2026 Jaecoo J5 Reviews

Owners of European premium brands are trading in their cars for more affordable Chinese-branded cars, according to Omoda Jaecoo’s local boss.Chery’s burgeoning offshoot, Omoda Jaecoo, has experienced significant growth in the past 12 months, rolling out three models with multiple powertrain variants in quick succession.Capitalising on Australian buyers’ hunger for more affordable, feature-packed cars, Omoda Jaecoo sales have increased by a whopping 1177 per cent year on year, albeit off a lower base and fewer models.With four models available - the Omoda 9 and Jaecoo J5, J7 and J8 SUVs, the brand is now outselling bigger names like Honda, Suzuki, Lexus and another rising Chinese marque, Zeekr.Those sales have to come from somewhere, and Omoda Jaecoo Australia Chief Commercial Office Roy Munoz says while not many people are coming in and cross shopping with other Chery brands, he has some idea of the brands they’ve nabbed buyers from.“Not much of a Chery cross shop, surprisingly, and it's a mixed bag at the moment. We don't have specific data, but what we can see from the past 12 months are the vehicles that are being traded in,” he told CarsGuide.“So you might have a buyer from a legacy volume brand. You might have buyers from legacy premium brands also. So the likes of BMW, Mercedes, Audi, even JLR (Jaguar Land Rover) customers maybe stepping into the likes of a (Jaecoo) J8 or an Omoda 9 or even a J7 as well, even down to J5. So it's hard to pinpoint exactly where they're coming from, but customers are responding well just to that value proposition of these products.”Being one of the fastest growing brands by sales not just in Australia, but globally, is a solid flex, but Munoz explained it doesn’t come without challenges, especially in relation to customer experience.“Well, customer experience, it's always easier to say is the primary focus and hard to do in practice, right? So, I guess in establishing ourselves, yes, being a fast-growing brand, it's not necessarily just about the sales. So, you could be fast growth in terms of sales, but are you fast growth in service? And by that I mean, are you fast to respond? Do you have parts readily available? Are customers generally happy? So for us, growth in terms of sales, yes, that is important. But sustainable growth, to be able to service and support your growing customer base is probably even more important for us.”Munoz acknowledged the new auto brand still has a ways to go when it comes to building a robust aftersales program, but highlighted where it is investing.“We still have a bit of work to do, and the work is being done as we speak. We're investing in not just human resources, but in our parts warehousing as well, parts supply, technician training, and ensuring that, because aftersales sells your second, third, fourth car. Sales sells your first car, primarily. So that customer advocacy is something that you don't build overnight. It’s built over time, and it's built through every customer interaction. So we treat each one as seriously as each other.”Munoz wouldn’t be drawn on sales targets for Australia, and he also said there’s no hierarchy within Chery Group dictating that Chery must be the top brand with others like Omoda Jaecoo, Lepas and iCaur sitting behind. This was once Hyundai Group’s strategy years ago - Hyundai was the main brand and Kia the smaller sister brand.“No, I guess we've got our own sort of strategies and growth ambitions. Certainly, as long as it's a Chery brand, we'd love to see it on top. Chery on top. Sorry, had to throw that in there. But certainly, I think you'll find when you look at the global data… in some markets Chery might be selling better, in other markets Omoda Jaecoo might be selling better. It really depends on how the market responds to those brands. But I've said it before: as long as a customer has purchased a Chery Group product, they're a winner.”

