JAC J5 (Heyue)

JAC J5 (Heyue): which version to buy

If you are choosing a JAC J5 (Heyue), you are not choosing between generations. There is 1 generation, a Sedan, on sale from 2013-11-01 to 2016-01-31, with 7 versions. Every version is Gasoline, FWD, Euro 4, with a 55 L tank, 1325 kg kerb weight, 170 mm ground clearance, independent spring suspension front and rear, and disc brakes at both ends. 0–100 km/h is not measured on any version.

If you are choosing a JAC J5 (Heyue), you are not choosing between generations. There is 1 generation, a Sedan, on sale from 2013-11-01 to 2016-01-31, with 7 versions. Every version is Gasoline, FWD, Euro 4, with a 55 L tank, 1325 kg kerb weight, 170 mm ground clearance, independent spring suspension front and rear, and disc brakes at both ends. 0–100 km/h is not measured on any version. City, highway, and combined fuel use are not measured. Wheel sizes are not measured. The real choice is engine output, gearbox, and how much power you get per litre and per kilogram.

Specs that actually differ

Engine position is Front, transverse on 1.5 MT 105 hp, 1.8 AT 132 hp, and 1.8 AT 142 hp. On 1.5 MT 112 hp, 1.5 MT 83 hp, 1.8 MT 105 hp, and 1.8 AT 105 hp it is not measured. Injection is Distributed injection (multi-point) on all seven. Boost is No on all seven.

Power per litre and weight per horsepower

Kerb weight is 1325 kg on every version, so extra horsepower is extra performance density, not extra mass in the catalogue.

• 1.5 MT 83 hp: 55.3 hp/L (83 ÷ 1.500), 16.0 kg/hp (1325 ÷ 83). Weakest specific output.
• 1.8 MT 105 hp and 1.8 AT 105 hp: 58.3 hp/L (105 ÷ 1.800), 12.6 kg/hp.
• 1.5 MT 105 hp: 70.0 hp/L (105 ÷ 1.499), 12.6 kg/hp — same power as the 1.8 105 hp cars, 301 cc less displacement.
• 1.8 AT 132 hp: 72.0 hp/L (132 ÷ 1.834), 10.0 kg/hp.
• 1.5 MT 112 hp: 74.7 hp/L (112 ÷ 1.499), 11.8 kg/hp — densest 1.5.
• 1.8 AT 142 hp: 77.4 hp/L (142 ÷ 1.834), 9.3 kg/hp — densest of the seven and 59 hp above the 83 hp 1.5 MT.

Torque does not follow the same ranking. Peak 165 Nm is shared by all four 1.8 versions (1.8 MT 105 hp, 1.8 AT 105 hp, 1.8 AT 132 hp, 1.8 AT 142 hp) at 5000 rpm. The 1.5 MT 105 hp and 1.5 MT 83 hp both make 146 Nm at 4000 rpm. The 1.5 MT 112 hp makes 141 Nm at 4000 rpm — 5 Nm less than the 105 hp 1.5 MT, despite 7 more horsepower.

Three cars named 1.5 MT

The catalogue lists three 1.5 MT versions. Treat them as three different cars.

1.5 MT 83 hp is the floor: 83 hp from 1500 cc, top speed 175 km/h, fuel grade not measured, gross weight not measured. Versus 1.5 MT 105 hp it gives up 22 hp and 5 km/h of listed top speed, and you lose the 95 fuel label and the 1690 kg gross figure that the 105 hp car has.

1.5 MT 105 hp is the documented mid 1.5: 1499 cc, 105 hp, 146 Nm, fuel 95, top speed 180, gross 1690 kg, engine Front, transverse. Versus the 83 hp 1.5 MT that is +26.5% power (105 ÷ 83) at the same 1325 kg.

