MANILA: If the Jaecoo J7 is not the right fit for you, the Chery-owned luxury sub-brand is offering the smaller Jaecoo J5, which is currently undergoing final road tests in China.
Set to make its global debut at the Omoda & Jaecoo International User Summit in October, the latest sightings of the J5 prototype in camouflage revealed an elegant exterior contour, inheriting what the brand marketers say is "Jaecoo's consistent toughness and sense of power – a perfect interpretation of the brand's hard-core, square off-road style."
The model adopts a modern, simple and compact design and first impressions is one of a downsized J7 but with a sleeker profile that should help it draw attention from those thinking of getting the more expensive Range Rover Evoque.
In terms of powertrain, the J5 is likely to offered two versions - a plug-in hybrid and a fully electric one.
The hybrid may adopt the J7 configuration that features 1.6-litre, 4-pot, turbocharged petrol engine and two electric motors that delivers a total output of 194hp and 290Nm of torque.
As for the electric version, it is likely to share parts with the Omoda E5 to optimise production efficiency. That means using the same 61kWh battery for a range of around 400km.
As a fledgling luxury brand under Chery Automobile, Jaecoo's future is looking bright as it plans to introduce further models such as the J6, J8 and J9.
The J7 is already on sale in Malaysia.