Aussies are going to be buying more Chinese cars than ever as exports boom.Our market is proving to be the perfect place for under-fire Chinese brands to move on from their oversaturated domestic market.Meanwhile, new Chinese government rules mean smaller Chinese automakers will have a better chance of becoming true competitors to bigger brands like BYD.Legislative changes have diminished the advantages of mass-production, reducing the profit on a single car sold for 200,000 yuan ($42,000) to just 3000 yuan (or $633) according to Auto Home.Brands now must look more closely at overseas markets, and Australia is standing out.Australia does not have a domestic car industry to protect so it does not impose the same expensive tariffs or rules as other markets, making it more attractive to some importers.Europe has had a series of up to 35 per cent tariffs in place on Chinese manufacturers importing EVs since late 2024 to encourage or protect local production.Thailand, one of the biggest car manufacturers in the world, has also introduced rules requiring two cars to be locally produced for every car imported.Chinese car exports surged by 65 per cent in the first half of 2026, with a whopping 5.1 million cars sold, via Auto Home.BYD and Chery have contributed nearly 2 million overseas sales between them so far this year.Virtually three-quarters of Chery’s total sales came from overseas in the first half of 2026.Many of these cars are coming to Australia as our market now sources more cars from China than it does from Japan.Nothing says this more than the current top 10 best-selling electric cars all being built in China. The BYD Sealion 7 electric mid-size SUV (from $54,000, before on-road costs) has been a raging success for the brand in Australia.Chery’s budget-friendly small SUVs the Tiggo 4 petrol/plugless hybrid (from $23,990, drive-away) and Jaecoo J5 EV ($36,990, drive-away) are some of the most popular cars on the roads today.The BYD Atto 1 hatchback is the cheapest new electric car in Australia, starting from $23,990 (before on-road costs). The larger Dolphin is also available from under $30,000.Chinese brands will continue to place further emphasis on Australia as they look to expand their local line-ups.Geely has already seen success with its EX5 electric mid-size SUV, but its methodical approach will see plenty more models hit showrooms in the next year.Brands like GAC and XPeng are also accelerating their launch plans as they feel the squeeze back home.

A Chinese brand rivalry is heating up in Australia.Chery Group is one of the largest growing carmakers in Australia but it is now facing competition from within its own ranks. Omoda Jaecoo has burst onto the Australian car scene with its Jaecoo J5 small electric SUV, which claimed the best-selling small SUV title for May 2026. It even outsold the Chery Tiggo 4, which is the best-selling SUV so far this year.The Tiggo 4 starts from $23,990 (drive-away), making it the cheapest in its segment. The J5 EV carries on this budget mantra, starting from $36,990 (drive-away).This makes it much cheaper than many of its legacy rivals like the Hyundai Kona Electric ($54,000, before on-road costs). A petrol J5 has just gone on sale and a hybrid is on the way, bringing Omoda Jaecoo’s important model into direct competition with the Tiggo 4. The petrol variant is priced from $25,990 (drive-away), making it $2000 more than the Tiggo 4, but it is marketed as a more premium version of its closely-related sibling.Omoda Jaecoo by Australian Chief Commercial Officer Roy Munoz emphasised the importance of the J5, describing it at the brand's 'hero' model.Munoz said the Chery Group brands need each other to be successful in Australia, but rivalry still exists between them.“There’ll always be competition,” he told CarsGuide.  “We can’t win them all. They can’t win them all, but together we can win a big share of the market.“So as long as we’re still both up there, that’ll keep everyone happy.”The Chery Group rivalry will heat up further in the coming months with the arrival of Lepas that will debut in Australia with its L6 electric mid-size SUV. Lepas will be joined by Freelander and iCaur from 2027 as the Chery Group sub-brand collection grows. Chery Group subsidiary Jetour has also been confirmed for Australia, but it will operate under its own steam as opposed to forming part of what has already been established Down Under. 

