Jaecoo J5 vs Hyundai Kona Electric

The Jaecoo J5 starts from $36,990 before on-road costs, while the Hyundai Kona Electric opens at $40,500. That makes the Jaecoo J5 the more affordable entry point by $3,510.

Once you factor in stamp duty, registration, CTP insurance, and dealer delivery, expect to add roughly 8-12% on top of the RRP depending on your state. That puts estimated driveaway prices in the ballpark of $40,689 and $44,550 respectively.

Both models qualify for Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) exemption, which is a significant advantage for salary-sacrificed novated leases. Depending on your tax bracket, this can save $5,000-$15,000+ per year compared to an equivalent ICE vehicle.

Both the Jaecoo J5 and Hyundai Kona Electric hold a 5-star ANCAP safety rating.

Where the two diverge is in active safety technology. The Jaecoo J5 packs more ADAS features with 6 out of 10 key systems fitted, compared to 5 in the Hyundai Kona Electric.

Both include the essentials: autonomous emergency braking, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, a reversing camera. Airbag count is 7 in the Jaecoo J5 and 7 in the Hyundai Kona Electric. The Jaecoo J5 adds a 360-degree camera that the Hyundai Kona Electric misses.

The Jaecoo J5 features a 13.2-inch touchscreen, while the Hyundai Kona Electric gets a 12.3-inch display. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard across both.

The Jaecoo J5 stands out with ventilated seats, power tailgate and ambient lighting that you will not find on the Hyundai Kona Electric. Which feature set matters more depends on your daily routine and priorities.

The Jaecoo J5 uses a Electric producing 155kW and 288Nm of torque, sent through a automatic to a FWD layout. It covers the 0-100km/h sprint in 10.5 seconds.

The Hyundai Kona Electric responds with a Electric making 99kW and 255Nm, paired to a automatic driving the front wheels. It gets to 100km/h in 9.9 seconds.

The Jaecoo J5 has the clear power advantage at 155kW vs 99kW. In the real-world sprint, the Hyundai Kona Electric is 0.6s quicker. For most buyers, the way each car feels day-to-day matters more than outright acceleration.

Battery: 58.9kWh (Jaecoo J5) vs 48.4kWh (Hyundai Kona Electric), giving WLTP ranges of 402km and 395km. DC fast charging peaks at 130kW (Jaecoo J5) vs 75kW (Hyundai Kona Electric).

The Jaecoo J5 measures 4,380mm long on a 2,620mm wheelbase, 30mm longer than the Hyundai Kona Electric at 4,350mm (2,660mm wheelbase). The longer wheelbase on the Hyundai Kona Electric generally means more rear legroom.

Boot space is 480L in the Jaecoo J5 and 361L in the Hyundai Kona Electric, giving the Jaecoo J5 a 119L advantage.

For towing, the Jaecoo J5 leads with a 1,500kg braked capacity vs 1,300kg. That 200kg difference matters if you regularly hitch up.

Running cost data is not yet available for both models. We will update when figures are confirmed.

Warranty: 8 years / 999,999km (Jaecoo J5) vs 5 years / 999,999km (Hyundai Kona Electric). The Jaecoo J5 has longer coverage.