JAECOO E5 LOOKS ODDLY FAMILIAR... BUT SOON REVEALS ITS OWN CHARACTER

No, you haven't missed the launch of a tiny Range Rover. This is the Jaecoo E5, little brother to the extremely popular Jaecoo 7 SUV that launched in January and was the UK's fourth bestselling car last month.

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If the 7 is the Chinese version of a Range Rover Velar, think of the 5 as a budget Evoque: smaller, cheaper, and cuter. We're driving the electric version, but there's a petrol-powered option if plugging in isn't for you.

WHAT'S NEW?

Aside from some underpinnings, which are shared with the Omoda 5 and E5, pretty much everything is new. There are similarities to the 7, most notably that blunt styling.

The interior gets a similar look and feel too, copying the 7's gigantic portrait touch screen in the centre of the dash. The E5 is Jaecoo's first fully-electric car, with the 7 available as a petrol or plugin hybrid.

UNDER THE BONNET?

A 204bhp electric motor paired with a 61kWh battery, giving a claimed range of 248 miles - pretty similar to most rivals. It feels sprightly - 0-60mph in 7.7 seconds, quicker than a Ford Puma Gene or a Vauxhall Mokka-e. Less fast are charging speeds, maxing out at 80kW peak rate on a rapid charge. That's slower than the Ford and Vauxhall, while a Skoda Elroq can manage nearly twice that. Helpfully though, it will accept 11kW from a slow AC charger.