2026 Jaecoo J5 Reviews

Suddenly large SUV buyers in the mainstream market have even more choice. Jaecoo is Chery's premium sub-brand and the J8 is a large, but five-seat only SUV with the luxury feel of high-end offerings. But the price is more attainable than astronomical and we've taken a first Aussie drive.

There are more and more Chinese car brands entering the Australian new car market seemingly every day.

Gone are the days when digital gauge clusters and sweeping panoramic touchscreens were reserved for the owners of prestigious European cars like a Mercedes-Benz S-Class or a BMW 7 Series.

Jaecoo has announced a new five-seat SUV model for Australia, the J8, which will officially go on sale in June.

Jetour representatives hint at which of its off-road vehicles will be available in right-hand drive.

Chinese newcomer Chery has admitted it has work to do fine-tuning its advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) for the Australian market.

Chery won’t follow the lead of Hyundai, Kia and now GWM and hire local expertise to make its cars better suited to Australian tastes and conditions.

Chery has launched a new family-sized, plug-in hybrid SUV in the UK under its more premium Omoda sub-brand.As a fellow right-hand-drive market, the Omoda 9 will launch in the UK with a price tag of £45,000 (A$93,664) in May. Should it land in Australia at some stage to rival the BYD Sealion 6 and Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, it would likely receive a significant price cut thanks to lower taxation and transport costs.The brand's local operations told CarsGuide it was reviewing the Omoda range for the Australian market, which currently consists of the Omoda 5 and its electric E5 sibling, though a spokesperson stopped short of confirming the model for Australia.In terms of design, the Omoda 9 carries a similar design language to its smaller Omoda E5 sibling, albeit with larger proportions and a few styling tweaks. That includes added front and rear LED light-bars and seemingly Kia-inspired, fang-style LED headlights.It lines up at 4774mm long, 1932mm wide and 1686mm tall with a wheelbase of 2800mm, making it longer, wider and taller than the BYD Sealion 6, but slightly shorter than the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.Power is sourced from a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine and twin electric motors mounted on each axle. Combined it delivers 330kW/700Nm to all four wheels through a three-speed automatic transmission.Additionally, there is a new 34.4kWh battery pack sourced from Chinese battery giant CATL, with a max DC charging rate of 70kW. It claims to be 20 per cent more energy dense than the firm's previous lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) units, and delivers a claimed electric range of 149km.Despite carrying at least 60km more of claimed electric range over its Sealion 6 and Outlander competitors, there is no confirmation that this figure has been scrutinised under the WLTP cycle.The interior is headlined by a single 24.6-inch display that incorporates the multimedia display and digital driver’s display into a single unit. As with the rest of the Omoda range, the interior is abundant with chrome trims, while providing welcome luxury features such as a panoramic sunroof and premium Sony stereo.Chery has reportedly prioritised acoustic refinement with the Omoda 9, adding acoustically-oriented Michelin tyres and double-glazed windows. The car sits on magnetorheological dampers and carries six drive modes (Eco, Normal, Sport, Mud and Off-road).Physical buttons, switches and knobs remain for climate control, along with radio, seat-heating and ventilation functions.Autocar UK reported that an additional Toyota RAV4 and Mazda CX-5 rival in the Omoda 7 will follow the Omoda 9 in the UK later.The latest Omoda news in Australia is the local Chery division will spin Omoda off into its own sub-brand separate from Chery's mainline vehicles and the Jaecoo division. Future Omoda vehicles will be sold alongside Jaecoo as a more premium offering, similar to how the sub-brands work in Europe.

Chery may only have arrived in Australia a few years ago but the Chinese automotive giant has revealed major expansion plans.

Jaecoo is the latest new-car brand to arrive in Australia and it has big ambitions. Its all-new J7 SUV has arrived to take on the Toyota RAV4, BYD Sealion 6 and other popular models in the booming mid-size SUV segment. But as we found out, this newest offering has plenty of potential thanks to its efficient powertrain, eye-catching styling and head-turning value.