Jaecoo J6 Electric AWD Review: The Affable EV

What we like:

Distinct looks inside and out

Comfy and refined driving experience

What we dislike:

Too quick

Infotainment and UX needs work

The Jaecoo J6 is styled after iconic off-roaders like the Land Rover Defender and the Suzuki Jimny. Given those two cars literally have a cult following, the J6 is off to a good start.

The main difference is that the J6 is fully electric, which doesn’t tarnish its appeal one bit. In fact, if your remit was to look outdoorsy but you’d actually really only drive around Singapore, the J6 makes more sense than something powered by a fossil-fuel burning engine.

The Jimny, for instance, is within spitting distance in terms of pricing with the Cat A J6. However, while it’s great off-road, it feels like a proverbial dinosaur in every aspect when compared to the J6. It’s spartan, noisy, harsh riding and rudimentary.

The J6 is completely opposite. Its interior is plush, it rides with aplomb and there’s no questioning its pace. In fact, with 275 bhp and 385 Nm from its dual motors, the car does 0-100 km/h in 6.5 seconds. Too quick, in my opinion. The Cat A car would more than suffice.

The J6’s small steering wheel gives an impression of nimbleness. But the chassis does play along too. It’s quite enjoyable to chuck around with its upright windscreen and tiny wipers, feeling a little bit like a cartoon character. The feel-good factor is way up there, which is a huge swing factor when EVs are mostly dry in charisma.

The space inside the J6 is really good, too. The upright stance gives fantastic headroom, while you’d never complain about the legroom. The boot is hinged sideways - so it feels quite special when you want to load items, but it does mean you may have a problem in tight car parks. There’s also a little box hanging outside of the boot for you to put things that may otherwise soil the interior - like dirty boots, for example.

What’s less stellar in the J6 is the infotainment system and switchgear, the former of which is the single largest factor in determining good UX these days. The system is quick enough, but it doesn’t feel intuitive especially for the most basic of functions like climate control and adjusting your side mirrors. I suppose getting used to it as well as future software updates can easily solve this issue. 

Bottom line, the J6 is a brilliant product in the EV space, offering individuality in a comparatively inexpensive package. We’re keen to review the Cat A version as we suspect that is the sweet spot.

Photos by James Wong

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