Proving the current popularity of plug-in hybrids (PHEV), one of Chery Group’s many brands, Omoda Jaecoo, is giving buyers another option. Following the launch of the petrol-powered J8 large SUV a year ago, Jaecoo has added the J8 SHS (Super Hybrid System).It’s a plug-in hybrid and, unlike the petrol J8, this one has seven seats. Jaecoo says it’s more of an occasional seven-seater, rather than a dedicated three-row family hauler. More on that later.It’s available in one highly specified Summit grade from $59,990, before on-road costs (BOC), which is the same price as the mechanically identical Chery Tiggo 9 Ultimate Super Hybrid.The Summit is a $5000 bump over the priciest petrol J8, but it is compelling when lined up against other three-row large PHEV SUVs like the BYD Sealion 8 ($56,990-$70,990 BOC), Kia Sorento ($71,175-$86,115 BOC) and Mazda CX-80 ($55,700-$93,419 BOC).Jaecoo has loaded the J8 Summit with standard gear including heated and ventilated front seats with a massage function, head-up display, 14-speaker Sony sound system (two speakers are housed in the driver’s headrest), a 50-watt wireless charger, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto via one of the two 12.3-inch displays, a panoramic sunroof with a sun shade, acoustic glass and luxuries like quilted leather seats, ambient lighting and a built-in fragrance system.Design wise, the Jaecoo J8 is not an unattractive car, it just lacks anything that helps it stand out or identify it as a Jaecoo. The brand is still finding its feet when it comes to design.Inside, the speakers, door-mounted seat controls, air vents, dash panels and even the quilting on the leather seats look to have been borrowed from Mercedes-Benz. It’s not an unpleasant space, it’s comfortable and looks good, but there are issues.The integrated dash element that flows into the door is misaligned. Not a great look. I couldn’t find my perfect driving position because the driver’s seat doesn’t lower far enough. The centre console is too wide and sits too high, meaning you feel a bit hemmed in.But the lovely looking steering wheel feels nice in hand and has clearly identifiable controls. Storage wise you get a huge central bin with a cooling function, under-console space, big door bins for bottles and more.It has dual 12.3-inch screens - exactly the same size as Hyundai/Kia’s setup - and the driver display is clear and well calibrated. The central display is not intuitive and you have to dig through menus or swipe down for high-use functions.Beyond the dial on the console, the drive mode set-up is confusing and takes some time to navigate, while my co-driver and I could not find the regen braking settings, despite deep dives into the menus.The system’s processing speed is excellent, so it responds quickly to inputs and the graphics are good. I don’t need an automated voice shouting when changing drive modes, however.The second row is well appointed, with air-con vents at knee and chest level, some climate controls, big door bins, central armrest and cupholders, USB ports and more. You also get sun shades for second-row windows and the panoramic sunroof has a solid blind.There’s no transmission tunnel so the middle seat is useful. The second-row seat base slides and the backrest reclines slightly which is a neat feature. However, the Jaecoo has a big flaw that impacts its status as a seven seater.The 60/40 split-fold second row is configured for left-hand drive markets - the J8 is built in China - so the single-seat entry point offering the best third-row entry is on the driver’s side of the car, which, in Australia, is the road side.This should have been changed to the kerb side so it’s safer for parents to get their kids in and out of that third row. You can climb over the seats on the kerb side, but it’s cumbersome. The J8’s Chery Tiggo 9 PHEV twin has the same issue.Boot size is a J8 strong point, swallowing 200 litres with all three rows in place, expanding to 738L with the third row folded. There are hooks, lights and power outlets in there, too. But there’s another packaging issue. There’s no spare wheel and because the PHEV mechanicals take up so much space, there’s no under-floor storage. So the tyre repair kit and charge cable sit in the boot with other luggage.Powering the J8 is a plug-in hybrid powertrain consisting of a 105kW/215Nm 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine combined with three electric motors - two at the front and one at the rear. The total system power and torque is hefty 315kW/580Nm, the same as the Tiggo 9.This set-up allows for all-wheel drive traction and it uses a three-ratio dedicated hybrid transmission. Maximum braked towing capacity for the PHEV is 1600kg, but, oddly, the petrol J8 is not rated for towing.Jaecoo has not tested for WLTP EV driving range so could only provide the NEDC figure which is more lenient. It is a healthy 169km, with 1000km possible factoring in the petrol engine’s 70-litre fuel tank.The 34kWh battery can be charged up to 70kW on a DC fast