Introduction to the 2025 Jaecoo E5
Jaecoo's arrival in Ireland is still not confirmed as yet, but its European product offensive continues, nonetheless. Next up the ramp is a more diminutive version of the company's existing 7 SUV, sharing technology and powertrains with the related Omoda 5. Here we have the Jaecoo 5 and E5, a value-oriented B-segment crossover designed to take on the likes of the Nissan Juke, Peugeot 2008 et al, but which is designed to be larger and more appealing than its traditional rivals. We headed over to the south of the UK to try it out, both in its E5 electric and Jaecoo 5 petrol formats.
Pros & cons of the 2025 Jaecoo E5
Pros: smooth ride, quiet cabin, spacious and practical, could be immense value
Cons: average range, some iffy cabin plastics, not for sale in Ireland
Exterior & design of the 2025 Jaecoo E5
• Looks like a shrunken Jaecoo 7
• Styling has some appeal
• Electric model has different front-end design
Although we're loath to compare the Jaecoo 5 and E5 to other, bigger cars from different classes, there's no getting around the fact that it is quite simply a Jaecoo 7 with some of the metal snipped out of its midriff. If you're aware of the social media phrase of 'Temu Range Rover' - which owners of the Jaecoo 7 use with pride by the way - then this is surely the 'Temu Range Rover S' - the latter honorific standing for small.
That said, it's not an ugly thing, if you can put up with the obvious Range Rover Evoque and Velar styling influences on its form. All models of the Jaecoo 5 family, irrespective of their propulsion system, sit on 18-inch wheels and they look pretty good: the proportions are good, there are clean lines on the flanks and they bear a pleasing sort of cuboid ruggedness that suits the Jaecoo corporate ethos, even if it isn't actually delivered upon with any four-wheel-drive ability from the powertrain and chassis.
When it comes to aesthetic differences between the Jaecoo E5 and its petrol-powered relation, there are few - but the most noticeable is at the front, where the EV has a smoothed-off nose for better aerodynamics, necessitating larger 'Jaecoo' script that's spaced out in a strip between its headlights.
Aside from that, they're almost identical. On the E5, there's a charging port flap on the front-offside wing, whereas the fuel-tank filler on the petrol car is in a nearside-rear position, and the electric Jaecoo also has an 'EV' badge on the boot on the right-hand side.
It doesn't, however, change the emblem on the left of the tailgate, which still says 'Jaecoo 5' - and there are also no visible tailpipes on any model, so it's really that front end which determines which version you're looking at.
The Jaecoo E5's dimensions are:
Length: 4,380mm
Width: 1,865mm
Height: 1,650mm
Wheelbase: 2,630mm
These numbers make the Jaecoo 5 and E5 about 120mm shorter than a Jaecoo 7, as well as 30mm lower - but it's the same width. In terms of its rivals, the Jaecoo 5 is exactly the same length as a SEAT Ateca and 40mm shorter than a Nissan Qashqai, while it's a centimetre longer than a Range Rover Evoque and 30mm bigger than a Hyundai Kona, for reference.
And if you're looking at that list of alternatives and thinking they're all (with the exception of the Hyundai) from the supposed class above the Jaecoo E5, you'd be right - so, dimensionally, the Chinese crossover gives you an idea of the value offering.
Interior, practicality, tech & comfort of the 2025 Jaecoo E5
• Large 13.2-inch portrait touchscreen
• Spacious and generally pleasant
• Some plastics leave a lot to be desired
There is no real difference to the interior of the Jaecoo 5 whether you go for the petrol or the electric versions. The E5's cabin is centred on a 13.2-inch touchscreen running a Snapdragon processor, accompanied by an 8.8-inch instrument cluster to give a properly modern, fully digital interface.
And, in the main, this works well. It can be a little frustrating trying to get to the climate controls if you're using the wireless Android Auto or Apple CarPlay functionality, and we wish there was a little more physical switchgear, but at least the trip computer in the Jaecoo E5's instrument cluster is a proper, resettable one that shows you various information you might actually want.
Perhaps the E5's biggest strength is its space. For a supposedly small crossover, a 480-litre boot is something of a whopper, while a completely flat floor in the back of the electric model means there's the possibility of five adults travelling in the Jaecoo for short journeys, as long as they're not all six-foot-seven tall.
