Jaecoo J5 2027 review: Track

Affordable cars are back with a vengeance. 

Chinese carmakers are rushing to fill the void left by the exodus of cheaper options from mainstream brands a few years ago.

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The two-tier J5 petrol range starts at $25,990 drive-away for the Track grade we are testing here, and $29,990 for the fully-loaded Summit variant.

That starting point makes it one of the cheapest small SUVs on the market, and roughly $10,000 cheaper than options from big name brands such as Honda, Hyundai and Toyota. 

It joins the Chery Tiggo 4 ($23,990 drive-away), MG ZS ($22,990 drive-away) and GWM Haval Jolion ($26,990 drive-away) at the pointy end of the new-car battleground.

Jaecoo has invested in the right spots to make the J5 feel more expensive than it is.

The first thing you notice is its design. It’s a sharp-looking compact SUV, with a large waterfall grille, boxy silhouette, multi-spoke 18-inch alloy wheels and dynamic LED lights front and back. It looks like a Range Rover, and that can only be a good thing.

Step inside and your eyes are instantly drawn to the massive 13.2-inch tablet-style multimedia screen, which is compatible with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the 8.8-inch digital driver display. The cabin has a clean, functional design, but look a bit closer and a few things stand out.

The centre console has what looks like twin wireless device chargers, but is just two empty slots to put your phone. You’ll need to jump up to the Summit grade to get the cordless charger.

There are wide slabs of hard plastic on the dash, doors and beneath your eye line.

A lack of physical buttons for controls means you’ll need to jump into the central touchscreen to change simple functions such as the air-con.

The cloth-wrapped seats are manually adjustable and reasonably comfortable. If you pony up for the Summit you’ll get power adjustable synthetic leather-wrapped seats with heating and ventilation functions up front.

There is a handsome flat-bottomed steering wheel wrapped in synthetic leather with haptic controls.

Overall its a fairly spartan cabin with a few wow features, but more than enough to impress at this price point.

The higher grade adds a fixed panoramic sunroof, power tailgate, dual-zone air-con and increased storage options.

The J5 is roomy. There is decent head, shoulder and legroom in both rows, and a 480-litre boot is generous for this size of car. 

There are good storage options up front with two cup holders, a covered storage bin and a lower deck on the centre console can hold plenty of knick-knacks. 

The back row has its own air-con vent and USB-C charging point.

There is no spare tyre. There is room for one, but instead the Jaecoo comes with a fiddly tyre repair kit, which is unacceptable in a petrol car that doesn’t have a battery taking up the space.

A special mention has to go to the Bluetooth speaker, with multiple phone calls commenting on how bad the audio quality is.

Power comes from a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, which makes 108kW and 210Nm. This is matched to an automatic continuously variable transmission (CVT) that drives the front wheels.

Fuel use is a claimed 7.5 litres per 100km, which isn’t great for a small turbo-petrol motor, but it does only require the cheapest unleaded petrol. Our short loan showed that figure is achievable, especially if you do a lot of highway kilometres.

On the road the J5 is no dynamic masterpiece.

The engine-transmission combo looks decent on paper but the two don’t gel well in the real world. 

The CVT tends to rev to extreme measures when asked to accelerate with little in the way of increased forward momentum, before it finds the right ratio to deliver the oomph required.

In stop-start traffic it is also indecisive and noisy. The combo works best when cruising at motorway speeds.

The suspension is too firm, and you’ll feel it through your seat as it crashes over bumps and lumps of all sizes. Cabin noise is intrusive.

The flip side is a car that holds its weight well through corners with little to no body roll.

The steering is light and vague with little feedback, and doesn’t inspire confidence on a tight, twisting road.

Jaecoo has ticked all the safety boxes with the J5 packed with active driver aids.

There are seven airbags across both rows, and the J5 will automatically apply the brakes if it detects a potential collision. It will warn you if something is in your blind spot and if a car is approaching from the side as you reverse.

A variety of sensors will help keep you centred in your lane and tug the steering wheel to keep you in the right spot.

Most of it works well in the real world, with a distinct lack of bings and bongs. The driver attention warning is a bit sensitive and the lane keep assist is a bit jerky, but overall a big improvement over earlier Chery group products.

One of the J5’s biggest selling points is the eight-year/unlimited kilometre warrant, which is one of the longest in the business. 

There is an eight-year capped-price servicing program that requires workshop visits every 12 months or 15,000km. Total cost for the eight visits is $3326, and be aware the sixth and eighth visits are about $700 and $600, respectively.