1.5 MT 112 hp is the peak 1.5: 112 hp, fuel 92, 141 Nm, top speed 180, gross 1690 kg. Versus 1.5 MT 105 hp you gain 7 hp and drop 5 Nm; fuel is 92 instead of 95. Versus 1.5 MT 83 hp you gain 29 hp (+34.9%) and 5 km/h top speed. Layout is not measured on this 112 hp car.

If you want a Manual 5-speed 1.5 and you rank by listed power, the order is 1.5 MT 112 hp, then 1.5 MT 105 hp, then 1.5 MT 83 hp. If you rank by torque, 1.5 MT 105 hp and 1.5 MT 83 hp tie at 146 Nm, and 1.5 MT 112 hp sits 5 Nm below.

1.8 MT versus the 1.8 automatics

There is one 1.8 MT: 105 hp, 165 Nm, 1800 cc, Manual 5, top speed 175, fuel not measured, gross not measured.

There are three 1.8 AT cars, all Automatic 4.

1.8 AT 105 hp matches the 1.8 MT 105 hp on power (105 hp), torque (165 Nm), displacement (1800 cc), top speed (175), and the same not measured fuel and gross fields. The arithmetic difference is gearbox only: 5 gears Manual versus 4 gears Automatic. Same 12.6 kg/hp.

1.8 AT 132 hp steps to 1834 cc (+34 cc vs the 1800 cc pair), 132 hp (+27 hp vs 105), same 165 Nm, fuel 95, top speed 180 (+5 km/h), gross 1690 kg, engine Front, transverse. Versus 1.8 AT 105 hp that is +25.7% power at identical kerb weight.

1.8 AT 142 hp uses the same 1834 cc, 165 Nm, Automatic 4, 95, 180 km/h, 1690 kg, Front, transverse as 1.8 AT 132 hp. The only power figure that moves is horsepower: 142 versus 132, a 10 hp gap (+7.6%). Versus 1.8 AT 105 hp it is +37 hp (+35.2%) and +5 km/h top speed, still at 1325 kg.

Torque does not rise with the 132 and 142 hp ratings. All four 1.8 versions sit at 165 Nm. What the extra horsepower buys on paper is rpm-side output (peak at 6500 versus 6000 on the 1.5 cars) and, on the 132/142 pair, a 5 km/h higher listed top speed than the 105 hp 1.8 cars.

1.5 versus 1.8 at the same 105 hp

Two manuals and one automatic share 105 hp: 1.5 MT 105 hp, 1.8 MT 105 hp, 1.8 AT 105 hp.

• Displacement: 1499 versus 1800 cc — the 1.8 cars are 301 cc larger (+20.1%) for the same 105 hp.
• Torque: 146 Nm on 1.5 MT 105 hp versus 165 Nm on both 105 hp 1.8 cars — +19 Nm (+13.0%) on the 1.8.
• Peak power rpm: 6000 on the 1.5 versus 6500 on the 1.8.
• Peak torque rpm: 4000 versus 5000.
• Top speed: 180 on 1.5 MT 105 hp versus 175 on both 105 hp 1.8 cars.
• Fuel: 95 on 1.5 MT 105 hp; not measured on 1.8 MT 105 hp and 1.8 AT 105 hp.
• Gross: 1690 kg on 1.5 MT 105 hp; not measured on the 105 hp 1.8 pair.

If you want 105 hp and more listed torque, the 1.8 MT 105 hp or 1.8 AT 105 hp is the numerical step. If you want 105 hp, a smaller 1499 cc engine, 95 fuel, 180 km/h, and a published 1690 kg gross, 1.5 MT 105 hp is the more complete row.

Automatics only: 105, 132, 142 hp

If the decision is “Automatic or nothing”, the set is 1.8 AT 105 hp, 1.8 AT 132 hp, 1.8 AT 142 hp. There is no 1.5 automatic in the data.

From 1.8 AT 105 hp to 1.8 AT 132 hp: +27 hp, +34 cc, same 165 Nm, +5 km/h top speed, fuel becomes 95, gross becomes 1690 kg. kg/hp falls from 12.6 to 10.0.

