Jaecoo France Launch with Jean Reno: What It Means for Portugal Buyers
Published: 07/04/2026
Jaecoo lands in France with Jean Reno — and Portugal is already on the same wave
Jean Reno behind the wheel of a Chinese SUV, driving from Paris to Normandy. That is the image Jaecoo picked to introduce itself to the French public, in a TV spot that started airing in prime time on 5 April 2026. The Chery-group brand has officially opened 74 dealerships across France and plans to reach 100 by year-end.
For anyone watching the Portuguese market, this isn't exactly breaking news. Jaecoo already landed here in December 2025, with the Jaecoo 7 SHS PHEV as the spearhead. What the French campaign really shows is how fast Chery is building its European network — and what that means for buyers in Portugal over the coming months.
Jaecoo France launch Jean Reno: the strategy behind the campaign
The campaign is called "Le Nouveau Classique" — "The New Classic" — and it ran between 5 and 26 April 2026 on major French TV channels. Picking Jean Reno was no accident. Hanbang Yu, CEO of Chery Group France, put it plainly: "We selected the option to communicate with French audiences using their language, codes, and talent."
Translation: no global ad copy parachuted in from Shanghai. Jaecoo has figured out that to sell in Europe it has to sound European. It's the same playbook BYD and MG used before, and it has been working.
The model featured in the ad is the Jaecoo 5, a B-segment urban SUV that launched in France from €25,990 in its hybrid trim, or €299/month on a no-deposit lease (48 months, 40,000 km).
Jaecoo 5: the small SUV Portugal doesn't have yet
The Jaecoo 5 rides on the Chery T1X platform and sits just below the Jaecoo 7 in the lineup. It measures 4,380 mm long, 1,860 mm wide, with a 2,620 mm wheelbase. The boot holds 480 litres, rising to 1,180 litres with the rear seats folded — respectable numbers for a B-SUV.
Where it gets interesting is the range of powertrains available across different European markets:
| Version | Engine | Power | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol 1.6T | 1.6L turbo I4 + 7-sp DCT | 145 hp / 108 kW | Already on sale in the UK from £24,505 |
| Hybrid SHS-H | 1.5L I4 + DHT | 145 hp | French launch version |
| Electric E5 | Single front motor | 208 hp / 155 kW | 400 km WLTC with 50.6 kWh LFP battery |
The fully electric E5 is already on sale in the UK at £27,505 and quotes 248 miles (about 400 km) of range with the smaller LFP pack. Larger 58.9 kWh and 60.9 kWh batteries are also offered for longer-range versions. The European debut happened at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July 2025, with the first customer deliveries starting in October that year.
When will the Jaecoo 5 arrive in Portugal?
This is the obvious question. The brand hasn't confirmed an official date for our market, but the logic points to 2026: Portugal and France were both named as European launch targets by Omoda & Jaecoo, and the dealer network here has been growing since December. The Jaecoo 7 opened the door, and the 5 is the natural next step — especially because it covers a segment (B-SUV) with strong demand in Portugal.
As for Portuguese pricing, we're still in estimate territory. Applying the usual logic — French base price plus ISV adjustments (ISV is the Portuguese vehicle registration tax) and local margin — a hybrid Jaecoo 5 should land somewhere between €26,000 and €28,000. The fully electric E5 version benefits from ISV exemption in Portugal, making it potentially more attractive against segment rivals like the MG ZS EV or BYD Atto 2.
Chery's European push: the numbers that explain the urgency
To understand why all this is happening at once, look at the parent company. Chery was founded in 1997 and has been China's biggest car exporter for 23 consecutive years. In 2025 it delivered 2.8 million vehicles, of which 1.3 million were exported. It sits at rank 233 on the Fortune Global 500 and has crossed the 18-million cumulative production mark.
