Suzuki Baleno vs Jaecoo J5

What's the difference?

The Baleno is a disappointingly dull car from a company that makes plenty of un-dull cars. I suppose it's prudent for Suzuki to at least try to look like a grown-up, but as this car proves, there's no fun in that.

It will no doubt be dependable and if kept in metropolitan areas, will serve its owners well. But it's lacking in key safety gear, the servicing is a bit on the stiff side and the interior feels cheaper than most of its competitors.

And on top of all that, it feels really old.

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.

Suzuki says the Baleno's look reflects the brand's 'Liquid Flow' design language, but I'd much prefer it if they had stuck with the angular design of its other cars. Almost all of them are far better looking, or at least characterful.

The Baleno's recent facelift, which is mostly a new front bumper and a headlight tweak, was probably supposed to improve the looks but instead the car now appears to have had some fillers pumped into its cheeks.

It's not an attractive car from the front, with the grille overpowered by the lower fascia's sheer breadth. The rear and profile are fairly anonymous and to ensure its anonymity, there is little in the way of adornment. Looks basic, is basic.

Step in to the spacious-for-its-size cabin and you'll be greeted with the usual Suzuki staples of super-hard plastics, hardy carpets and tough cloth trim.

There is a little curvaceousness to the dash design but it just feels a bit half-hearted until the curves run into the centre console's alien-with-flappy-ears effect. There's nothing wrong with it but it does look dated.

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.

Here's some excellent news - there is plenty of space in the Baleno's tiddly sub-four metre frame. The awkwardly-proportioned body has delivered good space for front and rear passengers who would be happier on more comfortable seats, but for city driving, they do just fine.

If you're up to around 180cm tall, there's enough space for you and your legs in the back and headroom is adequate.

Storage is a limited to a couple of open trays but you can put your phone in the same place as the USB port. You get two cupholders at the front and if you don't mind losing the rearmost of your storage trays, the back seat passengers can share it as a solitary cupholder. Each door has a very handy bottle holder that will secure a 1.5-litre vessel.

The boot is a good size for the segment at 355 litres to begin with and 746 with the 60/40 split fold rear seat folded down.

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.

You'll not need to hold on to your hat in the Baleno. The 1.4-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder musters up 68kW at 6000rpm and 130Nm 2000rpm earlier. It's not a lot, but at 915kg, the Baleno isn't doing too badly.

There's an old relic in the transmission department. Power reaches the front wheels via a four-speed automatic transmission. There aren't many of those left in circulation on new car forecourts.

You can't buy a Baleno with the plucky 1.0-litre turbo anymore, which is a bit of shame.

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'.

Suzuki says you'll get 5.4L/100km on the combined cycle, which isn't too far off reality, our time delivering around 6.6L/100km. Which was remarkable in itself given how much throttle you have to use to move along.

Another bonus is that even though the fuel tank is just 37 litres, you won't spend half your life filling up.

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.

Most Suzukis are fun to drive even if they're on the slow side. The Jimny bounces around like a fat puppy full of sugar, the Swift is a good laugh and the Vitara is quite handy. The Baleno fails to be any of these things, but it's not all bad news.

The first thing you'll notice is the very light steering that makes a high-pitched noise when you turn it.

The second thing you'll notice is the whine coming from the transmission or somewhere very like it, no matter how much throttle you have on. It shifts smoothly enough, though, which isn't very often given the lack of gears.

It's not often I yearn for a CVT, but that might be the better transmission for this car. Yes, I just checked outside for airborne pigs, too.

The Baleno does feel like it teeters a little on its skinny, high profile tyres. It's not a car to drive with enthusiasm, but if you're happy enough with its almost-lively off-the-mark acceleration, which then fades away rapidly, you'll be perfectly happy.

It's not very quiet, though, with plenty of noise passing through the trademark thin sheetmetal and sparingly damped shell. It's light, but you can hear why - there's not much sound-deadening to weigh it down.

On the open road the Baleno further reinforces its credentials as a city car - it wanders around on the tyres, the steering loses all its feel and the wind noise means you have to turn up the volume to either drown it out or make yourself heard.

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.

Suzuki has joined the mainstream market herd with a five year/unlimited kilometre warranty for private use (ie not Uber) but there isn't even a solitary year of roadside assist.

Happily, since we last drove the Baleno, service intervals on the 1.4-litre have improved to 12 months/15,000km (rather than the previous 10,000km) and the company also offers five years of capped pricing up to 90,000km.

Services come in between $239 and $499, unless you've somehow covered 90,000km inside the five year window, and then it blows out to $649. That last figure aside, you can expect to pay $1635 over five years (or $2045 if you go nuts on the mileage). It's not especially cheap.

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.