Lifestyle SUVs are that great duality of fun and versatility. Fun can involve driving dynamics, quirky styling and features that pique curiosity. Versatiliy-wise, naturally, you can expect to use the vehicle in many instances. This is where the Jaecoo J6 comes in, a full EV lifestyle SUV set to launch in South Africa soon. In China, this vehicle falls under the iCar sub-brand as the iCar03. We witnessed the local unveiling at the Festival of Motoring and now had a chance to sample the vehicle at our latest adventure in China at Chery Group's home in Wuhu. We found a few things you'll like about the J6 since we managed to sample the vehicle.
Related: The fully electric Jaecoo J6 is coming to South Africa
1. Full EV Powertrains
The J6 is a BEV, a Battery Electric Vehicle, and in China at least, you have two powertrains to choose from. The first is a single motor on the rear axle that produces 135kW and 220Nm on the rear wheels. The second is an all-wheel drive powertrain with a motor on the front axle and another on the rear—total power output here is 205kW and 850Nm. We don't yet have confirmation of official figures for South Africa, but this is what we've unearthed so far. When we look at what's on offer in China, the maximum range is 501km WLTP, and the battery capacity ranges from 50.6 to 69.8 kWh.
2. How does it drive on the rough stuff?
We sampled the all-wheel drive version J6 at a RallyCross track in Wuhu. It had just rained, so the track surface was rather muddy to the point where getting stuck was possible. EVs generally tend to be heavy vehicles because of the battery packs, and we'd say the J6 is no exception; despite this, though, the J6, in our short stint, handles its weight decently enough. Throttle modulation is relatively easy in the J6, but there's a mild propensity to powerslide as all-wheel drive control has a rear bias. It's fun and predictable enough in this setting, but it's also worth mentioning that our vehicle was on road tyres.
3. Can you compare Jaecoo J6 to a Suzuki Jimny?
We'd see why one would compare a Jaecoo J6 and a Suzuki Jimny. They're both boxy offroaders who are very capable off the beaten path, but in this scribe's view, it's comparing apples and oranges. The Jimny is more of an offroad enthusiast vehicle that errs more on the analogue side with conservative luxuries in comparison. In contrast, the J6 is more digital and luxurious in that respect. However, doing a side-by-side comparison when the J6 launches in South Africa would be interesting. Let us know if you'd like to see that.
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