J5 range now comprises normal petrol, hybrid and electric powertrain options.
The hybrid J5 SHS comes in cheaper than the flagship normal combustion powered Inferno variant. Picture: Charl Bosch
The Jaecoo J5 has been an understandable runaway success since debuting as the smaller sibling of the J7 in South Africa last year.
Helped mostly by a continual reduction in its price tag, which fell to R339 900 in February for the entry-level core variant, the J5’s incredible value-for-money proposal has seen it regularly move above 300 units on a monthly basis.
Welcome SHS and BEV
Teased throughout the year before debuting at the Kyalami Festival of Motoring last month, the J5 joins not only the J7, but also sister brand Omoda in now offering a new energy variant in the shape of the self-charging hybrid under the Super Hybrid System or SHS banner.
In a another first for the brand, it becomes only the second in the greater Chery Group after iCaur to now also have a fully electric model in South Africa in the form of the J5 battery electric vehicle.
While shown at Kyalami, the official launch this week took on a different setting as it involved a two-part trip from Johannesburg to Durban via the Drakensberg and KwaZulu-Natal Midlands first in the SHS and then the BEV.
SHS
Best of both worlds?
Positioned between the combustion powered J5 Glacier and Inferno on price, the SHS differs little visually from its siblings on first glance.
Bar the special aero 18-inch alloy wheels and block letter HYBRID badge on its tailgate, the SHS is otherwise identical to the petrol-engine J5, with the same applying to the interior.
This means the retention of the 13.2-inch infotainment system, the eight-inch instrument binnacle neatly recessed into the dashboard, the steering column-mounted selector lever and ventilated wireless smartphone charging pad on the centre console.
Besides the items mentioned, standard specification includes:
- LED headlights;
- folding electric mirrors;
- rain sense wipers;
- multi-function steering wheel;
- imitation leather upholstery;
- dual-zone climate control;
- electric driver’s seat;
- six-speaker sound system;
- fixed panoramic roof;
- wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
Safety and driver assistance have also not been skipped on as standard items include:
- six airbags;
- tyre pressure monitor;
- 540-degree camera system;
- front and rear parking sensors;
- Auto High Beam Assist;
- Adaptive Cruise Control;
- Automatic emergency braking;
- Lead Vehicle Alert;
- Hill Start Sssist;
- Collision Mitigation Braking;
- Lane Keep Assist;
- Evasive Steering Assist;
- Lane Departure Warning;
- Lane Departure Prevention;
- Traffic Jam Assist
The inclusion of the hybrid system has, however, come at the cost of practicality, but not by much as boot space now varies from between 410 and 1 214-litres versus the combustion J5’s 480 and 1 284-litres.
Colours
In total, Jaecoo has made four colours available:
- Snowy White;
- Canyon Black;
- Zircon Grey;
- Alpine Green
Hybrid hardware
Pressing the starter button reveals the biggest change as the normal 1.5 T-GDI engine has been detuned, but supplemented by a 1.83-kWh battery pack powering a single electric motor.
Similar to what Omoda uses in the C5 SHS, the setup develops 165kW/295Nm which goes to the front wheels through a Dedicated Hybrid Transmission (DHT) instead of a CVT.
Unlike the normal J5, the SHS’s drive mode selector only offers two modes, Eco and Sport, which become a contentious issue throughout much of the first day’s drive.
First-time EV
At the other end of the range, the J5 BEV’s aesthetic changes are easier to spot as the grille has been omitted and the upper air intake sealed with a blacked-out panel embossed with the Jaecoo badge.
In addition, the lower air intake has been squared off as part of the redesigned bumper, the charging port moved to the rear front wing and a BEV logo on the bumper.
At the rear, the exhaust outlets have been removed and an EV badge added to the tailgate as the only other exterior changes.
Mounted on the same 18-inch wheels as the SHS, opening the J5 BEV’s door reveals a model specific black-and-white interior with blue piping and stitch work on the seats.
The sole option for the BEV, both the instrument cluster and infotainment systems from the SHS carryover, but with EV specific graphics and readouts.
