Chery Omoda 5

The 2023 Chery Omoda 5 has keyless unlocking, courtesy the proximity sensor. The interior is flashy but the weirdly long welcome sound is a bit disturbing. The digital instrument cluster is neat. There are three themes to choose from. The climate controls and touch-capacitive and neatly integrated. These are easy to use. Touching any of the controls also brings up the climate menu. The steering wheel and shifter looks as if borrowed from a more expensive car. The leather-wrapped steering wheel is flat-bottomed. The wheel has Chery spelt out instead of the brand’s logo. 

The cabin of the Chery Omoda 5 2023 has a pleasing veneer of soft-touch plastics that looks and feels good. The piano-black infotainment system bezels lend an upmarket feel to the entire dashboard. There’s a center bin which doesn’t open properly because of the oversized front-seat bolsters. Once it opens, the bin reveals a deep compartment with an open-able air-conditioning vent that keeps drinks chilled.   

Passenger and boot space 

The cabin of the Chery Omoda 5 is fairly spacious. The second row has decent space. But like most compact crossover-SUVs, taller passengers may find the headroom lacking. The front seats are typically squishy like typical China-made cars. The base is a bit too short and lacks much in bolstering. But the seats are still surprisingly comfortable during long rides. The front seats have sufficient headroom. The driver’s seat should have been fully adjustable to ensure better long-time comfort. The 2023 Chery Omoda 5 has 360 liters of boot space with all seats up. It expands to 1,075 liters with the rear seats down. That’s pretty large in the compact crossover-SUV segment. The space-saving spare wheel sits beneath the boot floor.

Comfort and entertainment

The 2023 Chery Omoda 5 comes with dual 10.25-inch touchscreen units, one for infotainment and the other for the digital information display. The voice assistant system can be programmed to respond to the user’s command. The eight-speaker Sony sound system is good but could have been better. Other comfort features include automatic climate control, heater, air quality control and multiple cup holders. 

Beyond these inconsistencies Chery seems to have got the rest of the cabin right. Storage spaces are thoughtful. There’s extra storage beneath the central console for bags. The car comes with USB-A, USB-C, and 12-volt charging sockets. The seats are of faux-leather and decently comfortable but could have offered better support. The downward sloping roofline at the back eats into the cabin space and the rear seat could be uncomfortable for taller passengers.

The front grille on the 2023 Chery Omoda 5 looks imposing. The car looks smart but the rear three-quarter is probably the best viewing angle. The car has a nice shoulder. The Wuhu-headquartered automobile company has lent some flashy lighting to the car’s exterior. The puddle lights projects ‘Omoda’ on the road. The car comes with rear dynamic indicators. The key fob too manages to offers a solid impression. The car doesn’t have any exterior lock sensor on the passenger side. But the walk-away lock function is prompt and leaves no room for security issues. The powered tailgate is more than welcome. It’s a rare feature in this segment.

What are the dimensions of the 2023 Chery Omoda 5?

The B-segment, five-passenger 2023 Chery Omoda 5 crossover-SUV measures 4,400mm in length, 1,830mm in breadth, and 1,588mm in height. The wheelbase is of 2,630mm. 

What is the ground clearance of the Chery Omoda 5 2023?

The car has a ground clearance of 145mm. 

Chery claims that the new Omoda 5 has a mileage of 6.9-liter/100km in a combination of open and urban roads. More practical tests on highways, hilly suburbs and start-and-stop traffic returned a mileage of 12.3-liter/100km, making the car one of the least fuel efficient in its segment. Many midsized SUVs have a better fuel efficiency than the 2023 Chery Omoda 5.  

The 2023 Chery Omoda 5 has a light but vague steering with a dead-spot on-center. But that’s mostly unobtrusive. The car is mounted on a simple suspension setup comprising of MacPherson struts in the front and twist-beam at the back. The entire system is on the harder side. Chery needs to balance the suspension to iron out the small and repeated bumps that disturb passenger comfort at low speeds. The car, however, surprises with the ride quality and the suspension absorbs the big bumps and potholes fairly well. On city streets, the 2023 Chery Omoda 5 is quite a capable performer. Handling doesn’t require much effort. The steering rotates nicely and the car has a small turning radius. With a low ground clearance, body roll is minimum.  

The 2023 Chery Omoda 5 is equipped with a turbocharged, 1.5-liter, 4-cylinder petrol engine which produces 156PS maximum power at 5,500rpm and 230Nm peak torque at 4,000rpm. The motor is paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) with nine gear ratios. The engine is very capable in its class and perfectly suited for compact crossover-SUVs. The CVT does a better-than-average job while shifting to a higher ratio. But the transmission isn’t entirely seamless and the jerk is sometimes evident. In fact, the car’s throttle calibration is a somewhat peculiar. A mere press on the accelerator and the Omoda 5 sprints into action. However, at high speeds, the response is lazy. Response from the powertrain isn’t buttery smooth and the Chery Omoda 5 2023 falls behind in competition. The 215/55R18 GitiComfort F50 tires are a sore point. They offer little grip in the dry. But on wet roads, traction becomes less evident.

