The JAC Refine M5 is a light commercial van that JAC Motors built in China from 2002 to 2025. It was the first model of the Refine sub-brand, and in its original form it was a licence-built version of the Hyundai Starex, itself derived from the Mitsubishi Delica.
JAC Refine M5 at a glance
| Maker | JAC Motors, China |
|---|---|
| Production | 2002–2025 |
| Class | light commercial four-door van |
| First generation | 2002–2015, licensed Hyundai Starex |
| Original name | JAC Refine, also Refine I and Refine M1 |
| Petrol engines | 2.0 and 2.4-litre HFC fours |
| Diesel engine | 2.8-litre HFC4DA1-2B1 |
| Gearboxes | five-speed manual, four-speed automatic |
| Second generation | Refine II, from April 2011 |
| M5 name | adopted in late 2012 |
| Renamed | Refine L5 in August 2021 |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the JAC Refine M5.
History of the JAC Refine M5
The van that became the Refine M5 began in March 2002, when JAC started building rebadged Hyundai Starex vans under licence. The Starex was itself a licence-built fourth-generation Mitsubishi Delica, a result of the joint venture between Hyundai and JAC. At launch the vehicle was called simply the JAC Refine, and it later carried the names Refine I and Refine M1 as well.
A facelift kept the front close to the post-facelift first-generation Starex but gave the van an independently developed rear end, with new tail lamps, tailgate and rear bumper. In the first years after the second generation arrived, the M5 was sold alongside its predecessor. From 2013 the Refine MPV was offered in three trim levels, the Chuansuo, the Xianghe and the M5, with the M5 at the top and developed as the second-generation Refine.
The second generation, the Refine II, debuted as the JAC Refine IV concept at the 2010 Beijing Auto Show and reached production at the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show in April 2011. Its 2.0-litre engine produced 177 hp (132 kW) and 260 N⋅m, and prices ran from 139,500 to 166,500 yuan. In late 2012 the name was changed to Refine M5, placing the van between the Refine M4 and Refine M6 in the MPV range. In August 2021 the model was renamed Refine L5.
Design and features
- Hyundai origins: the first generation was a licence-built Hyundai Starex, itself based on the Mitsubishi Delica.
- Wide engine range: 2.0- and 2.4-litre petrol fours plus a 2.8-litre diesel.
- Trim ladder: from 2013 sold as Chuansuo, Xianghe and M5.
- Second generation: the Refine II of 2011 with a 177 hp 2.0-litre engine.
- Long life: in production from 2002 to 2025, with the L5 name from 2021.
JAC Refine M5 versions
- Refine (2002): the original licensed Starex-based van.
- Facelifted first generation: Starex-style front with a JAC rear end.
- Refine II (2011): the second generation, shown as the Refine IV concept in 2010.
- Refine M5 (2012): the name adopted for the second-generation van.
- Refine L5 (2021): the final renaming of the model.
The compact MPV in the same range is the JAC Refine M2, and the brand’s first SUV was the JAC Rein. More models are in the JAC collection.
Sources
- JAC Refine M5, English Wikipedia: history, generations, engines, names