However, four people should be very comfortable onboard, and the quality of the seats is also to be commended, because they're nice and supportive in any specification of the car - even if the obviously fake leather upholstery that clothes them isn't the most convincing effort at synthetic hide.
As you would expect from a value-oriented product from an up-and-coming Chinese manufacturer, if there's any area the E5 is going to fall down then it's on material finishing. In the main, it's not too bad inside, although the column stalks - including the one for the gear shifter - are fairly flimsy.
But some of the upper surfaces are quite nice, which means you have to go searching high and low for the really cheap plastics within. However, they are there, and nowhere is this more evident than with the interior mirror on the base-spec model: it is appallingly light and nasty when you reach up to adjust it.
Luckily, the higher-grade Luxury car as we tested gets a more substantial mirror, and anyway even the cheap-o version in the entry-point Pure is hardly what you'd call a dealbreaker. Overall, then, the Jaecoo's cabin can be considered a success.
Performance of the 2025 Jaecoo E5
• E5 is the more powerful model
• Rides very nicely, keeps things quiet
• Handling is OK
The petrol-powered Jaecoo 5 uses the same turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol engine, with 147hp, that has been deployed in a number of Chery, Omoda and, of course, other Jaecoo products. And it's fine enough if nothing special.
Which is why the Jaecoo E5 is the better bet. Its 204hp is pretty decent for a compact EV like this, even if 288Nm of torque is nothing to write home about, but the relatively small battery keeps the weight down, so the performance is punchy enough - something hinted at by the 7.7-second 0-100km/h time.
It also has nicely judged accelerator and brake calibration, so in terms of the way you regulate the E5's speed then everything is rosy.
What's better about it is how much nicer it feels for ride and rolling refinement than almost any other Chinese machine we've sampled before.
Every vehicle we've tried from any of the three companies under the Chery umbrella, and this is particularly true of the plug-in hybrids, has never quite had the sort of controlled, cushioned ride quality of more established European and Japanese opposition.
This was true of the bigger Jaecoo 7 at launch, and also that car's related Chery Tiggo 7 we tried only a few weeks back, but it would seem the Chinese firm has already sorted it for the smaller E5.
This thing has lovely, sumptuous damper control and, with the double-glazed front windows, it's really hushed and dignified at all road speeds too.
Brilliantly, it doesn't sacrifice all body control to get this sort of proper rolling refinement, because while there is some lean from the Jaecoo's shell if you corner a bit too fast in it - and its somewhat light steering is merely fine, rather than remarkable, so it's not some sort of road-holding genius in a Range-Rover-like disguise that encourages you to drive particularly quickly - the E5 never feels roly-poly and hideously softly sprung.
It simply delivers a nicely polished, highly amenable driving experience that's easily the match of what you'd get from any more mainstream manufacturer in this same market segment.
Range, battery & charging of the 2025 Jaecoo E5
• Up to 400km possible from one charge
• 61.1kWh battery not the largest
• 80kW peak DC charging rate lags behind
The Jaecoo E5 is in about the same ballpark as all the Stellantis EVs with the 54kWh battery pack - so things like the Jeep Avenger Electric, the Peugeot E-2008, the Opel Mokka Electric and so on.
The E5 has a 61.1kWh CATL 'blade' unit (with about 60kWh of that usable), which is a little larger in capacity than those rivals mentioned above, but which still delivers a similar official driving range of 400km.
That's in the mix with other electric crossovers and SUVs in the B-segment, then, and it's fine for a budget vehicle, but it'll be on the shorter side of things for anyone looking to use this as an all-year-round, all-possible-journeys family machine.
Perhaps the bigger drawback is the 80kW DC charging rate, which isn't very fast at all by modern standards. This is reflected in the company's quoted 27-minute 'to 80 per cent' charging time, but that's not from a 10 per cent starting point, which'd make less than half-an-hour competitive; instead, it's from 30 per cent.
At least 11kW AC charging does speed things up on three-phase kerbside chargers, as it will take eight hours to go from discharged to completely charged. Even on a more typical 7kW domestic wallbox, the Jaecoo E5 should deliver a full charge in less than ten hours.
