New Chery Omoda 5 brings 187bhp petrol engine for £24,000

Chinese car giant Chery has revealed an electric version of the Omoda 5 – its first EV, and its first UK-bound model which will go on sale in the UK in March 2024. 

Unveiled at the Qatar motor show, the Omoda 5 is the first of several planned new cars from a new ‘fashion’-focused and EV-biased brand, which will sit at the forefront of the company’s global expansion.

Powered by a 61kWh battery, the new Omoda 5 EV offers a claimed range of 280 miles, with a maximum charging speed of 110kW, which the firm says will charge from 0-80% in half an hour.  

The Omoda 5 EV is powered by a single, front-mounted motor that produces 204bhp – that’s good for a 0-62mph sprint of 7.6sec, which matches the time set by the similarly-sized Lexus ux300e. 

In EV guise, the Omoda 5 gains some styling differences compared to its ICE counterpart. Chery says it has been optimised for aerodynamics and style, aided by a rear spoiler, a bespoke front grille and modified side-wings. 

Chery is yet to reveal pricing for the electric Omoda 5, but the brand confirmed the petrol version would be priced from just £24,000 in the UK earlier this year. This makes it one of the cheapest cars in its segment, but the EV is likely to cost significantly more at around £45,000.

Alternatively, to the electric variant, the Omoda 5 will be powered by a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 187bhp and 203lb ft, mated to a seven-speed automatic gearbox and good for 31.4mpg on the WLTP combined cycle, while emitting 170g/km of CO2. 

The entry-level Omoda 5 Comfort comes equipped as standard with 17in alloy wheels, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, two wireless phone chargers, adaptive ambient lighting, a pair of 10.25in display screens and dual-zone climate control.

The range-topping Noble trim bumps the list price up to £27,000 and adds a heated leather steering wheel, sunroof and larger 18in alloy wheels. 

Prices and details for the upcoming electric version have not been confirmed. Reports suggest it uses a front-mounted motor with 198bhp and 295lb ft, powered by a 64kWh battery that nets a range of 280 miles on the WLTP cycle – figures that would make it a natural rival to the Toyota bZ4X and Nissan Ariya. 

Chery is China’s most prolific automotive export brand, selling 450,000 vehicles across Asia, Australia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East last year.

It is perhaps best known in the UK as Jaguar Land Rover’s Chinese joint-venture partner and currently handles production of the Range Rover Evoque, Land Rover Discovery Sport, Jaguar XF and Jaguar XE for the local market.

Now, it is one of a number of Chinese companies branching out to Europe and, like rival Great Wall Motor has done with Ora, it will launch here with a new brand conceived with a focus on style, technology and sustainability.

The ‘O’ in Omoda represents “the bio element we need” and ‘moda’ pointing to the brand’s fashion focus – and will launch in the UK following roll-outs to the Chinese, Indonesian, Australian and New Zealand markets in 2022. 

Omoda is targeting 10,000 annual sales in the UK for the 5 and promises “several new models” with a choice of ICE, PHEV and BEV powertrains – although the prevailing focus will be on BEVs. 

Chery has already told Autocar that the second model in its UK line-up will be the Jaecoo 7, a larger SUV in the vein of the Hyundai Tucson with the choice of pure-petrol or plug-in hybrid power.

It remains unclear how the Omoda brand will be sold and marketed in the UK. The company said: “Chery has close and deepened cooperation with Jaguar Land Rover in China as a joint-venture company with a successful record of sales, so the UK is not a market which is unknown to Chery.”

UK manager Victor Zhang recently told Autocar: “We are planning to have around 40-50 dealers on board by the time we launch next February.” The brand will operate out of a combination of self-run sites and franchises anticipated “to cover the main cities”.