The JAC Ytterby Pro 505 is a compact electric hatchback with a surprisingly spacious interior and a claimed 500km+ range. Does it live up to the 'Pro' label?
Thanks to a zero-tariff market, EVs can finally compete directly with petrol-powered Japanese cars. Yet range anxiety is still an issue for many buyers, encouraging manufacturers to offer ever bigger batteries in smaller cars in order to encourage buyers to switch. Case in point: the JAC Ytterby Pro 505, one of the cheapest all-electric options to claim a 500km+ range. But is this a convincing enough argument to warrant the ‘Pro’ label? Let’s find out.
Styling The Ytterby competes in a compact-hatchback segment that takes advantage of EV architecture to offer compact space in a subcompact footprint. Compared to the ultra-futuristic BYD Dolphin, the Ytterby features a more traditional retro-futuristic look that features shades of the Nissan Be-1 and the Mini. There’s more of a focus on maximizing cabin size and greenhouse here. While the Dolphin looks more compact, it’s actually the Ytterby with the smaller, boxier footprint. It’s a bit more slab-sided, but smooth body lines, hideaway door handles, retro-styled LED lights, tri-tone 17-inch wheels, and a blacked-out greenhouse give it a premium feel. About the only sore note is the black plastic cladding on the rear pillar, which picks up scratches more easily than the textured cladding on the Dolphin. The color-shifting eggplant purple paint also looks subtly different between the metal panels and the plastic bumpers, but that’s about par for the course with these fancier colors.The interior styling feels like a riff on the older retro-styled Ora 03—the ‘Good Cat’—but with more of a focus on restrained minimalism. The cabin up and gets out of your way, with shelves and consoles pulled up and out of the way of your knees and legs, compared to the Dolphin. Even the single front cupholder is hidden under the dashboard, as is a single baggage hook. There are no physical buttons at all on the dashboard, which is dominated by a single humongous 15.6-inch screen. All physical controls are on the steering wheel and two multi-function control stalks. Interior materials are par for the course: There’s lots of plastic here, but it’s well-screwed together. Tiny bits of chrome and piano-black accents dress up the cabin—though again, that piano black picks up scratches and lint like crazy. And slivers of silver dress up the leatherette on the doors and the seats. Cabin space is surprisingly good, the relatively square roofline giving great headroom front and rear, and despite the shorter wheelbase, legroom feels as good as or better than in the Dolphin or the Ora, thanks to thinner seat cushions. This doesn’t mean that those seats aren’t comfortable—they’re still good enough for hours of driving. Rear A/C and a cooled center box mean everyone is comfortable, though if you do need a drink, you need to finish it before putting it down, as there’s a dearth of accessible cupholders in-cabin, front or rear. The cargo area has a combination tonneau cover slash cargo shelf, and 250 liters of space under the hatch. The underfloor compartment is taken up by emergency equipment, including a fire extinguisher, first-aid supplies, a heavy-duty portable charger, and a full-sized donut spare. A rare sight in a new EV.Performance The view under the hood is more conventional. There are hydraulic modules, fluid bottles, wiring, and a 12V battery cluttering up the top of the small engine bay. Buried underneath the bits, bobs, and covers is a 136hp permanent magnet motor driving the front wheels. With instant electric torque and no transmission losses, it is good for 0-100kph in just 8.9sec, faster than many 2.0-liter automatics. There’s no Sport mode, just Normal and Eco, though you can control the aggressiveness of the steering and the regenerative brakes in the Drive submenu. There’s no one-pedal mode, either, but with the regenerative brakes set to their most aggressive, you do get a similar effect. With conservative driving, we saw 7-8km/kWh in mixed conditions, and 9.5-12km/kWh on the highway. We achieved around 350-360km per charge over two full battery cycles. Even with the removable sun shade, that big glass roof really had the A/C working overtime in Manila traffic. We still think you can hit that 505km range, but only on a really flat highway in cool weather. With CCS2 charging, you have a choice of Level 2 mall charging or up to 66kW Level 3 charging at select stations—giving you an 80% charge from near empty in about half an hour.Driving impressions Though it looks small, the Ytterby is more like a compact sedan with the ends lopped off. And it drives like it.
EV Electric Vehicle JAC Ytterby Pro 505 Compact Hatchback Range Price Review
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