Jaecoo is gaining steam in South Africa and is fast becoming a popular choice of SUV in our market. Heralding the entry was the J7, a mid-size SUV, and now the smaller J5 has joined the range. The only thing is, one could mistake the J5 for a J7, vice versa, on the road unless you park them next to each other. So with this in mind, what are the fundamental differences between the two vehicles? For this article, we'll exclude the J7 hybrid as we await the launch of the J5 hybrid, which was announced during the typing of this article.
Related: Jaecoo J5 Hybrid headed to SA
Jaecoo J5
The J5 follows the Land Rover-inspired design as its bigger brother, the J7. Evident from a previous joint venture with Chery-Land Rover. The design cues are rectangular and follow straight lines rather than curves, creating a sleek yet rugged design, even with the J5's more diminutive stature. Inside, the 13.2-inch infotainment display dominates the well-finished urban cabin. Powering the J5 range is a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, producing 115kW/230Nm, with power sent through a CVT to the front wheels.
Price
| Model | Pricing |
| Jaecoo J5 1.5T Vortex | from R379 900 |
| Jaecoo J5 1.5T Glacier | from R439 900 |
| Jaecoo J5 1.5T Inferno | from R479 900 |
Jaecoo J7
The boxy styling continues with the J7 and arguably looks meaner than the J5. The front end features a signature large rectangular grille, accompanied by slim LED headlights and quad fog lamps. Inside, you can see that the J7 is more outdoorsy with interior trim elements, even using faux metal studs on the door handles. The large 14.8-inch infotainment screen (and even bigger in the top-of-the-range models) also dominates the dashboard, along with other rugged touches. Propelling the J7 is a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, producing 145kW/290Nm. This power is sent to the front wheels or all four wheels in the Inferno model via a dual-clutch transmission.
Price
| Model | Pricing |
| Jaecoo J7 1.6T Vortex | from R519 900 |
| Jaecoo J7 1.6T Glacier | from R579 900 |
| Jaecoo J7 1.6T AWD Inferno | from R679 900 |
What are the differences?
Size
The two vehicles are different in size, but not by much, interestingly. The J5's dimensions are 4380mm in length, 1860mm in width, and 1650mm in height, with a ground clearance of 174mm. The J7's dimensions are 4,500 mm in length, 1,865 mm in width, and 1,680 mm in height, with a ground clearance of 200mm for the ICE models. The increased ground clearance for the J7 is welcome, as it can handle soft off-roading. The boot areas are also different, with 480 litres for the J5 and 584 litres for the J7.
Powertrains
The powertrains above are different. The J5 range features a smaller 1.5-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder petrol engine and utilises a CVT transmission, whereas the J7 employs a larger 1.6-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder petrol engine with a dual-clutch transmission. Additionally, the J7 can be equipped with all-wheel drive, whereas the J5 is limited to front-wheel drive only.
Driving capabilities
The J5 is more suitable for on-road urban usage, while the J7 is capable of some soft off-roading, and this capability is enhanced with the All Wheel Drive model.
*The pricing stated here was correct at the time of publishing and is subject to change without notice.
