What's the difference?
Yet another Chinese-branded EV has arrived on our shores and if the name Jaecoo doesn’t ring a bell, that’s understandable. It’s a relatively new offshoot of Chery, making its presence felt with a growing line-up aimed squarely at everyday buyers. Think mainstream, built around accessible pricing and a decent spread of features.
Offered in a single grade, the Jaecoo J5 EV is a small SUV entering an already crowded segment. It goes up against familiar names like the BYD Atto 2, Chery E5 and MG S5 EV, all offering broadly similar promises on paper. The real question, then, is whether the J5 EV manages to carve out an identity of its own, and whether its appeal stretches beyond the price tag.
Land Rover was making SUVs before they were even called SUVs.
Range Rovers were ferrying families around in prestigious four-wheel drive comfort decades before Audi, BMW or Mercedes-Benz even thought of doing it, too.
So, even with all its rivals these days, how well does a Range Rover do modern family duties?
Well the Range Rover Autobiography came to live with my little family of four for a week. We had the seven-seater long-wheelbase version with the twin-turbo petrol V8 engine, and this is what we discovered…
The Jaecoo J5 EV makes a strong first impression and a quieter long-term one. The J5 looks the part, feels comfortable and covers all the basics well, making it an easy choice for buyers who want an affordable, practical EV without too many compromises.
It’s a solid effort overall, though even at this lower price point a few more rear-seat features would be welcome - especially given this is the only grade currently available. However, it hits the right notes when it comes to ownership and value which will be its strongest pull.
The Range Rover Autobiography long wheelbase is an outstanding SUV that is not just beautiful to drive but makes family practicality a priority, too,
The price is reasonable relative to the competition, the features list is long and complementary servicing offers peace of mind.
If you don’t need the third row, I’d consider the standard wheelbase Autobiography even if it does reduce legroom, there’s still plenty of space.
My son stopped short of giving the Range Rover Autobiography full marks "because there are no massaging seats in the second row".