Sure, electric vehicles (EVs) are chock-full of technology, utterly efficient in converting electrical power into motion, and operate silently. This may be where my inner gearhead gets to argue with the engineer in me.
After owning and driving muscle cars, sport sedans, and SUVs with big V8 engines under their hoods, I anticipated the engine sound accompanying the rush of acceleration and the excitement of zooming at highway speeds. Modern EVs may be quick and fast, but they’re quiet.
A week with the 2025 JAC Ytterby PRO 505 changed me. Driving this winsome five-door compact EV reminded me of the old adage “Silent waters run deep”.
At stoplights and in crawling traffic, it garnered the same attention and double-takes from other drivers, commuters, pedestrians, and passersby. There are times when looks win over rumbling engine noises to get attention.
Black & Beige Can Be Attractive
Our Ytterby test drive unit came from the dealer principal of JAC Quezon Avenue, William Uy. Over lunch at FRAICHE along Sto. Domingo Street in Quezon City, William gushed about the Ytterby’s features, functions, and technologies and how he loved driving it around. My wife, Shawie, and I found the factory beige finish appropriate for the car, especially with its bug-eye “Angel eyes” LED headlights, which gave it an attractive and winsome classic car vibe.
The black roof and pillars contrast nicely and divide the car into two sections, drawing the eye to the lower body and the interior while masking the tall roof. The 5-spoke two-tone 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels shod with 205/55R17 tires fill up the wheel.
Techno-babble
The Ytterby PRO 505 draws power from a 51.5 kilowatt-hour (kWh) cellular battery array that can be fully charged from zero to 100% in nine hours using a common 220V AC (alternating current) household outlet at 6.6 kilowatts. If you’re in a hurry, a fast-charge direct current (DC) charger can charge the battery array from 30% to 80% in just 30 minutes. The charging status of our Ytterby was set at a maximum of 80%, which most EV manufacturers recommend to avoid overheating the battery. A fully-charged battery will allow us to drive up to 505 kilometers between charges.
We drove from Quezon City to Alabang via the Skyway, where we tested the 134 horsepower output of the Permanent Magnet Synchronous Electric Motor. The Ytterby effortlessly cruised to the Skyway’s 80 km/h speed limit and zoomed easily beyond 100 km/h when we needed to overtake slower traffic. We set the Energy Recovery to “Strong” so that the Brake Regeneration slowed the car without stepping on the brakes, which helped recharge the battery and extend the range a bit more.
Cocooned: Cool, Neat Interior
We arrived in Alabang, fresh, calm, and relaxed, with my wife’s initial range anxiety erased since we still had 67% battery charge despite the heavy traffic we encountered along Balintawak before we got into the Skyway. Of course, it helped that we were cocooned inside a unique interior with comfortable two-tone leather seats, an uncluttered cockpit, stalk-mounted controls, and a multi-function steering wheel, an easy-to-understand 6.2-inch LCD instrument screen, large 15.6-inch central touchscreen infotainment display, and smart climate control system with rear outlet and PM 2.5 pollen filtration.
The driver’s seat features 6-direction electrical adjustments, which come with heating and ventilation, and has a memory feature where it reverts to the position set by the driver after the door is closed.
There’s a front central armrest with storage underneath and a single cupholder that folds into the front central console. We plugged a USB with thousands of our favorite songs into the 8-speaker sound system and enjoyed the music. Shawie charged her mobile phone on the wireless charger while I played around with the 64-color ambient light controls. We both enjoyed the view of the sky provided by the large panoramic sunroof, which came with a manually removable shade. Astara Philippines, the distributor of JAC Motors, priced the 2025 Ytterby PRO 505 at P1,320,000 to make it accessible to most consumers, with the amenities of a premium car. Aahh, that’s livin’ la vida buena!
SPECIFICATIONS
Vehicle Type: 5-door compact EV
Price: P1,320,000
Motor: Permanent Magnet Synchronization
Battery: Cellular Array, Lithium Iron Phosphate
Cooling: Liquid
Battery capacity: 51.5 kWh
AC charging time: (SOC 0% – 100% @ 6.6 kW) 9 hours
DC charging time: (SOC 30% – 80%) 0.5 hours
Charging standard: CCS2
Maximum power: 134 hp
Maximum torque: 175 Nm
Autonomy CLTC Range: 505 km
Wheelbase: 2620 mm
Length: 4025 mm
Width: 1770 mm
Height: 1560 mm
Minimum ground clearance: 130 mm
Curb weight: 1445 kg
Trunk space: 250 liters
Front suspension: Independent, McPherson struts
Rear suspension: Independent, torsion beam
Front brakes: Ventilated discs
Rear brakes: Solid discs
Steering system: Electric power assist with Force adjustment
Wheels: 17-inch 5-spoke Aluminum Alloy
Tires: 205/55R17
