Old-school charm meets fanciful tech in IM 5

New Chinese brand mixes warm personality ofa Jaguar with cool efficiency of a Tesla

- Christopher Tan

A review of a Chinese car must often start with an introduction, since most of the brands are new and largely unheard of. Like IM. IM Motors is a joint venture between Chinese behemoth SAIC, e-commerce giant Alibaba and high-tech industrial park developer Zhangjiang Hi-Tech. The offspring of rather strange bedfellows turns five in December.

In some markets, IM is marketed as a sister brand of MG, which SAIC owns.

The brand makes its Singapore debut with two models: the IM 5 saloon and IM 6 sport utility vehicle. The Straits Times kicks off with the former.

The IM 5 is 4,931mm long, 1,960mm wide and 1,474mm tall with a 2,950mm wheelbase and 2,180kg kerb weight. This makes it about the size and weight of a Porsche Taycan electric saloon.

In form, the car has a faint resemblance to Tesla's Model S, especially when viewed at an angle from the front.

It strikes a sturdy, confident and well-planted stance, with solid build quality exemplified by tight and even shut lines (the gaps between body panels).

The test car is a detuned variant which qualifies for Category A certificate of entitlement (COE).

With a single 109kW motor driving the rear axle, and 19-inch wheels looking a little modest for the car's body size in this day and age, the IM 5 Luxury RWD joins a growing list of premium cars in the mass-market COE category.