First look: Jaecoo J5 EV lands in Malaysia with 211 PS, 58.9 kWh CATL battery and 402 km range

KUALA LUMPUR: Omoda Jaecoo Malaysia has picked an unusual venue for the first public showing of the Jaecoo J5 EV. Instead of typical auto venues, the brand's first fully electric vehicle is on display at the Oh My Meow! Expo 2026, a cat-focused exhibition running from 9 to 12 July at Level 3, Mid Valley Exhibition Centre (MVEC) in Mid Valley Megamall.

It sounds random until you remember the petrol J5 was marketed heavily on its pet-friendly cabin when it launched here in March. The EV carries that same positioning, so parking it next to a few thousand cat owners is at least on brand.

Also Read: How OMODA built a clubhouse for its owners: inside GEN-O Malaysia

Omoda Jaecoo says it is the first car brand in Malaysia to team up with a cat exhibition.To be clear, this is a preview, not a launch. No Malaysian price has been announced yet, and the display unit is meant to give the public an early look before the official introduction.

How do you tell it apart from the petrol J5?

With some difficulty. The J5 EV is largely identical to the petrol version on the outside, with the giveaways limited to a redesigned front bumper, since there is no engine to feed air to, and a new set of wheels.

Inside, the seats get blue piping as a subtle nod to the electric powertrain. If you were hoping for a dramatic EV makeover, this is not it, but for buyers who already like how the J5 looks, that is probably no bad thing.

What is powering it

The J5 EV uses a single front-mounted electric motor producing 155 kW (around 211 PS) and 288 Nm of torque. That is a decent step up from the petrol J5's 147 PS and 210 Nm, and being an EV, all of it arrives instantly.

The battery is a 58.9 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) pack from CATL, good for a claimed 402 km of range on the WLTP cycle. For most Malaysian buyers doing daily commutes, that is more than a workable number, though you will still want to plan charging stops for longer highway trips.

Interestingly, Malaysia is not getting the same battery as our ASEAN neighbours. Our 58.9 kWh pack is the same unit fitted to J5 EVs sold in Europe and Australia, and it is noticeably bigger than the 50.6 kWh battery Thailand gets.

Indonesia goes its own way entirely with a locally assembled 60.9 kWh Gotion pack, so the Malaysian car sits just below that on capacity but shares its hardware with the export markets instead.

Charging is respectable for the class. The battery accepts up to 130 kW of DC fast charging, which covers the 30 to 80 percent top-up in 28 minutes, while AC charging maxes out at 11 kW, so a full overnight charge on a home wallbox is easily done.

There is also vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality, which lets you run external appliances off the car's battery. Useful for camping, or realistically, powering a kettle at a picnic.

Tech and safety

The J5 EV gets a Level 2+ ADAS suite with 19 driver assistance features, plus a 540-degree HD surround view camera system that includes a see-through view of what is under the car. The main screen is the same 13.2-inch 2K portrait display found in the petrol J5.

One less common feature is the active grille shutter, which opens and closes automatically to manage airflow and squeeze out a bit more efficiency at speed.

Cabin and practicality

The cabin gets a 1.45 square metre panoramic glass roof, double-glazed front side windows for noise insulation, and dual-zone climate control.

Underneath, the J5 EV keeps the same basic suspension layout as the petrol car, with MacPherson struts up front and a multi-link setup at the rear, the latter still a rarity in this segment where torsion beams are the norm.

The dampers are passive, but they have been retuned to deal with the battery pack's weight penalty, which adds a hefty 275 kg to the kerb weight over the petrol J5.

Ride height is unchanged at 175 mm, which is on the low side for an SUV but should help with stability given the extra mass it is carrying.

Storage is where the J5 EV makes its strongest case. There is a 35-litre frunk under the bonnet, a 480-litre boot, and 35 storage spaces scattered around the cabin. For young families, or anyone hauling a cat carrier plus a weekend's worth of gear, the packaging looks genuinely useful.

What Omoda Jaecoo Malaysia says

Head of Omoda Jaecoo Malaysia, Mr Chris Tan, said, "The JAECOO J5 EV marks an important milestone as OMODA | JAECOO Malaysia's first fully electric vehicle, reflecting our commitment to expanding our electrified product portfolio while meeting the evolving needs of Malaysian consumers. It's first public appearance at Oh My Meow! Expo 2026 allows us to introduce the J5 EV in a unique lifestyle setting that perfectly complements its pet-friendly design, intelligent technologies, and everyday practicality ahead of its official launch."

"As we continue expanding our product portfolio, the JAECOO J5 EV demonstrates our vision of delivering smarter, more sustainable mobility solutions without compromising on comfort, versatility and the adventurous spirit that defines the JAECOO brand."

How much will it cost in Malaysia?

That is the big unanswered question. The petrol J5 is priced at RM108,000, so expect the EV to land somewhere near that when it goes on sale in Malaysia.

Its natural rivals will be the BYD Atto 3, Chery Omoda E5 and MG S5 EV, all of which sit in the RM100,000 to RM125,000 bracket. If Omoda Jaecoo Malaysia can keep the J5 EV close to that range, it will have a fighter on its hands.

If you want an early look before the launch, the J5 EV is at the Omoda Jaecoo booth at Oh My Meow! Expo 2026 until 12 July. There are pet-friendly activities on site too, so you can bring the cat. It would probably approve of the boot space.

Also Read: Jaecoo J5 launched in Malaysia, 1.5T B-segment SUV with ADAS and 13.2-inch screen from RM108,000