The Omoda C5 is a Chinese crossover with aspirations of venturing into the premium sector. W hat’s the newcomer like to drive and will Chery’s sub-brand sneak sales from established upmarket brands? We drove it at an Omoda launch event in Gauteng.
What is Omoda?
Omoda is the premium arm of the Chery brand and, in other markets where this model is sold, it’s called the Chery Omoda 5. Chery South Africa has decided to give Omoda space in our market to grow into a premium brand in its own right, which is why it’s dropped “Chery” from the front of the model name.
Those keen-eyed viewers who were following the launch updates on our social media channels may have noticed the Chery branding on the newcomer’s steering wheel, but Omoda has assured us that models that go on sale to the public will be branded Omoda, not Chery.
How premium is Omoda compared with Chery?
There’s quite a lot of, um, crossover between 2 two brands’ models in terms of specification and component-sharing, but there are subtle differences in their design executions. For example, the C5’s infotainment system and instrument cluster are combined into a single screen that swoops across the fascia, but the software and look and feel of the systems are identical to those of Chery models.
See also: Chery Tiggo 7 Pro Review
The interior represents a step up in terms of premium feel, although perhaps not as much as I expected. The cabin materials are mostly soft-touch, especially on the large dashboard, but some of the finishes on the inside of the driver’s door seem a bit questionable; Omoda has applied about 5 different materials there, which seems fussy. But overall, the C5’s notably more upmarket inside than in its Chery brethren.
Omoda intends to stand out from the crowd by virtue of its bold exterior designs. It hopes the C5 will lure potential buyers with its stylish coupe-crossover looks and uniquely Chinese design (apparently, 3 more Omoda models will be joining the local line-up in the next 14 months). And, if the hoopla surrounding the Haval H6 GT is anything to go by, there is an eager market for stylish Chinese-made crossovers already.
What engine does the Omoda C5 have?
The Omoda C5 is powered by a 1.5-litre turbopetrol engine sourced from the Tiggo 4 Pro , but with a bit more zip (courtesy of software tuning). As a result, the motor produces 115 kW and 230 Nm of torque, which represents slight increases of 7 kW and 20 Nm respectively. It also utilises a 9-step continuously variable transmission (CVT) and its fuel economy is a claimed 6.9 L/100 km (during the launch, we saw an indicated 8.3 L/100 km following our 150-km drive, which included highways, city- and back roads).
With 2 people in the car, that power hike feels adequate – the Omoda C5 gathers momentum easily from pull-away and it cruises at 120 kph without difficulty, but its acceleration from higher speeds (such as when you need to execute overtaking manoeuvres) is a little sluggish. Also, the CVT typically drones at higher RPM and can make it a bit harder to keep a consistent speed while it shuffles its steps/”ratios”.
But with adaptive cruise control, which keeps your speed constant on the freeway, you can adjust the gap to vehicles ahead of you to a close-enough distance to dissuade cars from cutting in front of you.
What features does the Omoda C5 have?
As with many recently introduced models from Chinese brands, the C5 comes generously specced. At the launch, the brand highlighted the new model’s Level 2 autonomous capabilities, but I found systems such as blind-spot control, lane-keep assist and collision avoidance extremely intrusive, as well as overly sensitive. They have multiple settings and it takes a while to identify the bongs and beeps they generate.
I suggest that buyers patiently work through the 10.25-inch infotainment system’s vehicle settings and adjust them to the levels they prefer. Even if the systems seem finicky, you can turn them off or reduce their sensitivity somewhat. When I spoke to the product head at Omoda, they indicated there might be a software update available (that remedies much of the sensitivity), which can be installed at dealerships.
Just ahead of the transmission lever is a felt-trimmed pad big enough for 2 phones to rest upright, with 1 wireless charger. Apple Carplay and Android Auto both connect wirelessly, while USB-A and USB-C ports are located below the floating console on the passenger side. Rear passengers share one USB-C port.
A sunroof is available on the top-spec derivative, but a panoramic roof may have upped the premium feel of the cabin more appreciably.
The front seats (with integrated headrests and trimmed in artificial leather) are of a rather sporty design. They look like – and, as it turns out, are – very comfortable race seats. The driver’s seat is electrically adjustable for height and position, but the front passenger seat only moves fore/aft via electric switches; there is no height adjustment, which put my 6ft (1.83-metre) frame a bit closer to the roof than I wanted it to be. It’s weird, because the rear bench is mounted lower and, despite the sloping roof, it (somehow) provides more headroom than the front passenger seat. Aside from that, rear legroom is reasonable.
The only notable omission seems to be heated (or ventilated) seats. It’s by no means a dealbreaker, but for a brand with premium aspirations, seat heating would be very welcome on frosty winter mornings.
What is the Omoda C5’s ride and handling like?
Omoda was wise to fit the C5 with 18-inch alloys shod with higher-profile tyres than what most modern cars come with. They make the ride quality more pleasant over rough surfaces and absorb bumps better. The rear suspension seems stiffer than the front, making the ride a little harsher for rear occupants.
We didn’t get a chance to do any fast-paced cornering, but in both Sport and Comfort steering modes, the Omoda C5’s multifunction steering wheel feels adequately weighted, with predictable responses to inputs. I’d like to spend a bit more time with the newcomer (and traverse some familiar Cape roads with it) before delivering a complete handling review though. We should have a model to evaluate quite soon.
How much does the Omoda C5 cost?
- Omoda C5 1.5T TECH – R447 900
- Omoda C5 1.5T Elegance – R507 900
- Omoda C5 1.5T Elegance S – R509 900
The Omoda C5 is sold with a 5-year/150 000 km warranty, a 5-year/70 000 km service plan and a first-owner-only 10-year/1 million km engine warranty.
Summary
The introduction of the Omoda brand in South Africa is significant. Unlike other, now well-established Chinese brands, Omoda hopes to compete with premium brands with its entire product range – not only the top-end derivatives of its models. The new C5 coupe-crossover is a competitor to the likes of the Volkswagen T-Roc , Mazda CX-30 , Opel Mokka and the Haval H6 GT , all of which are boutique offerings.
The pricing set for the Omoda C5 is extremely keen (April 2023), so I expect there will be a lot of interest in the new entrant from the get-go. The brand’s first model is not vastly different to Chery models, but exhibits enough design differentiation and an upmarket interior to feel more premium than its siblings.
