Jaecoo J5 Joins Australia's Cheapest SUVs: How to Make a Base-Model Cabin Feel Premium
CarMoods TeamChery's sister brand Omoda Jaecoo has quietly done something interesting. After launching the Jaecoo J5 in Australia in electric form back in January, the brand added petrol-powered variants in June — and in doing so put the J5 among the cheapest SUVs you can buy new in this country, alongside the MG ZS, Chery's own Tiggo 4 and the GWM Haval Jolion. If you've just picked one up, our Chery and Jaecoo accessories collection is a good place to start personalising it.
The petrol J5 arrives in two trims, Track and Summit, running a 1.5-litre turbo four through a CVT. It's a small five-seat SUV with an eight-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty and a 13.2-inch touchscreen even at the entry grade. A hybrid version is still to come.
What that pricing really signals is a shift in what Australians expect from a budget car. The safety kit and screens have caught up. What still separates a base trim from a top one is texture — cloth instead of leatherette, no ambient lighting, a plainer steering wheel, fewer charging points. And that gap is exactly where a well-chosen accessory does more work per dollar than anything else you'll buy for your car.
Jump to: Start with the touchpoints · Tidy beats new · The small details · Where to start · FAQ
Start with what your hands actually touch
Perceived quality in a car cabin is mostly tactile. You judge an interior through your palms, your back and your shoulders — not through the spec sheet.
The steering wheel is the single biggest one. Entry-grade wheels tend to be moulded urethane with a slightly hollow, plasticky feel that shows up worst on cold winter mornings. A suede or perforated leather cover changes the character of the car instantly, and it's the cheapest genuine upgrade in the whole cabin. Our steering wheel covers range includes brand-fitted options sized for Chery and Jaecoo wheels.
Chery Suede Leather Steering Wheel Cover
The second touchpoint is the headrest. Small SUVs like the J5 have upright seating and firm headrests designed to a price, which is fine around town and less fine after two hours on the Hume. A memory-foam headrest cushion fills the gap behind your neck so your shoulders stop doing the holding.
Premium Neck Pillow Headrest for Chery Omoda Jaecoo
A tidy cabin reads as an expensive cabin
This is the part most owners underestimate. Clutter is the fastest way to make any interior — premium or budget — feel cheap. Order does the opposite, and it costs almost nothing.
The J5's 384-litre boot is competitive for a small SUV, but small boots punish loose items. A structured boot organiser keeps shopping upright and stops the weekly rattle that makes a car feel older than it is.
Chery Jaecoo J7 J8 Trunk Organizer Box
Inside the cabin, two things solve most of the mess: somewhere for rubbish, and somewhere for tissues that isn't the glovebox. A leather-look bin that hangs off the console or seat back handles coffee cups and receipts without looking like a shopping bag tied to the gearstick, while a matching seat-back organiser keeps tissues within reach.
Carmoods recommends
Fit soft accessories — covers, cushions, organisers — on a warm day. Leather and suede stretch more easily above about 20°C, which makes a tight cover far less of a fight.
The details that do the heavy lifting
Once the big touchpoints are sorted, small things start to matter disproportionately.
Your key is the first part of the car you handle every single day, and a new car's key fob picks up pocket scratches within weeks. A leather or TPU case is a two-second fit that keeps the fob looking new for resale.
Chery Jaecoo J5 J7 Leather Key Fob Cover
Then there's scent, which is the one upgrade people notice before they notice anything else. New cars smell like adhesives and off-gassing plastic for the first few months. A vent-clip diffuser from our air fresheners range replaces that with something you actually chose. Keep it subtle — one clip, not four.
If your J5 is a Track rather than a Summit, you're missing ambient lighting and soft-touch upper door trims. You can't retrofit soft-touch plastic, but you can add warmth: a mirror charm, a dash ornament, or a plush shifter pendant from our interior accessories collection all soften a black-on-black cabin without looking cluttered.
Where to start if you've just picked yours up
If you buy nothing else in the first month, buy in this order: steering wheel cover, headrest cushion, then a key fob case.
The broader point is that the budget-SUV boom has changed the maths. When a small SUV arrives well equipped from the factory, the remaining gap between it and something far dearer is almost entirely about finish and feel — and that gap is genuinely closeable. Have a look through our Chery and Jaecoo accessories collection and start with whatever you touch most.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Will Chery accessories fit a Jaecoo J5?
In most cases, yes. Jaecoo and Omoda are Chery brands and share key blanks, headrest posts, seat-back mounts and steering wheel diameters across much of the range. Check the product listing for the specific models named, and match your key by button count.
2. Does fitting accessories affect my new-car warranty?
Non-invasive accessories — covers, cushions, organisers, vent clips, key cases — don't affect a manufacturer warranty because nothing is cut, drilled or wired in. Anything that taps the vehicle's electrical system is worth checking with your dealer first.
3. What should I fit first in a brand-new car?
Start with the steering wheel and headrest, because you're in contact with both for every minute you drive. Boot and cabin organisers come next, then protective items like key cases and floor liners.
4. Are steering wheel covers safe to use?
A correctly sized cover that fits tightly is safe. The risk comes from covers that are too large and can rotate under your hands, so match the cover to your wheel's diameter rather than buying a universal one-size option.
