsive. 

Suspension is hard and you get all the bumps which also translates into a loud cabin. Your senses take a battering on a longer trip and kids in the back will ask you to repeat yourself.

The Jolion is redeemed somewhat by an excellent 360-degree view camera system but you miss out on front-parking sensors.

It’s small enough that it’s not hard to park and for an urban dweller that is a big plus as it's quite suitable for a dash to a busy shopping centre car park. 

The Jolion has a maximum five-star ANCAP rating from testing done in 2022 and has seven-airbags, including a front-centre bag. 

Standard safety equipment is good for the grade level and includes blind-spot monitoring, driver attention alert, tyre-pressure monitoring, forward collision warning, LED DRLs, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure alert, lane keeping aid, traffic sign recognition, an intelligent seatbelt warning, adaptive cruise control, a USB outlet near the interior mirror for a dashcam, a 360-degree camera view system and rear-parking sensors.

Despite featuring a robust safety list a running theme has emerged this week. Everything sounds good on paper but the execution is another matter.

Its not enough to just have all of these safety systems in place, they also have to work well for everyday driving. And some of the systems are annoying and intrusive.

There are lots of bings, bongs and chime alerts from the driver monitoring system, traffic sign recognition tech and lane keeping aids.

You also get nonsensical text boxes displayed on the multimedia screen asking non-binary (open) questions requiring a yes or no response.

For families, you get two ISOFIX child seat mounts and three top tethers across the back seat but two seats will fit best.

The Jolion has AEB (operational from 1.0 to 85km/h) including pedestrian, cyclist and back-over detection. It's usual to see this type of system operating from 4.0km/h, so that's excellent.

The C5 comes with a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, which is a good offering in this segment. Servicing through Chery also comes with complimentary roadside assistance.

There’s a seven-year capped-price servicing program, with services averaging around $420. That’s not particularly cheap, but it’s certainly not unreasonable for the class, and the service intervals are nicely spaced at every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.

Getting your Chery serviced shouldn't be too difficult as there are around 85 Chery service centres nationwide.

The Jolion is offered with an excellent seven-year/unlimited km warranty.

There is a five-year capped priced servicing program and services average $310 which is mid-range for the class.

The first service is before 10,000km but thereafter, servicing intervals are at every 12-months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first.