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By Charl Bosch

Motoring Journalist


South African-bound new Jaecoo J5 officially shows itself

Junior sibling of the J7 will, for now, be motivated solely by a conventional petrol engine based on reports.


Teased for the first time at the beginning of October, Jaecoo has removed the wraps from its fourth model, the J5, at its annual user summit conference in Wuhu hosted by parent company, Chery.

Fitting in

Approved for South Africa from 2025 at Jaecoo’s exhibition at the Kyalami Festival of Motoring in August, the junior sibling of the all-electric J6 and J7 will become the new entry-level Jaecoo model with a speculated price tag around that of sister brand Omoda’s C5.

ALSO READ: Jaecoo’s new junior J5 emerges in fresh teasers without disguise

As a reference, pricing for the J7 ranges from R549 900 to R679 900, while the C5 starts at R359 900 and ends at R589 990.

New junior Jaecoo

Although similar in appearance to the J7, the single image, obtained by Malaysia’s paultan.org, shows a much more compact design and shorter rear overhang.

Along with a U-shaped lower air intake absent on the J7, the J5 loses the plastic wheel arch cladding and gains wraparound taillights more reminiscent of the Range Rover Velar than the J7 when viewed in side profile. Also gone are the pop-out door handles replaced by conventional pulls.

According to autoindustriya.com who attended the event, the J5 will be equipped with a panoramic sunroof, the 13.2-inch infotainment system from the J7 and a new anti-bacterial filtration system for the air-conditioning aimed at creating a cleaner environment for transporting one’s pet inside.

A main theme at the event, the J5 also sported a pet feeding device as well as a step designed to provide easier pet entry.

Mechanical

On the power front, the J5 will initially be powered by the same 1.6 T-GDI engine as the J7 with outputs of 145kW/290Nm. Drive will be directed to the front or all four wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Able to tow a reported 1 250 kg, the J5 will feature a drive mode selector with the same Snow, Mud, Sand and Off-Road settings for all-paw gripping models, plus a roof rack capable of transporting items weighing up to 75 kg.

More details later

Only set to go on-sale in other markets in 2025, expect more details of the South Africa-bound J5 to be revealed once into the new year.

NOW READ: Electric, off-road ready Jaecoo J6 unboxed at Festival of Motoring

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