Jaecoo J5 vs Ssangyong Tivoli XLV

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.

The SsangYong Tivoli XLV is about as unknown to Australian customers as cheeseburgers are to the tribespeople of the Amazon.

That is to say, if I asked your opinion of the SsangYong Tivoli XLV, you’d probably have no idea what I was on about. You may be unsure of its origins, unclear of its intentions, and generally baffled by the concept of it. The Amazonians may well feel the same way about burgers.

However, if Korean SUV specialist SsangYong has its way, the Tivoli XLV will become as hip and desirable, as Instagrammable and indulgent as the most clickable cheeseburgers out there. Geez, I’m hungry.

The Tivoli XLV is essentially a longer, taller version of the shorter, lower Tivoli, which is also coming to Australia. It keeps the Tivoli part of the name because it’s largely very similar, but the XLV has some points of difference: it’s all-wheel drive only, it’s diesel only, and it’s clearly one of the most practical small SUVs in the class. 

What does XLV stand for? According to SsangYong, the acronym represents “eXciting smart Lifestyle Vehicle”. 

Scratch that. Think of it as the 'eXtra Large Version' of the brand’s smallest vehicle, and you’ll be most of the way to understanding just what this big small SUV is all about.