charger. Energy consumption is 19.3kWh/100km and Jaecoo says the official combined cycle fuel use figure is 1.2 litres. As with any PHEV, take that figure with a big grain of salt as it requires the battery to always be charged.The 6.6kW Type 2 charge port is on the rear passenger side of the car and charging from 10 to 100 per cent takes five-and-a-half hours.That powertrain is one of the Jaecoo’s most impressive features. It is technologically advanced, powerful, offers a useful driving range and is mostly smooth.However, on the road the J8 is a mixed bag.It is very quick off the mark, hitting 100km/h in just 5.8 seconds. So straight-line performance is solid. But when accelerating out of a tight corner or a roundabout there’s some hesitation from the powertrain.The J8 SHS has adaptive dampers as standard, which is usually a good thing, but combined with the size and heft of the car, it makes for a wallowy, floaty ride. Go over a speed bump and the front end will feel like it’s bouncing up and down.At urban speeds on completely flat roads, the Jaecoo is composed and lovely to drive. But at higher speeds on a highway or motorway with bends, that boat-like floatiness reappears.Of the three drive modes - Normal, Mid and Sport - the latter is best at keeping the big SUV more tied down, but it never loses the wallowy feeling entirely.It’s not a fan of corners, leaning heavily even on pretty average bends. This is one top-heavy vehicle, and you feel it in the cabin, moving around as it leans.On the flipside, it handles potholes and road imperfections well, mostly soaking up some sizeable holes. It rides on Michelin tyres hugging the 20-inch alloy wheels.Steering lacks any real engagement or connection to the road but it has a bit more feel in Sport mode. Chery Group Australia would benefit from a local ride, handling and steering tune similar to GWM and Kia’s programs.The Jaecoo standard safety list is impressive, and the advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) are not as intrusive as some rivals. The lane keeping aid can get a bit excited but you can adjust the level of some ADAS features via settings. There’s no ANCAP crash rating for the Jaecoo as yet.A big tick for the Jaecoo is its warranty and servicing offer. It comes with an eight-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, eight-year battery warranty, eight years of roadside assistance and eight years of capped-price servicing.The schedule is every 12 months of 15,000km, whichever occurs first. Service pricing ranges from about $300 to $670, depending on the year, but it will cost a total of $3881 all up. That’s pretty competitive pricing when lined up against the BYD Sealion 8 and Mazda CX-80.

This Aussie favourite budget SUV is getting hybrid power.Jaecoo has announced a hybrid version of its J5 small SUV will join the electric and purely petrol variants from August.It will start from $34,990, drive-away, meaning it is only $2000 less than the hugely-successful EV, but $9000 more than the base petrol-powered J5.This new J5 will be more expensive than hybrid variants of the Chery Tiggo 4, GWM Haval Jolion and MG ZS that are all available from $29,990.Omoda Jaecoo is a sub-brand of Chery and is pitched as a semi-premium alternative to traditional budget Chinese carmakers.The car comes in a single ‘Summit’ grade, with no plans to introduce a cheaper hybrid grade of the J5 in the future.Prices for petrol-powered and EV examples will stay the same despite the addition of a hybrid option.It has a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine and electric motor set-up, producing 165kW and 295Nm, making it the most powerful J5 in the lineup.It has substantially more performance than its petrol sibling (108kW/210Nm) and represents a marginal increase on the 155kW/288Nm in the EV.Its performance also trumps its closest competitors.The new set-up is also more efficient, reducing fuel consumption to 5.6L/100km from 7.5/100km on the petrol-only car.The car will be front-wheel drive like the rest of the J5 lineup. Omoda Jaecoo said this improved efficiency and performance is courtesy of a new iteration of Chery's hybrid technology.  A spokesperson for Omoda Jaecoo Australia would not confirm whether this is a version of its next-generation ‘Super Hybrid’ DHT160 set-up announced earlier this year. The J5 Hybrid has a similar exterior look to the petrol variant, but has been given a different design for its 18-inch alloy wheels. Its interior features synthetic leather seats, with the front ones heated and ventilated, as well as a fixed panoramic sunroof. There is a 13.2-inch central touchscreen and 8.8-inch digital driver display, as well as a 50W wireless phone charger.The car boasts other convenience features such as a powered tailgate and 360-degree camera.This hybrid variant completes the J5 lineup in Australia for Omoda Jaecoo. The EV is the strongest-selling J5 variant, with cheaper recently-launched petrol-powered variant having a positive start to life in Australia as well.

