Peugeot 408 vs Jaecoo J5

What's the difference?

The Peugeot 408 GT plug-in hybrid features tech that could be improved upon and like all plug-ins, you get the best economy if you regularly charge it and that’s not always realistic. It is a little expensive compared to its rivals but sports a killer design that looks fresh and the cabin is roomy with nice features.

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.

There’s quite a lot happening with the design because of the mash-up of body styles. The long sleek body has sedan vibes but it sits high enough to tag itself as an SUV and the rear has that classic coupe pinching.

It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea but I like it. It's bold and different, which feels like a bit of fresh air in this SUV-heavy market.

The lights also set this apart from its Peugeot stablemates and look more refined, too. You can still see the remnants of the original ‘claw’ design in the tail-lights if you look closely but it's the long vertical DRLs at the front that give the design real edge. They resemble the fangs of a snarling cat (just too cool).

The sophisticated sleekness is extended to the interior where you find a cabin that is flush with high-end materials and soft touch points.

The curved dashboard, high-end tech screens and the mix of Nappa leather upholstery and synthetic leather trims definitely cement its grade position. While not a fan of the green contrast stitching myself, it does create an interesting focal point.

The Jaecoo J5 EV is a handsome-looking small SUV. Its suite of LED lighting, 18-inch alloy wheels and upright, robust silhouette give it plenty of presence, particularly for something positioned at the affordable end of the EV market. That said, originality isn’t really its strong suit. The design, especially from the rear, feels heavily inspired by a Range Rover. Imitation may be the highest form of flattery but Jaecoo could have pushed the design in a slightly more distinctive direction.

It looks good on the road, though, and inside, the J5 has a genuinely airy feel. Light-coloured synthetic upholstery and the expansive panoramic glass roof help the cabin feel open and welcoming, particularly from the front seats. The design is modern and tech-focused, with the large 13.2-inch display taking centre stage on the dashboard.

The overall layout is clean and undeniably premium in its presentation, though it doesn’t bring a great deal of personality with it. That’s becoming a familiar theme, especially in this part of the EV market, where minimalism and screens often take priority over character.

Both rows have ample leg- and headroom for my 168cm height. Even my father, who is 183cm tall, felt comfortable in both rows.

The seats are comfortable and offer enough padding to be enjoyable on a long trip. The heat and massage functions on the front seats make the cabin experience feel refined but the massage function sometimes stops when the heat function is also on.

Individual storage is good for the class with the front getting some centre console storage spots, including a phone shelf, as well as a dual-opening middle console, glovebox and two cupholders. There are also a small storage bin and drink bottle holder in each door.

In the rear, there are directional air vents, two USB-C ports, map pockets and a drink bottle holder in each door but you miss out on cup holders, an armrest and other items you might expect for this grade level, like heated outboard seats or climate control.

The other charging options are solid with the front row getting two USB-C ports, a wireless charging pad and a 12-volt socket. There is another 12-volt socket in the boot.

The 10-inch touchscreen multimedia system looks great and you can customise your ‘buttons panel’ to the features you use most often, which is very clever. However, the system isn’t always responsive which gets very annoying - the seat functions in particular can be laggy.

The system does feature built-in satellite navigation and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto but the multimedia system is too glitchy to truly charm.

The boot features a tyre puncture repair kit, relatively level loading space and 471L of boot capacity, which has been fine for all of my errands this week. You also get a hands-free powered tailgate, which is always handy.

The Jaecoo J5 EV's cabin is spacious with both rows offering ample head- and legroom. A flat floor also helps the middle rear seat feel more usable than usual, which is always appreciated. Up front, the seats are very comfortable, with their added adjustment, heating and ventilation making a noticeable difference on longer drives. The rear seats are well padded with decent back support, so passengers in the second row shouldn’t feel short-changed.

Access to both rows is good with wide door apertures and an easy step in/step out height. My main quibble here is the keyless entry set-up. Unless you enable proximity unlocking through the multimedia system the doors aren’t truly keyless. Even then, the system can be inconsistent. That means occasionally having to reach for the key fob, which is frustrating when your hands are full.

Storage is one of the J5’s stronger suits. Up front, it’s easy to keep things neat thanks to a large glove box and a deep, if slightly narrow, middle console. There’s also a clever open shelf beneath a centre console that houses cupholders and phone storage, including a wireless charging pad. A small hidden pocket behind the media display adds to the storage count, although I’ll admit I regularly forget it exists.

