J6 electric SUV gives rivals a run for their money

Jaecoo car's distinctive look is a refreshing alternative to the sea of similar-looking Category A electric SUVs

- Lee Nian Tjoe

Under the certificate of entitlement (COE) system, which categorises vehicles by their power output, car brands often put their electric vehicles (EVs) through a "power diet" to slip them into the cheaper Category A COE. After all, who would not want to save a few dollars?

Jaecoo is a brand owned by Chinese carmaker Chery. To get its J6 electric sport utility vehicle (SUV) into Category A, the front motor was ditched and the one in the rear dialled down to 99kW, dropping its output from 205kW and slashing its price by a hefty $32,000.

The car's distinctive look is a refreshing alternative to the sea of Category A electric SUVs that tend to look quite similar.

You will need a rather keen eye to differentiate the 99kW car from the full-fat one. It still looks like a brawny off-roader. The wheels may be an inch smaller - from 19 inches - but the chunky tyres still fill the wheel arches well.

Despite its compact size, the Jaecoo has plenty of road presence. At 4,406mm long, it is shorter than cars like the BYD Atto 3 and Nissan Qashqai. But its height, at 1,715mm, enables the plucky J6 to loom over such cars by a good 100mm.