Overall, the powertrain of the Chery Omoda 5 2023 is capable but unexciting. The company needs to improve the powertrain’s performance to compete with other established brands.

What are the color options available for the 2023 Chery Omoda 5?

The car is available in Phantom Grey, Dark Black, and Khaki White color options. The top-level H model gets red highlights. The Khaki White color for the H model can be had with an optional black roof.

Is the 2023 Chery Omoda 5 available in diesel?

No. The car is available with a petrol engine only. A turbocharged, 1.6-liter, 4-cylinder petrol engine option may debut later in 2023. It’s currently available only in the Chinese market.   

The 2023 Chery Omoda 5 comes with a lot of driver-assist features and safety equipment. The car has earned five stars in the Euro NCAP test. It’s yet to be tested for ASEAN NCAP. Safety features of the Omoda 5 include antilock braking, vehicle stability control, child safety locks, follow-me-home headlamps, 360-degree camera, parking sensors, lane departure warning, and hill-descent control. The lane departure warning system is intrusive and intervenes even when absolutely not required. The camera is the best in terms of clarity and area of coverage.

How many airbags does the Chery Omoda 5 2023 have? 

The car comes with three airbags.

How many cameras does the Chery Omoda 5 2023 have?

The Chinese crossover-SUV comes one 360-dgeree camera.

Value for money

The 2023 Chery Omoda 5 comes with a lot of features. Some of them aren’t available even in the more premium brands. At a starting price of RM 108,800, the crossover-SUV is affordably priced. The car is practical and has enough space for five adults to travel comfortably. There are a lot of storage spaces and cubby holes. But the Chery Omoda 5 2023 is mostly suited for daily commuting and in-city driving. Buyers not looking for much premium bits can consider this car. 

Warranty

Chery Malaysia is offering a seven-year/150,000km warranty (whichever is earlier) on the 2023 Omoda 5, along with five years of free service (alternating, free labor). To gain confidence of Malaysian customers, the 2023 Chery Omoda 5 comes with a free 10-year engine warranty. But that’s available only for the first 3,000 customers. It then reverts to the standard seven-year/150,000km warranty for the rest of the car. The 10-year engine warranty package is also available as an option for RM 2000. The car has one of the best warranty coverage in its class, presumably to impose faith on China-made vehicles.    

Are original spare parts of the 2023 Chery Omoda 5 available in Malaysia?

Cherry Malaysia claims that all original spares will be available in the company’s dealerships and workshops. The company will be opening more dealerships soon.

2023 Chery Omoda 5 vs Proton X50

Proton is Malaysia’s own car brand and the X50 has a huge fan following among aficionados. While both cars are equipped with a 1.5-liter petrol engine, the Proton X50 has a higher power output at 176PS. Both cars are five-seaters and are best driven in urban conditions. But the Proton X50 has a bit more usable cabin space than the Chery Omoda 5. Also, the former is available in more color options. Chery is expected to increase the number of color choices as sales of the Omoda 5 picks up. But the Proton X50, with a starting price of RM 86,300, is the clear favorite here.    

2023 Chery Omoda 5 vs Toyota Rush

The Toyota Rush has been a crowd favorite in almost all countries where it’s available. The Rush isn’t a direct competitor of the Chery Omoda 5 since it’s a seven-passenger car and in the multipurpose vehicle (MPV) segment. The Toyota Rush comes with a 1.5-liter engine that produces 104PS maximum power, much lower than 156PS from the 2023 Chery Omoda 5. The Rush is more or a family car that can be used for daily commuting and occasional outstation trips. At RM 93,000, the Toyota Rush is priced much lower than the Chery Omoda 5.  

2023 Chery Omoda 5 vs Haval H2

The Haval brand is owned by Great Wall Motors (GWM). The Haval H2 is a popular crossover-SUV in its home country. While both Chery and Haval are Chinese brands, the former has been present in Malaysia for a longer time. With an identical engine, the Haval H2 produces 141PS maximum power, lower than the Chery Omoda 5. The Haval H2 is not as feature packed as the Chery Omoda 5 and is priced lesser at RM 87,246. The latter has more cabin space than the Omoda 5. 

Is the 2023 Chery Omoda 5 worth buying?

There’s a lot to like about the Chery Omoda 5. It’s well priced and offers good value for money, particularly considering the features that are found mostly in higher grade subcompact crossover-SUVs. The Omoda 5 is a practical car with lots of storage spaces. Chery Malaysia is offering an unmatched warranty with the Omoda 5 and that could be the clincher for many buyers. The turbocharged, 1.5-liter, 4-cylinder petrol engine is a capable performer. But it’s the driving department where the Omoda 5 falls behind in competition. The car needs to improve its handling and responsiveness if it wants to compete with the more established brands. Other than this, the 2023 Chery Omoda 5 is a nice feature-packed car in its segment.