Rear passengers get a couple of map pockets, drink bottle holders and cupholders. Beyond that, amenities are limited. There’s a single directional air vent and a USB-A port, but not much else to keep older kids or adults entertained.

Technology is fairly straightforward, although almost everything is accessed through the touchscreen. The multimedia system is crisp and responsive, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto working well, however it misses out on built-in satellite navigation and any meaningful apps. That said, there is a karaoke app tucked away in the system, which will undoubtedly delight someone, somewhere.

Charging options up front include a USB-A and USB-C port, along with a 12-volt socket. There’s also a USB-A port near the rear-view mirror, which is handy if you’re planning to install an aftermarket dash cam.

Jaecoo pitches the J5 as pet-friendly, with upholstery designed to be easy to clean and resistant to wear. In practice, I’d say that claim comes with caveats. Jaecoo clearly hasn’t met my son or my German Shepherd, and it took a fair bit of elbow grease to properly clean the cabin. Staying on top of messes will be key if you want the interior to keep looking fresh.

The boot offers up to 480L of capacity, which is strong for the class, and the flat load floor makes it easy to slide items in and out. There are no power ports or sockets, which feels like an odd omission for an EV. You also get a repair kit instead of a spare tyre, despite there being enough space to accommodate one. A 35L frunk adds some extra storage flexibility, and the powered tailgate is a welcome inclusion.

We’re testing the only Jaecoo J5 EV variant available at the moment, ahead of petrol and hybrid versions due to arrive later this year. Right now, it’s being offered with a limited-time drive-away price of $36,990. Once that offer expires, it reverts to a $35,990 MSRP, which sees it tie with the BYD Atto 2 Premium as the most affordable EV in its segment.

Step up from there and you reach the J5’s sister model, the Chery E5 Ultimate, priced from $40,990 MSRP. The MG S5 EV Essence 62 sits close by, starting from $40,490 MSRP.

On paper, the J5 hits a few more notes than its key rivals and that’s worth acknowledging. There’s a solid list of premium-style features, including electrically adjustable front seats with heating and ventilation, a panoramic glass roof, powered tailgate and synthetic leather-style upholstery.

Technology is similarly generous. You get a large 13.2-inch touchscreen multimedia display paired with an 8.88-inch digital instrument cluster, along with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A 360-degree camera system is standard, as are two USB-A ports, a single 12-volt socket up front and a wireless charging pad.

That said, there’s only one USB-C port in the entire cabin, and no charging ports or power sockets in the boot, which feels like an odd omission in an electric SUV. Accessing the vehicle-to-load function also requires an adapter via the external charging port, rather than a more user-friendly internal outlet.

Despite its sharp pricing, the J5 is offered in just one high-spec grade and that raises expectations. In that context, the rear seat feels a little underdone. It misses out on several amenities you’d reasonably expect in a flagship-style model. While that’s not unusual for an EV at this end of the market, it still feels like a missed opportunity to stand out.

The 408 GT is a front-wheel drive that has an eight-speed auto transmission and is powered by a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine and an 81kW electric motor, which produce combined outputs of 165kW/360Nm. It can do a 0-100km/h sprint in 7.8 seconds. 

The switch between the electric and petrol components isn’t always seamless and you can feel some shudders as it flips between them at lower speeds but the power feels adequate for everyday driving.

The Jaecoo J5 EV is powered by a single electric motor sending 155kW/288Nm to the front wheels. That’s enough to see it sprint from 0-100km/h in a claimed 7.7 seconds. Those figures stack up well relative to the J5's positioning in the segment.

This isn’t a performance-led EV and it doesn’t pretend to be. Instead, the J5 delivers its power in a way that feels competent and predictable rather than 'exciting'.

The official combined cycle fuel consumption figure is 1.5L/100km but that’s if you were recharging the car every time the electric range dropped out.

My real-world consumption sat at 5.5L after a mix of open-road and urban driving. I only charge it every other day as that’s realistic for my family life but like all plug-ins - you will get the best efficiency if you charge it regularly.

The 408 GT has a Type 2 charging port and a small 12.4kWh lithium-ion battery that can accept up to 3.7kW of power. You get up to 60km of pure electric driving range (but I only saw a top of 38km available) and on a domestic socket, you can go from zero to 100 per cent in around six hours.

