Peter Lyon
December 23, 2024
Some cars have three different names depending on their market. Toyota’s 1990s popular minivan was called the Estima in Japan, the Previa in the US, and the Tarago in Australia, as it appealed to the various sensitivities in those respective countries.
A certain Chinese vehicle now has the same claim to fame. This tough all-electric SUV might be called the Jaecoo J6 in Malaysia, but in Indonesia it’s referred to as the Chery J6, while in its home country of China, they call it the iCar 03. This SUV is available to Indonesian consumers for IDR 489 million, or roughly RM139k. And yes, we can expect to see this model in Malaysia before too soon.
The J6 is most likely branded as a Chery in Indonesia because iCar is still only available in China and Jaecoo hasn’t yet established itself there. In Indonesia, it’s just the Chery J6 for the time being.
The J6 RWD, J6 IWD, J6 RWD Phantom Edition, and J6 IWD Phantom Edition are the four Chery models of the J6 available in Indonesia. This SUV is unquestionably sharp and stylish and was obviously heavily influenced by the Land Rover Defender. Its minimalist, rugged and boxy appearance has a distinctive front end with short vertical components and streamlined headlights.
The Indonesian-spec J6’s interior features include leather upholstery, a panoramic sunroof, and a 15.6-inch touchscreen screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
A rear-mounted electric motor with 184 horsepower and 220 Nm powers the RWD version and can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 10.5 seconds, which is not particularly quick and appears tuned to maximize range. Its 65.69 kWh battery pack is said to have a 426 km range, albeit Chery has not disclosed the testing criteria that was applied.
The more powerful dual-motor arrangement for the AWD version produces 279 horsepower and 385 Nm. This corresponds to a faster time of 6.5 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h. The AWD version has a slightly shorter range of 418 km even though it has a larger 69.77 kWh battery pack.
Although Chery has not disclosed particular charging details, the company says the J6’s battery can be charged extremely quickly—from 30% to 80% in just 30 minutes.
CARLIST THOUGHTS
The J6 is a chic-looking SUV that adds a competitive powertrain, reasonable charging performance and an affordable price to its stylish appearance. It may soon make its formal debut after being teased as the Jaecoo J6 during this year’s Malaysia Auto Show. Look out for it in the first half of 2025.