Electric cars are finally having their mainstream moment in Australia, and now make up over 16 per cent of Australia’s new car market.Sales have significantly jumped year-on-year, helped along by a much wider availability of more affordable models, but also an unprecedented fuel crisis, which has made the cost of running a petrol- or diesel-powered vehicle front of mind for many.This surge of new options has also seen the list of top-selling electric cars undergo a significant re-shuffle, with new brands featuring heavily.Tesla notably takes the crown for the best selling EV in Australia for the first half of 2026, with its Model Y achieving 20,396 total registrations according to Electric Vehicle Council data. This is due to an eyebrow-raising 8072 unit tally in June thanks to a literal boatload of cars arriving.Next down the charts is BYD with its smash-hit Sealion 7 mid-size SUV. The Sealion 7, which is a key rival to the Model Y, can be had at a more keen $54,990 price-point with similar specs to the Tesla that starts from $58,900 before on-roads.Alongside the plug-in hybrid Shark 6, the Sealion 7 is a major part of BYD’s success story in Australia over the past year.The next two players down compete at the entry-level to their respective segments.Geely’s EX5 clocked up 6756 registrations in the first half of 2026, a quiet achiever in an extremely competitive part of the market. While it goes into battle against a range of rivals in the $40,000 price bracket, it has more than doubled the sales of its closest rival, the previously-popular BYD Atto 3, and it sold 20 times the volume of the similar Leapmotor C10.Below the EX5 is the Jaecoo J5. While this model is now available with petrol power, it is the EV version that has been on sale longer and managed to secure fourth position for the first half of the year, racking up 6113 units.This is no doubt largely thanks to the electric version’s extremely keen $36,990 before on-roads price-tag and generous dimensions for a small SUV, making it the sweet spot for many first time EV adopters. It also undercuts the Atto 3 and Leapmotor B10, and has good visibility in the market thanks to Omoda Jaecoo’s rapidly expanding dealer network.Rounding out the top five electric cars in Australia for the first half of 2026 is the Zeekr 7X. A smash hit for Geely’s premium arm. The 7X stands out for its radical design and strong specs at a generous price point (from $57,900 before on-roads). As a result, the brand tells us that it is attracting not only aspirational buyers, but also buyers who were previously driving BMWs and Mercedes-Benzes.Previous top-sellers, the Model 3 and BYD Atto 3, have now dropped out of the top five, amassing a little over 3000 sales each. Kia’s also-popular EV5 mid-size and EV3 SUVs fell short of the list with less than 3000 sales each.All of the electric cars in the top five for the first half of the year were built in China, with the exception of the Performance grade of the Tesla Model Y (which would account for only a small proportion of its sales), showing the country’s leadership in the electric car space.Mainstream brands are struggling on the EV front, with cars like the Toyota bZ4X mid-size SUV amassing just 1718 sales. Volkswagen is in a similar position, with its similar ID.4 amassing just 1183 sales.Even MG, which was the original Chinese-backed success story in Australia, has tumbled down the charts. Its MG4 hatch has lost hundreds of sales year-on-year. Its S5 and S6 electric SUVs are struggling to compete with newer players, amassing just 1713 and 647 sales respectively.The share of EV sales in the Australian market will inevitably grow as tough new emissions laws start to shape the line-ups of most brands.

