Volkswagen Tiguan vs Jaecoo J5

What's the difference?

The new Tiguan is as confident as ever in its identity, even in such a crowded mid-size SUV space where there are so many models worthy of your attention.

No matter which version you choose, this is still the mid-size SUV for a driving enthusiast who doesn’t quite have premium dollars to spend.

While it may not quite expand its appeal as much as the brand hopes precluding a hybrid variant, those who are choosing this as their family hauler for the right reasons won’t be disappointed.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

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 new Tiguan is a bit of a mind-bender. Its new design seems to make it feel smaller than the outgoing vehicle, despite it being both slightly wider and longer.

This, I have decided, is because the design creates a visual effect, where the upper curvier parts seem to shrink it down, and the additional length makes it seem narrower than the more boxy visage of the previous model. Also, it’s 20mm shorter than the previous design, which we’re told combines with the new bodywork to make for a 15 per cent drag reduction.

Either way, it’s nice not to see a mid-size SUV not continually engage in an arms race to get bigger and bigger. Volkswagen will also introduce the dedicated seven-seat Tayron later in 2025. It’s a half-size up and replaces the outgoing Tiguan Allspace, and this time it features a much more distinct design from its Tiguan sibling.

The third-generation Tiguan not only embraces a more curvy design aesthetic than its predecessor, but it also features many more contemporary design elements. The headlights and curvy accents over the wheelarches feel like they more closely associate this SUV with the new ID.4 and ID.5 EVs, while the light bar across the front on some grades combines with the new light bar across the rear to give it a trendy silhouette. It tops things off with the ‘Tiguan’ letterwork on the tailgate, and, as usual, a sporty spoiler fitting giving the rear hatch a bit of depth.

As usual, VW’s array of gloss-black, chrome or plastic garnishes on the outside, depending on grade, offer a subtle and tasteful finish to the exterior appearance.

The inside is revolution rather than evolution, now heavily screen-centri, and featuring an array of lighting features like many of its rivals.

The screens look the part and have fast and mostly straightforward-to-navigate software, while the seat designs are a real highlight, being both aesthetically pleasing and nice to the touch in all grades.

The ambient lighting features add a sense of presence to the cabin, and unlike the outgoing car, the new one feels a bit more driver-centric thanks to the design of the dash and screens effectively pointing their way down the road from the driver’s point of view.

It does away with the sparse feeling of the previous car, elevating things a notch with an increase of nice materials throughout.

While some may find the abundance of gloss-black finishes a bit harder to maintain, it’s hard not to feel like this new Tiguan is a major generational jump from the previous one. Mission accomplished, VW.

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.

Like the previous model, VW hasn’t forgotten its pragmatic touches for the interior, despite its increase in complexity and appointments.

Finding a driving position was easy for me at 182cm tall, with both a healthy adjustment range for the seats and steering wheel. The digital instrument cluster remains one of the best on the market in terms of usability and customisation, while the multi-function steering wheel commits to buttons rather than the widely-disliked haptic feedback panels, which have appeared on various other VW models.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t entirely extend to switchgear for key functions, with the climate control exclusively controlled via touch sliders, a touchscreen menu or the Tiguan’s new voice control suite, none of which are as intuitive as just having a physical dial for temperature and fan speed and buttons for recirculate, auto and on-off.

However, the Tiguan does have a central dial on the console, which can cycle through volume control, drive modes or ambient lighting modes when pressed. A welcome addition.

Moving the shift stalk to the steering column, like the ID.4 and ID.5, has also allowed additional space for the centre console area, which is now quite versatile. It includes a variable-height armrest console box with either dividers or a dual-bottle-holder fitting, which can be interchanged between the two areas, while the dual-charging bays up front have a rubberised cover, which can be pulled down as to not waste the storage space. This has the additional feature of making the cooling system for the wireless charging phones more effective.

There are two large bottle holders and pockets in each door, which have a carpeted finish to reduce vibration, and there’s also a passenger glovebox.

The rear seat offers a healthy amount of space behind my own driving position. I had leagues of knee room and a healthy amount of airspace above me, however the presence of a tall raise for the transmission tunnel eats into the amount of room a centre passenger would have for their feet.

The comfortable seats continue and are on rails if you need to increase the amount of room in the boot, or simply want a more aggressive recline. When it comes to storage, there are bottle holders in each door, a drop-down armrest with dual bottle holders, dual USB-C outlets on the back of the console, as well as dual air vents with a touch control panel for the independent third climate zone. The only thing it seems to be missing is built-in window shades, which are offered on some Skodas and the now-discontinued Passat (RIP).

The boot helpfully features a powered tailgate on all grades, and measures in at 652 litres with the second row up, or 1650L with the seats down. Numbers can be deceptive, but it does seem large for the class, and there’s a space-saver spare wheel under the floor.

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.

There are three engine options in the Tiguan range, and it is notable none are even mild hybrids (MHEVs) in 2025.

