2025 JAECOO EJ-6 EV Review

In the automotive industry, retro design has been clawing its way back into relevance in recent years. Off-roaders like the Suzuki Jimny, the Jeep Wrangler, and even the Ford Bronco show that automakers, it seems, are embracing designs from the past and injecting them into their new models.

Another automaker has thrown its hat into the retro design arena, and it’s not a brand you’d expect. The brand in question is JAECOO, and though they are a fledgling among the brands we previously named, their new EJ-6 EV looks to be inspired by cars from yesteryear.

The question we’d like answered, however, is whether the EJ-6 is all looks and no performance, or does it have the character to match its retro looks. Luckily, we have the keys to take it for a spin.

Before we begin, we have to get something out of the way first. Despite the EJ-6 bearing a retro design, the way it propels itself is anything but retro. That’s because the EJ-6 is an EV, and it powers its wheels using electricity and motors. There are two variants available here in the Philippines: the rear-wheel drive Luxury and the all-wheel drive Premium. 

What we have on test is the Premium, which means it has two electric motors pushing out 275 hp and 385 Nm of torque. Energy is sourced from a 69.77 kWh Lithium iron phosphate battery (LFP) providing a claimed range of 421 km. 

How that translates to performance on the road, we’ll discuss later.

If you look at the EJ-6 in a photo, you’d be forgiven for thinking that it was a large car, but the EJ-6 measures 4,342 mm long, 1,930 mm wide, and has a wheelbase of 2,715 mm. Compared to other electrified vehicles in the market, the EJ-6 is closer in size to the MG ZS rather than the BYD Sealion 6.

The small size doesn’t detract from how the EJ-6 looks, however. Boxy, sleek, and coming with just the right touch of retro-modern looks, the EJ-6 commands attention wherever it goes. The headlights up front have this unique L-shape, complete with a pixel pattern for the DRLs. The rest of the front is bare, save for a robust black bumper that gives the car some extra muscle. At the sides, large 19-inch wheels fill out the massive wheel wells nicely, while the rear is equally as robust as the front. All in all, it gets a thumbs up from us.

Opening the rear door of the EJ-6 gives you access to the cargo bay. While we do not have exact specifications for the car’s cargo capacity, we managed to fit one balikbayan box and a carry-on luggage with the rear seats up. Folding the second row gives you more space—almost twice as much as with the rear seats in place. What we don’t like about the EJ-6’s cargo hold is the small size of the door’s opening, which greatly limits your ability to load items. Couple that with the fact that the door opens sideways instead of upwards and that the loading lip is higher than normal, and you might need to get creative if you’re planning on loading big items. As a consolation, we do like the addition of a soft-close function in the rear door.

Inside, starting at the second row, the EJ-6’s interior is a mixed bag of great features with a sprinkling of quirks. Second-row passengers are treated to their own air conditioning vents, two speakers, two tweeters, a panoramic sunroof, and plenty of headroom and legroom to lounge around. The seats themselves, while not wrapped in premium leather, are decent to the touch. Folding them down is easy, with the bases stowing upwards and the seatbacks folding flat to create a usable area. Under the seats are small storage spaces, which we like. What we don’t like is the addition of a small bump near the rear of the seats where it meets the seatbacks. While not outright uncomfortable, it makes finding a good seating position more difficult.

Up front, where all the business happens, is also a mixed bag. In terms of styling, we love it; it’s stylish, retro, and generally a nice place to sit. Everything else up front is modern—sometimes too modern, as we found out.

In the driver’s seat, you have two screens to interact with: first is the instrument cluster, a slim display showing vital driving information, and second is a massive 15.6-inch screen that serves as the infotainment system and essentially the control hub for the EJ-6. Activating the air conditioning, locking the doors, and even turning on the headlights or wipers all have to be done through the screen. Hands-free activation is possible, but you still need to use the joysticks on the wheel to navigate.

Depending on who’s experiencing it, this can be good or bad. It’s good if what you want is a unique and futuristic experience, unlike any other car on the road. However, if you’re used to traditional controls with physical knobs, buttons, or stalks, it may not jive with you. In our opinion, the EJ-6’s infotainment-centric control style may be a small inconvenience at first, but one that goes away with time and repeated use.

Back to the good stuff: the absence of physical knobs and buttons does come with a silver lining—more cubby holes, and plenty of them. Once you’re ready to set off, there’s one last quirk with the EJ-6’s drive mode selector: the infotainment system plays a distinct tune depending on which mode you choose. We’ll let you find out on your own what those tunes sound like.

When you set off in the EJ-6, it immediately reminds you that it’s an electric vehicle. Acceleration is instant, and depending on how hard you press the skinny pedal, it can shove you back into your seat.

On hills and twisty roads, the EJ-6 continues to deliver power even on steep inclines. Being an EV, the power delivery is linear and predictable—and instantaneous when you put your foot down. That said, we do have one complaint: the steering. Even in Sport mode, the EJ-6 lacks the feedback needed to inspire confidence. A bit of fine-tuning could give it the extra feel it deserves.

Interior NVH insulation is commendable. Whether you’re cruising on the highway or crawling through city traffic, the cabin remains quiet. As for the suspension, there is noticeable body roll when you push hard through corners, but that’s because the setup is tuned to be compliant and forgiving over bumps and ruts. Drive it normally, and the EJ-6 is comfortable to both ride in and steer. If the trade-off for stiffness is this level of ride comfort, we’ll take it—especially since an EV like the EJ-6 will spend most of its time in the city.

With 421 km of driving range on tap, the EJ-6 isn’t exactly a long-distance cruiser. In our time with it, the occasional out-of-town trip was no problem at all, but it’s still best to play it safe and stay within the safety net of the Metro’s charging infrastructure. Which is a shame, because with its all-wheel-drive system, the EJ-6 clearly has the hardware and the guts to be a capable outdoor toy.

At P1,799,000, the EJ-6 is not what many would consider cheap. However, even with its faults and quirks, it delivers plenty in comfort, performance, tech, and capability. To answer the question we posed early on in the article—is the EJ-6 all looks and no substance?—the simple answer is no, most definitely not. This EV crossover isn’t just eye candy thanks to its retro styling; it’s a capable vehicle in its own right.