We might just have seen the first car from an Australian-bound budget 4WD brand.iCaur is due to land in Australia in 2027 as yet another sub-brand under the Chery umbrella and it could debut with this boxy hybrid SUV.Range-extender (REEV) variants of the Jaecoo 6T have launched in the right-hand drive market of Thailand, which could be its final step before entering Australia.The SUV is called the iCaur 03 in most other markets, despite being sold under the Jaecoo banner in Thailand. The iCaur brand remains a developing situation in Australia, with all models still under consideration, but the availability of so many variants of the iCaur 03 now in right-hand drive bolsters its chances of being a shoo-in for Australia. We can expect more details on the incoming brand towards the end of the year. As a segment-bending small SUV, the iCaur 3 would be an off-road focused alternative to the Chery Tiggo 7 plug-in hybrid or serve as a closer theoretical rival to the Renault Duster with its off-road aspirations. The iCaur 3 is currently available with (REEV) and all-electric set-ups, available in two-wheel and four-wheel drive.The REEV gets a 1.5-litre petrol engine responsible for charging the battery, along with an electric motor set-up to drive the wheels. The RWD produces 185kW/300Nm, while the 4WD produces 315kW/505Nm. Acceleration from 0-100km/h can be as fast as 5.5 seconds. Both cars are fitted with a 34kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery. It offers a fully-electric driving range of up to 190km for the 2WD and 160km for the 4WD, according to more generous NEDC standards. Total driving range for the 2WD is 800km, while the 4WD has 750km, also according to NEDC. The EV also has 2WD and 4WD offerings, with single and dual electric motor set-ups.It has boxy proportions, with a separate horizontal and vertical rectangular headlight design, and is available in a standout yellow paint job. On the inside, it has a 15.6-inch central touchscreen and 9.2-inch digital driver display.It also has wireless phone charging and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard.Stay tuned on more about iCaur with more information on the brand set to be revealed before the end of this year.

Omoda Jaecoo has confirmed pricing for the upcoming seven-seat version of its J8 large SUV, which will serve as the Jaecoo flagship model.Previously a rare large SUV, only available with a five-seat layout in its original 2.0-litre turbo combustion form, the J8 is now available as a plug-in hybrid with seven seats in a new halo Summit variant.Priced at $59,990, before on-road costs, the J8 SHS Summit is only a few thousand dollars more than the previously top-spec Ridge variant, which is priced at $54,990 (although this is drive-away).Not only does it offer an additional row of seating, the SHS swaps the 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine for a new 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo plug-in hybrid set-up, producing a combined 315kW/580Nm. It represents a significant jump over the 183kW/385Nm combustion AWD version. It swaps that car’s eight-speed automatic for a three-speed hybrid transaxle.It is a tri-motor system, using two electric motors in the front, and one on the rear axle, which are supported by a 34kWh battery which grants it a driving range of 169km according to the more lenient NEDC testing protocol.Jaecoo says the battery can be charged at a rate of 70kW on a DC charger for a roughly 30 minute top-up time, while on a slower AC charger it can top-up at a rate of 6.6kW for a 10-100 per cent charge in 5.5 hours.It also maintains a towing capacity of up to 1600kg with a braked trailer (or 750kg without brakes), although only with a maximum towball download of 75kg.Fuel consumption is rated at just 1.2L/100km although the turbo engine requires 95 RON unleaded petrol.Standard features include 20-inch alloy wheels clad in Michelin tyres, dual 12.3-inch screens for the digital instrument cluster and multimedia touchscreen, LED headlights, leather seat trim, power-adjustable front seats with heating and ventilation, heated and ventilated outboard second row seats, a panoramic sunroof, ambient interior lighting, dual-zone climate control with a fragrance system and air quality management, an auto dimming rear vision mirror, an acoustic windscreen, a 12-speaker Sony-branded audio system, a 50W wireless phone charger and a head-up display.It is also equipped with adaptive dampers, tyre pressure monitoring and offers multiple off- and on-road drive modes.The J8 SHS also comes with a tyre repair kit under the boot floor, and is available in four colours - blue, silver, white, and black.The new variant’s boot measures 200 litres with all three rows up, or 738 litres with the third row folded flat.As with all Omoda Jaecoo products, the J7 SHS is offered with an eight-year, unlimited kilometres warranty for the car and traction battery, with a matching eight-year capped price servicing program and eight-years of roadside assist, predicated on the vehicle being serviced within the brand’s network.Going into battle against some tough competition in the form of the Hyundai Santa Fe hybrid (from $57,650), Kia Sorento HEV (from $59,675, before on-roads) and Toyota Kluger (from $62,410, before on-roads), the J8 also shares many of its components with its sister car, the Omoda 9 Virtue ($61,990, before on-roads), which offers more coupe-like styling and a five-seat layout with a more powerful version of the same plug-in hybrid system.