The base engine present in 110TSI variants is even a carryover 1.4-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, providing 110kW/250Nm to the front wheels. The big news for these base cars is the dry-clutch DCT has been swapped out for the better-performing wet-clutch version, which also has various improvements made to it for this iteration. Notably, VW has stripped-out the stop-start system with this engine and transmission combination. 

The brand says it opted not to use the more recent 1.5-litre MHEV version of this engine as it simply didn’t need it to meet Australia’s new emissions standards and it would have added a prohibitive amount to the cost of entry-level variants to justify its inclusion in the range.

Next up is the new 150TSI engine. It is a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder unit, which replaces both the 132TSI and 162TSI engines from the previous-generation model. It provides 150kW/320Nm and drives all four wheels via the same seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. This engine also reintroduces stop-start.

At the top of the range, solely available on the R-Line, is the 195TSI engine. VW says this offers buyers of the previous Tiguan R somewhere to go, but also an option for those who wanted more than the previous 162TSI R-Line offered. The 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged 195TSI engine is sourced from the Golf GTI and produces 195kW/400Nm, driving all four wheels via the same seven-speed dual-clutch. It reduces the 0-100km/h sprint time from 7.1 seconds to 5.9 seconds.

It is a shame in the current environment VW hasn’t chosen to make a splash with the 1.5-litre plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variant, which is available overseas. This Tiguan features a 25kWh battery paired to the 110kW engine to make for an estimated 100km electric-only driving range. It even features both 11kW AC charging and 50kW DC charging for convenient top-ups.

If you want it, tell your dealer. VW tells us they’re working on a business case for the PHEV in the background, but if you want electric driving for now, it’s pointing current customers to the ID.4 (from $59,990 before on-roads).

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'.

Efficiency is remarkably even across the Tiguan range, with the new engines and updated transmission helping to make things reasonably straightforward.

The base 110TSI versions have an official/combined fuel consumption of 7.6L/100km, as do the 150TSI versions thar benefit from the stop/start system but have the added heft of all-wheel drive.

The top-of-the-range 195TSI R-Line, meanwhile, is said to consume 8.5L/100km. All versions require 95RON mid-shelf unleaded. And for those who care, the 110TSI and 150TSI produce 173g/km of CO2, while the 195TSI produces 194g/km.

Interestingly, the 110TSI variants have a 55-litre fuel tank, while the 150TSI and 195TSI have a 58-litre fuel tank.

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 Tiguan range has some significant upgrades from behind the wheel this time around, but there are a handful of areas where I was surprised to find it didn’t quite live up to expectations.

Firstly, the seating position and driver-centric cabin design make the Tiguan feel like more of a driver’s car than ever before. The bucket-style seats and the high beltline combine to make the seating position feel like more of a hatchback than an SUV. Yet visibility out of the cabin is healthy thanks to large windows and mirrors.

As you set off, the Tiguan feels smoother through its drivetrain than its predecessor, thanks to the new dual-clutch automatic being sandpapered when it comes to its initial engagement and shift-mapping. Even the base 110TSI, which can sometimes struggle for initial torque thanks to a dollop of turbo-lag, has a decent roll-on, and with no stop-start system this time, it’s much more friendly when hopping on the accelerator from a standstill.

The steering tune is great in all grades, helping to make this new Tiguan feel light and reactive, despite its slightly expanded dimensions. This lightness is a trait which shines through on this new version, making it feel much less pedestrian than almost all of its rivals.

On the base variant, this can be to its detriment at times, with the 110TSI engine occasionally overcoming the grip of the front tyres when a lot is asked of it, however all-wheel-drive versions are much more confident in their footing, not only delivering power in a more linear fashion, but also putting it to the ground more smoothly.

R-Line variants, with wider and more expensive tyres, are reactive, grippy, and simply outstanding to drive in this mid-size segment, with the 195TSI bringing a strong additional lump of torque and a throatier engine note.

Indeed, this version of the Tiguan leans into the nameplate’s best traits and solidifies its position as the driver’s option in the segment. The 150TSI R-Line in particular stood out as raucous amounts of fun for a mid-sizer for a fair price, as it could be driven significantly harder than the more powerful 195TSI.

However, this new Tiguan was also not without some disappointments. The amount of road noise in all grades was notable, and while VWs are usually known for their balanced ride quality, all Tiguan variants also featured a certain seemingly inherent firm response to sharper blemishes in the road, perhaps a cost for the otherwise superb body control.

These blemishes in driving ambiance were relatively minor in scale, but surprising to find nonetheless.

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.

Volkswagen offers the Tiguan with its usual five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty. While this is still the prevailing standard, the warranty wars are back with more manufacturers pushing into the seven-to-10-year category.

The Tiguan requires servicing once every 12 months or 15,000km, although pricing for the service packages was yet to be revealed at the time we put this review together.

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.