Running costs of the 2025 Jaecoo E5
• EV would be the obvious choice in Ireland
• Subject to most affordable taxes
• No hybrid model in this range
As it emits 159g/km of CO2, the petrol Jaecoo 5 is not the most sensible option under our tax laws, which is why it's the E5 we've focused the review on here - and it's the one we most want to see in Ireland.
The Chery group has a lot of plug-in hybrid vehicles, powered by what it typically calls its 'Super Hybrid System' (SHS). There's no word as yet whether the Jaecoo 5 would get the SHS in some form, but as it already holds the distinction of being the first fully electric Jaecoo to be sold in Europe then perhaps partial electrification for a third derivative is simply not necessary.
Irish pricing & rivals of the 2025 Jaecoo E5
• Not confirmed for Ireland
• Would be as big as a Qashqai for Juke prices
• Plenty of standard kit
The big problem with the Jaecoo E5, or indeed any model from this manufacturer, is that the company still hasn't committed to selling its cars in Ireland. You're therefore either in for an anxious wait, if you really want a Jaecoo 5 of some sort, or you're reduced to importing one from the UK - where they are on sale.
What makes the E5 so tempting, though, is that it drives in an accomplished fashion, but it won't - or, at least, it shouldn't - break the bank to get behind the wheel of one. The simplest way of putting it is that the E5 is about as big, nice to drive and as well-equipped as a Nissan Qashqai, but you typically pay Nissan Juke prices for it.
If that can be maintained if cars come to our shores, then great stuff. Similarly, we could expect lots of kit as standard, too.
Jaecoo only sells the 5 and E5 in two trims, called Pure and Luxury, and even the former of these comes with 18-inch alloys, adaptive cruise control, a 540-degree camera system (it has a 'through-bonnet' view, in essence), climate control, keyless entry and go, and the twin digital screens with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard.
A Luxury, meanwhile, loads in the 'leather' upholstery, a panoramic glass roof, dual-zone climate control, a powered tailgate, acoustic front glass, heating elements for all of the steering wheel and the electrically adjustable front seats (with ventilation of the front seats too), an eight-speaker Sony audio system and 50-watt cooled wireless smartphone charging pads.
Verdict - should you buy the 2025 Jaecoo E5?
As ever when it's a car that's not officially on sale here, we have to conclude more along the lines of 'would you, if the E5 ever comes here?'. And on that score, we'd highly recommend it.
This company seems to have quickly sorted its dynamic act out and, while the E5 is by no means faultless in all kinematic disciplines, nor are its interior finishing and exterior design completely beyond reproach, this is easily the most convincing, rounded and likeable product we've sampled from any of Chery's triumvirate of companies so far.
As the E5, it makes the most sense of all, and so if the prices and eventual specs are competitive when Jaecoo finally makes its debut here, this Chinese firm could have a winning concoction on its hands.
FAQs about the Jaecoo E5
Is the Jaecoo E5 available with all-wheel drive?
No; the electric version of this crossover only comes with front-wheel drive. Although Jaecoo is positioning itself as a manufacturer of rugged machines, so far none of its vehicles have really had the chops to worry a Land Rover (or similar) from an off-roading-potential point of view.
How safe is the Jaecoo E5?
It is fitted with a good spread of advanced driver assistance systems as standard, while it also has a five-star rating from the bigger (and similar) Jaecoo 7 to live up to. However, the company's representatives were keen to stress that the Jaecoo 5/E5 does not, as yet, have an official Euro NCAP rating - they are expecting it will pick up full marks when it is eventually tested, but it is not confirmed at the time of writing.
What do you call the grille on the petrol-powered Jaecoo 5?
The signature grille of any Jaecoo, complete with distinctive vertical slats, is known as the 'waterfall' grille. The E5, being electric-powered, doesn't need as much cooling, however, and therefore has a smoother, more closed-off face than its relation.
Want to know more about the Jaecoo E5?
Is there anything else you'd like to know about the Jaecoo E5? Or anything you feel we haven't covered here? Then just head over to our Ask Us Anything section and, well, ask us anything.
