Jaecoo J5 vs Kia Sorento

The Jaecoo J5 starts from $36,990 before on-road costs, while the Kia Sorento opens at $36,490. That makes the Kia Sorento the more affordable entry point by $500.

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 $40,139 respectively.

The Jaecoo J5 qualifies for FBT exemption as an electric vehicle, which can dramatically reduce the effective cost for novated lease buyers. The Kia Sorento, as a petrol model, does not qualify.

Both the Jaecoo J5 and Kia Sorento hold a 5-star ANCAP safety rating.

Where the two diverge is in active safety technology. Both models are evenly matched with 6 out of 10 key ADAS systems.

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 Kia Sorento. The Jaecoo J5 adds a 360-degree camera that the Kia Sorento misses.

Both come with modern infotainment systems. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard across both.

The Jaecoo J5 stands out with wireless charging, heated front seats, ventilated seats, power tailgate and ambient lighting that you will not find on the Kia Sorento. Which feature set matters more depends on your daily routine and priorities.

The Jaecoo J5 runs a pure electric powertrain 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 Kia Sorento lines up making 200kW and 332Nm, paired to a automatic driving the front wheels. It gets to 100km/h in 8 seconds.

The Kia Sorento has the clear power advantage at 200kW vs 155kW. In the real-world sprint, the Kia Sorento is 2.5s quicker. For most buyers, the way each car feels day-to-day matters more than outright acceleration.

The Jaecoo J5 measures 4,380mm long on a 2,620mm wheelbase, 435mm shorter than the Kia Sorento at 4,815mm (2,815mm wheelbase). The longer wheelbase on the Kia Sorento generally means more rear legroom.

Boot space is 480L in the Jaecoo J5 and 179L in the Kia Sorento, giving the Jaecoo J5 a 301L advantage. The Kia Sorento seats 7 vs 5.

For towing, the Kia Sorento leads with a 2,000kg braked capacity vs 1,500kg. That 500kg 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 (Jaecoo J5) vs 7 years (Kia Sorento). The Jaecoo J5 has longer coverage.