What’s more, the EV’s specification list is identical to the SHS, but with the addition of an electric passenger’s seat, an eight-speaker audio system, ventilated front seats, Blind Spot Monitoring, Lane Change Assist, Door Open Alert and Rear Cross Traffic Alert.
Surprisingly, boot space is identical to the combustion J5, with the only other change from the SHS being a colour difference as Dusk Grey replaces Zircon Grey.
Silent power
As with the SHS, the BEV’s main difference is its propulsion source where the hybrid setup makes way for a 58.9-kWh battery pack powering a single electric motor on the front axle.
The result is 155kW/288Nm, which Jaecoo says translates to a range of 402km, which will require a waiting time of 28 minutes from 30-80% using a DC charger up to 130 kW.
In addition to supporting vehicle-to-load (V2L) up to 3.3kW, the absence of an engine means an additional 35-litres can be stored underneath the bonnet.
What’s more, the coated storage area is water resistant and comes with a drainage plug at its base.
Despite their powerplants not often being associated with towing, both have been cleared to tow a braked trailer up to 1 250kg.
The drive
J5 SHS
Whereas the petrol J5 impressed with its powertrain during the weeklong stay last year, the first leg of the journey in the SHS, down the N3 past Clarens and then through the Golden Gate National Park before stopping at the Royal Natal Park, only substantiated the improvements most Chinese vehicles benefit from when a hybrid system is included.
Aside from the obvious fuel consumption gains, which fell to as low as four litres per 100km, the hybrid feels smooth as the transition between the engine and the electric system is near seamless.
Given that the example driven only had 25km on its odometer, the engine responded eagerly, though only in Sport mode.
In its default Eco setting, it feels unsurprisingly more sluggish and in need of pressing the accelerator a little deeper into the carpet to get moving.
As such, the inclusion of a normal or comfort setting as on the rest of the J5 range would go some ways to provide a better balance.
Refinement and comfort still impressed, however, the efficiency-optimised wheels and possibly tyre pressure resulted in a firmer than normal ride on less well-maintained sections of the route.
Varying from badly covered pothole-laced parts to mud-covered tracks with broken pieces of tar saturated by heavy rains hours before arriving at Royal Natal, the J5 SHS felt surefooted on the muddy stuff, but as mentioned, will require care on account of its wheels.
… J5 BEV
The second leg from Royal Natal into the Midlands, initially involved the SHS before switching over to the BEV for the final section towards Durban.
Predictably, the BEV felt more responsive, though, not with the same rapid forward momentum pull ordinarily expected from a battery electric vehicle.
Switched to Comfort mode throughout much of the journey, the J5’s power delivery is more linear than spritely, which becomes what can be described as powerful instead of EV-brutal with Sport mode activated.
What’s more, the BEV’s ride quality also felt better than the SHS. However, both models’ excessively sharp brakes proved annoying as did the typical Chinese vehicle overly electric power steering feel.
Tipping the scales at a light, for an EV, 1 710kg, the J5 BEV still amassed a best 12.9-kWh/100km at one stage, despite the final leg being laced with traffic, forced to take alternative routes due to construction on the N3 and some heavy foot driving.
As such, a more realistic scenario would see a range of between 300km and 350km being possible, depending on the driving style and rate of everyday use.
Conclusion
Priced respectively at R459 900 and R549 900, the Jaecoo J5 SHS and BEV offer incredible value against not only the combustion model, but from what each has to offer from a specification standpoint as well.
Whereas Jaecoo itself has admitted that the BEV will be a niche seller, the SHS, arguably strikes the best balance considering its inherent practical gains over the Omoda C5 SHS at R20 000 less.
Price
Adding to this further is that both models are covered by a five-year/150 000km warranty, a five-year/75 000km service plan and, in the case of the SHS, the first-owner only 10-year/1 000 000km engine warranty.
Included on the BEV is an eight-year/160 000km battery warranty as well as the seven kilowatt charger and an otherwise not available spare wheel in the form of a space saver.
- J5 1.5 T-GDI Core CVT – R339 900
- J5 1.5 T-GDI Vortex CVT – R379 900
- J5 1.5 T-GDI Glacier CVT – R439 900
- J5 1.5 T-GDI Inferno CVT – R479 900
- J5 SHS – R459 900
- J5 BEV – R549 900
