New Jaecoo J5 SUV teased in official sketch for the first time

There’s a new Chinese brand coming to take on the likes of Range Rover, Audi and Mercedes, and it's called Jaecoo. The manufacturer has already revealed the J7 SUV, and soon it’ll take the covers off the smaller J5. 

Despite Jaecoo specifically marking out Range Rover as a rival, the J5 should significantly undercut the similarly-sized Evoque on price, with an expected starting tag of around £30,000.

Our first glimpse of the newcomer comes courtesy of this initial design sketch posted by Jaecoo on its social media. Unlike the rather boxy J7 and the retro-inspired J6 (which hasn’t been confirmed for the UK), the J5 adopts a sleeker profile that should help it stand out in the small SUV sector. The back end looks like it sports a full-width LED light bar, an overhanging rear spoiler and a faux diffuser, while aggressive-looking wheel haunches are also on display here. 

The J7’s dimensions are similar to those of the Audi Q3 and BMW X1, while the J5 is likely to go up against the Volvo EX30 and Smart #1 in the all-electric crossover market. Jaecoo has previously said it wouldn’t commit entirely to a single powertrain – “based on what the customer really wants”, according to the company's UK executive vice president Victor Zhang.

We expect a plug-in hybrid version of the J5 to be offered, although it’s not known whether this will be the same set-up that the J7 uses, with a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder, turbocharged petrol engine and two electric motors combining to give 197bhp and 290Nm of torque. The all-electric J5 is likely to come with the same 61kWh battery as the E5 - from Jaecoo's sister brand Omoda, and should offer a potential range of around 250 miles.

Now check out our list of the best electric SUVs you can buy now...