On a 7kW or 11kW AC power charger, that drops to three and a half hours. So, it’s a tad slow to charge but worth it if you can leave your car on charge overnight.

The Jaecoo J5 EV uses a Type 2 CCS charging port and can accept up to 10.3kW on AC power via a three-phase connection, along with DC fast charging speeds of up to 130kW. On a suitable fast charger, Jaecoo claims a 30 to 80 per cent charge can be completed in as little as 28 minutes. That’s a solid result for this segment, with only the MG S5 EV offering higher DC charging capacity and quicker top-up times.

The J5 has a 58.9kWh lithium-iron phosphate battery and a 402km (WLTP) driving range. Both its sister model, the Chery E5, and the MG have slightly longer ranges. It's not surprising but it means it's an EV better suited to the city where you can keep it regularly topped up.

Official energy consumption is listed at 14.3kWh/100km. After a mix of longer drives and urban running, my average settled around 15.4kWh/100km, which is a respectable result overall and broadly in line with expectations.

The 408 GT has more than enough power to be a comfortable open-roader. You can keep your speed consistent on hills and it has enough gumption to cross traffic quickly in an urban environment.

Steering is responsive and the car is easy to manoeuvre in close quarters but the lane-keeping aid does severe corrections, so have your wits about you when you’re on the go because it can be a fright when the wheel starts fighting you.

With the ride comfort, there can be vibrations through the seats and steering wheel depending on the road surface and you’ll know about it when you hit a bump. It’s okay enough to not be classed as rough but it’s not as refined as you'd hope.

Despite the narrow rear window, the visibility is actually very good and it’s easy enough to park but the 180-degree camera system needs work.

You'll end up using the straight reversing camera because you need to ‘drive’ over the space for an image to pop up for the '180-degree' view and by the time it does, you’ve parked anyway!

The Jaecoo J5 EV has plenty of power on hand, with good pick-up when you need it for hills or overtaking. It feels responsive enough for everyday driving, without ever feeling aggressive or overly eager.

Steering is light, and the suspension leans towards the softer side. Around town that works well, offering a comfortable ride. On faster roads or through corners, however, it can feel a little unsettled, and the J5 isn’t particularly convincing on the open road.

Visibility out the front and sides is strong and the driving position gives you a fairly commanding view of the road, which makes day-to-day city driving straightforward.

There are three levels of regenerative braking, but even on the lowest setting it can feel abrupt. Some passengers reported feeling queasy and maintaining a smooth, consistent speed can be tricky as the car has a tendency to lurch.

Parking is generally easy thanks to the J5’s compact footprint and a clear 360-degree camera system. That said, the aggressive regen braking can make low-speed manoeuvres, particularly reversing, more challenging than necessary, as it’s hard to get the car to creep smoothly.

The J5 hasn’t been assessed by ANCAP yet and is unrated but it has a good suite of safety equipment included. There are seven airbags, intelligent seat belt reminders, ISOFIX anchors, three top-tether anchor points, front/rear parking sensors and a 360-degree view camera system.

There’s also blind-spot monitoring, lane departure alert, lane keeping aid, forward and rear collision warning, side exit assist, a driver monitoring system, autonomous emergency braking and adaptive cruise control. The J5 EV misses out on emergency call capability.

Most of the driver assist systems aren’t intrusive, although the driver attention monitoring can ping more than it’s needed and the adaptive cruise control is best without the assisted steering on.

The 408 comes with a usual warranty term of five-years/unlimited km and the battery is covered by an eight-year or up to 160,000km warranty.

You can pre-purchase three, four, or five-years worth of services, which all work out to be cheaper than the pay-as-you-go option. It costs $1200 (three-years), $1700 (four-years), and $2000 for the five-year plan.

On the five-year plan, services average $400, which is reasonable for the class. Servicing intervals are also good at every 12 months/15,000km, whichever occurs first.

Ownership is one of the J5’s stronger points. The number eight is associated with good fortune in Chinese culture and Jaecoo has clearly leaned into it here!

It's offered with an eight-year/unlimited km warranty, eight years battery cover and roadside assistance, plus eight years of capped-price servicing where workshop visits average a low $190 per visit (which is very good).

Servicing is required every 12 months or 20,000 kilometres and for now the service network is fairly small, with around 50 centres nationwide. They’re mostly found in major cities, which is something to keep in mind depending on where you live.