When it comes to electric vehicles in South Africa, we have largely been trapped between two extremes.

On one side, you have the small, purely urban hatchbacks like the BYD Dolphin Surf and Geely E2.They are affordable and ideal for city commuting but they lack the necessary road presence South Africans adore and just lack the space that a family needs for a primary vehicle.

On the other side of the spectrum sit the larger, feature-packed C-segment crossovers like the Geely E5 or the Volvo EX30.They offer the punch and the prestige but their price tags quickly push them well north of the R700 000 mark.

Enter the Jaecoo J5 BEV, which falls slap bang in the middle of the market as the brand has announced pricing at R549 900.Chery's urban-adventure sub-brand has delivered something that quietly carves out a category entirely of its own.

The Mail&Guardian was invited to Jaecoo's head office for an exclusive sneak peek of the vehicle before its arrival in South Africa in August.The visit was more experimental to see if Jaecoo has got it right with the vehicle and the pricing.

Before getting behind the wheel, you have to admire the design.While many Chinese manufacturers have adopted rounded, "puddle-duck" aerodynamic shapes for their EVs to chase drag coefficients, Jaecoo took a bolder approach.The J5 carries an upright, boxy stance with a closed-off front grille and continuous LED lighting that gives it a clean, rugged, yet refined look.It has that mini-Range Rover appeal a proper SUV silhouette rather than a jacked-up hatchback.

I have to admit that I was not a fan of the waterfall grille present on the petrol version of the J5 and I quite like the clean and closed grille.

In true Chinese fashion, the effort put into the interior to make you comfortable is superb.A sweeping 13.2-inch vertical touchscreen anchors the cockpit, complimented by an 8.8-inch digital driver instrument panel.Soft-touch materials line the doors and dash and a sprawling panoramic glass roof floods the cabin with light.Space within the interior is ample, with generous head-and legroom for backseat passengers.

However, the model we checked out came with breathtaking white seats coupled to contrast black materials along the dash.

Officials at Omoda and Jaecoo say that the majority of the models that will be coming to South Africa will feature black seats due to practicality.

The driving and the range

I didn't have a long drive in the Jaecoo J5 BEV but the figures are quite impressive.

Power comes from a single front mounted electric motor delivering 155 kW and 288 Nm of torque.It completes the 0-100 km/h sprint in under 7.7 seconds, which is more than enough for quick highway overtakes.

From the little driving I did in it, I realised that it is quite punchy off the mark, but it's not excessive.It won't throw you back and send tingles through your tummy, but it picks up speed in a linear fashion.

The steering also felt extremely light and precise despite its solid SUV proportions.

In terms of range, the 58.9 kWh LFP battery provides a claimed WLTP range of up to 402 km.Under real-world driving conditions, that translates to a very usable 330-350 km, while DC fast charging gets you from 30% to 80% in around 28 minutes.

The party trick

We've come to love Chinese cars for their innovation and sometimes random offerings that you would not normally think about but just feels nice to have.

The J5 BEV is no different.Most EVs have a front trunk or a frunk.It's additional storage space in the bonnet where the engine and high-voltage wiring would normally sit.

The Jaecoo J5 also has a 35 litre frunk but it adds something to it.

Jaecoo fitted it with a heavy-duty, washable lining and a removable bottom drain plug.That means you can pack the frunk with ice and cold drinks for a weekend braai or beach trip and when the ice melts, simply pull the plug to drain the water directly onto the ground underneath the car.

Combine that with its 3.3 kW Vehicle-to-Load output which allows you to plug in an electric cooler bag, air pump or camping gear directly into the car and the J5 feels genuinely tailored for the South African outdoor lifestyle.

Verdict

By placing the J5 BEV right between basic city hatchbacks and costly mid-size electric crossovers, Jaecoo has found an enviable sweet spot.

At that price, it delivers the practical boot space, cabin comfort and styling of a family SUV without forcing buyers into the R700k+ bracket.

Add in local assembly plans at the Rosslyn plant in Pretoria and this boxy electric crossover might just be one of the most complete new-energy packages that we are about to see hit local shores.