The Omoda & Jaecoo subsidiary was created on 22 April 2023 — barely two years ago — and is already present in 9 European markets, including Germany from IAA 2025. European sales figures are striking: more than 47,000 units in the first seven months, making Omoda & Jaecoo the third-largest Chinese OEM in Europe, behind only BYD and MG. Worldwide, the brand has passed 100,000 cumulative European sales and 700,000 global sales.
This isn't a tentative entry. It's an offensive.
Jaecoo 7 PHEV Portugal: the model we already have
In Portugal, the Jaecoo 7 SHS PHEV is already on the road. It's a C-segment SUV with a plug-in hybrid system combining a 1.5L TGDI + DHT and an 18.3–18.7 kWh LFP battery, delivering around 90 km of WLTP electric range — enough to cover most daily commutes without burning a drop of petrol.
In France, the Jaecoo 7 starts at €29,990 with leasing from €349/month. Portuguese pricing is in line with that positioning, and the PHEV benefits from a favourable tax setup for fleets and company cars, thanks to the ISV and IUC (annual road tax) rules applied to plug-in hybrids with more than 50 km of electric range.
We've already published a full breakdown of the Jaecoo 7 SHS PHEV, and it's worth checking if you're doing the sums. What the French news adds is context: the 7 isn't going to stand alone in the brand's catalogue for much longer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Jaecoo hasn't announced an official launch date for the Jaecoo 5 in Portugal, but the country was explicitly named by Omoda & Jaecoo as a European target market alongside France. With the Portuguese dealer network growing since December 2025 and the Jaecoo 7 SHS PHEV already on sale here, the 5 is expected during 2026, most likely in the second half of the year.
In France the hybrid Jaecoo 5 starts at €25,990, or €299/month on a no-deposit 48-month lease. Applying the usual ISV and local margin adjustments, a Jaecoo 5 SHS-H should land between €26,000 and €28,000 in Portugal. The fully electric E5 version benefits from ISV exemption, which could make it more competitive against rivals like the MG ZS EV and BYD Atto 2.
The Jaecoo E5 quotes about 400 km WLTC with its 50.6 kWh LFP battery, as already confirmed in the UK where it starts at £27,505. Larger 58.9 kWh and 60.9 kWh battery options are also offered for longer-range versions. First European customer deliveries started in October 2025, after the model's European debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July.
The Jaecoo 7 is a C-segment SUV with an SHS plug-in hybrid system featuring an 18.3-18.7 kWh LFP battery and around 90 km of WLTP electric range, starting at €29,990 in France. The Jaecoo 5 is smaller (4,380 mm, B-segment), offers 480 litres of boot space and launches as an SHS-H hybrid, with the fully electric E5 option available in markets like the UK. It's the natural choice for buyers who want a more compact, urban-focused SUV.
The Chinese offensive is accelerating because Europe is the key growth frontier for manufacturers that already dominate at home. Chery, founded in 1997 and China's biggest auto exporter for 23 consecutive years, delivered 2.8 million vehicles in 2025 (1.3 million exported). Its Omoda & Jaecoo subsidiary, created in April 2023, is already active in 9 European markets and sold over 47,000 units in its first seven months, becoming the 3rd largest Chinese OEM in Europe behind only BYD and MG.
Chinese car brands Portugal 2026: the board is shifting
Three years ago, mentioning Chinese cars in Europe still raised eyebrows. Today the conversation has moved on. BYD has overtaken Tesla in European EV sales on several metrics. MG has become part of the normal landscape. And Chery, through Omoda & Jaecoo, is building its network faster than the market can react.
For the Portuguese buyer, this means more options at more competitive prices in the hybrid and electric segments. It also means the competition between established brands (Peugeot, Renault, Hyundai) and Chinese newcomers is about to tighten — and when that happens, the person shopping for a car is usually the one who wins.
What to watch over the coming months: the official Jaecoo 5 pricing for Portugal, the expansion of the Omoda & Jaecoo dealer network here, and whether the 5 arrives with all three powertrains (petrol, hybrid, electric) or only part of the range. Judging by how fast Chery is moving in France, we shouldn't be waiting long for answers.