From 1.8 AT 132 hp to 1.8 AT 142 hp: +10 hp, same 1834 cc, same 165 Nm, same 180 km/h, same 95, same 1690 kg. kg/hp falls from 10.0 to 9.3. That last step buys horsepower only.

From 1.8 AT 105 hp to 1.8 AT 142 hp: +37 hp, +34 cc, same torque. That is the largest automatic-to-automatic power gap.

Performance and economy (what is and is not measured)

0–100 km/h: not measured on all seven versions. You cannot rank sprint from this catalogue.

Top speed: 180 km/h on 1.5 MT 105 hp, 1.5 MT 112 hp, 1.8 AT 132 hp, 1.8 AT 142 hp. 175 km/h on 1.5 MT 83 hp, 1.8 MT 105 hp, 1.8 AT 105 hp. The spread is 5 km/h.

Fuel consumption (city, highway, mixed): not measured on all seven. mpg is not in the data. CO2 is not measured. Economy cannot be a buying criterion here.

Fuel grade where listed: 95 on 1.5 MT 105 hp, 1.8 AT 132 hp, 1.8 AT 142 hp; 92 on 1.5 MT 112 hp; not measured on 1.5 MT 83 hp, 1.8 MT 105 hp, 1.8 AT 105 hp.

Dimensions and weight

There is no generation-to-generation change: one generation, one kerb weight.

• Kerb: 1325 kg on all seven.
• Gross: 1690 kg on 1.5 MT 105 hp, 1.5 MT 112 hp, 1.8 AT 132 hp, 1.8 AT 142 hp; not measured on 1.5 MT 83 hp, 1.8 MT 105 hp, 1.8 AT 105 hp. Payload where both figures exist: 1690 − 1325 = 365 kg.
• Ground clearance: 170 mm on all seven.
• Tank: 55 L on all seven.
• Wheels: not measured on all seven.

Weight does not help you pick a version. Power and gearbox do.

Which version to choose

Peak listed power, automatic: 1.8 AT 142 hp — 142 hp, 77.4 hp/L, 9.3 kg/hp, 165 Nm, 180 km/h, fuel 95, gross 1690 kg. Same torque as every other 1.8.

Automatic with most of that power and the same chassis numbers: 1.8 AT 132 hp — 10 hp less than 142, identical 1834 cc, 165 Nm, 180 km/h, 95, 1690 kg.

Automatic if you only need 105 hp: 1.8 AT 105 hp — same 165 Nm as the 132/142 cars, 175 km/h, fuel and gross not measured. You give up 27 or 37 hp versus the other automatics.

Manual, strongest 1.5: 1.5 MT 112 hp — 112 hp, 74.7 hp/L, fuel 92, 180 km/h, 141 Nm (lowest 1.5 torque).

Manual, documented 1.5 with 95 fuel and 146 Nm: 1.5 MT 105 hp — 70.0 hp/L, 180 km/h, 1690 kg gross, Front, transverse.

Manual 1.8 if you want 165 Nm without an automatic: 1.8 MT 105 hp — 105 hp, 165 Nm, 175 km/h; fuel and gross not measured. Versus 1.5 MT 105 hp you gain 19 Nm and lose 5 km/h of listed top speed.

Lowest listed power: 1.5 MT 83 hp — 83 hp, 16.0 kg/hp, 175 km/h. Same 146 Nm as 1.5 MT 105 hp. Only choose it if the listing you are looking at is this output; it is not a fuel-saver in the data, because consumption is not measured.

There is no second generation to “wait for.” Reliability, known problems, and prices are not in this dataset. The numbers that do exist say: same 1325 kg sedan, same FWD, same Euro 4, same 55 L tank; pick 1.8 AT 142 hp or 1.8 AT 132 hp for automatic power, 1.5 MT 112 hp for the strongest 1.5 manual, and 1.5 MT 105 hp if you want the 1.5 with 95 fuel and the fuller spec row.