Chinese carmakers are leading the way went it comes to EVs, but this one brand is flipping the script.Every car in the top 10 best-selling EVs for May 2026 was built in China, including the Jaecoo J5 EV.The J5 EV claimed the title for the best-selling small SUV in May 2026. Omoda Jaecoo’s Australian Chief Commercial Officer Roy Munoz said the brand is not classed as a specialist electric carmaker, despite this result.The J5 EV was one of Chery Group’s first fully-electric models put on sale Down Under, with much of its range adopting petrol or hybrid set-ups. It was the group’s most successful model in May, but Munoz said it is doing so while tackling more EV-specific competition.“Being that Omoda Jaecoo, and I guess Chery as a wider group, is not just an EV brand. We are a traditional car company,” Munoz on CarsGuide.  “It also proves that we are a technology company where an EV is within our capability as well. “To be able to achieve that, not being known as an EV brand is a true testament to the capabilities of Omoda Jaecoo and Chery as a group.”A petrol variant of the J5 recently launched in Australia, with Omoda Jaecoo still eager to cater for an internal combustion engine consumer base. This approach contrasts many of Chery’s key rivals, such as BYD, that does not offer any petrol-only models in Australia. It demonstrates Omoda Jaecoo trying to cover all bases. A plug-less version of the J5 is also due in showrooms before the end of the year. It comes as many legacy brands also phase out petrol-only options for key models. One of the J5’s rivals the Kia Seltos will launch for its new generation with a hybrid offering, ditching its popular pure petrol variant. It will become more difficult for brands to have pure internal combustion engines in their lineups with Australian emissions regulations becoming more stringent in the coming years. Munoz said Omoda Jaecoo is aware of the potential impacts of New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) fines on a strong sales return for the petrol J5. He said the brand would balance to ensure it meets its NVES obligations, with J5 EV acting as a shield to provide credits at this stage. 

Fuel prices in Australia are about to rise again. The federal government has announced the Fuel Excise cut will continue at a lower rate until the start of August.The original 50 per cent discount equated to 32 cents per litre off fuel prices, but this was due to end on the 30th of June.The government will now extend a smaller discount of 16 cents per litre until the 2nd of August. This announcement means fuel prices will increase across the board in addition to any other fluctuations from external factors. A 16 cent increase will see diesel fuel prices increase back above the $2 per litre mark across the country, having been more than $3 per litre at times over the past few months. The diesel-powered Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux utes remain two of the best-selling cars in Australia.E10 petrol will also creep up towards the $2 point as a result of this decreased discount. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has not ruled out further extensions to the Fuel Excise discount in the future if circumstances require it. "Of course we do live in a volatile world. Were there to be a massive global shock, my government will always respond,” Mr Albanese told Sky News. The news comes as rumours of an end to the Iran war heat up, with the conflict being the key driver of high fuel prices. There is still no freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz - the key gateway for many ships carrying oil globally.It has seen electric vehicle uptake in Australia soar, with budget Chinese options like the Jaecoo J5 EV and Geely EX5 growing by more than 200 per cent between May and June 2026. Tesla experienced a record-breaking month in May, shifting 6433 units - its highest sales number since the Electric Vehicle Council started collecting data. The government will also increase the Heavy Vehicle Road User Charge to 16 cents per litre, with it being free since April.