The rugged looks of a Suzuki Jimny, fused with the ease and sumptuous power of two electric motors, as well as the space and lovely interior of a premium SUV.
Chery's latest model for international markets, the Jaecoo J6, has officially landed in Singapore, and just from first impressions, it's nothing like the Jaecoo J7 or OMODA E5 that have preceded it so far.
Standing 1,715mm tall, 1,910mm wide and stretching out to 4,406mm in length, the J6's size should make it easy enough to drive on our roads (as well as to slip into even older carparks).
But don't mistake its manageable size for a lack of presence, for its boxy shape promises to turn heads while you're on the road. Should passers-by take a closer look, they'll even notice a visual idiosyncrasy specific to it: 'i' motifs dotted all over, including on its head and tail lamps, on its nose and tailgate-mounted storage box, and even on the inside.
Furthermore, despite it not being the largest SUV on our roads today, the J6's 2,715mm wheelbase and flat roofline should mean plenty of space for rear occupants. It's worth noting too that Chery - in its official words - is trying to position Jaecoo as a "premium automotive brand", and the J6's cabin should speak to this with its calming design and use of soft-touch materials. Over the Motor Show weekend, the display unit at Suntec City Convention Centre even sported olive-black dual-tone upholstery, with contrasting copper stitching and accents.
Like the J7, expect a good dose of digitalisation on the J6. A 9.2-inch digital instrument cluster faces the driver, and is complemented by a 15.6-inch infotainment touchscreen, both of which are powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 chip.
Equipment levels are generous as well, including a full-length panoramic sunroof, a wireless phone charging tray up front, and an eight-speaker Infinity-branded sound system. While front ventilated seats are becoming more common on modern cars, the J6 also one-ups the competition by offering ventilation on the rear seats too.
As mentioned earlier, the J6 is hitting our shores solely in a dual-motor all-wheel drive setup at launch that gives it a peak output of 205kW and 385Nm of torque. Jaecoo states that this enables it to zip from 0 to 100km/h in just 6.5 seconds.
But true to its looks, sheer power isn't the only thing that the J6 promises behind the wheel. Instead, this all-wheel drive variant offers nine different driving modes. Beyond the standard range of 'Eco', 'Standard' and 'Sport' ones, the car could probably handle wet weather and some off-roading a fair bit better than your average high-riding crossover, thanks to additional drives modes such as 'All-Road', 'Slippery Mode' and even a 'Bumpy Mode'.
Powered by a 69.77kWh battery, the all-wheel drive J6 is capable of a combined WLTP-rated range of 342km, and a city-only WLTP-rated range of up to 470km. Those intending to take the J6 fully into the wild will also delight in the fact that it comes with Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) functionality with an output of up to 3.3kW, essentially making it a power bank on wheels.
Drivers can look forward to being thoroughly assisted by the car's electronic nannies too, thanks to a full suite of advanced driving assistance systems, including Blind Spot Detection, Adaptive Cruise Control, and a Rear Cross Traffic Alert.
The Jaecoo J6 is now available for order in Singapore, with prices over the Motor Show last weekend starting from $191,888 including COE.
| Car model | Price as of press time (including COE) |
| Jaecoo J6 Electric AWD 69.77 kWh (A) | $191,888 |
