Jaecoo has put a petrol engined version of its J5 small SUV on sale in Australia from $25,990 drive away. The brand's own site pairs it with the electric Jaecoo J5 at $36,990 drive away, giving the young Chinese marque a two powertrain play in one of the market's most crowded segments.
The number that matters
At $25,990 on the road, the petrol J5 undercuts almost every established small SUV nameplate before the features conversation even starts. Most rivals from the legacy brands open in the low thirties once on-road costs are added, which leaves the J5 with a gap of several thousand dollars to work with.
Cartell Assessment
Sub $26,000 for a brand new, warranted SUV is the kind of number that used to buy a light hatch. Jaecoo still has to prove itself on service, resale and long term reliability, but price is how new brands get a foot in the door, and this one is a battering ram.
AU Outlook
Chery, GWM, MG and now Jaecoo are all stacking value at the cheap end of the SUV market. The old guard can either respond on price or keep ceding first car buyers to the newcomers.
