For our friends over in the East, you might’ve been familiar with Chery for quite some time now. Already one of the biggest Chinese automakers around, they’ve since slowly made their way Westwards with their new OMODA sub-brand. Here in the UK, at least, we didn’t know much about Chery or OMODA, until now, with two new and intriguing-looking crossover SUVs for the UK market… The OMODA 5, and its electric counterpart, the OMODA E5. Stay tuned for my OMODA E5 review, which is coming right around the corner, but for now, let’s start with the OMODA 5, packing a much more conventionally-powered 4-cylinder turbo engine.
Sure, with a starting price of £25,235 for the entry-level trim, it sounds like a rather attractive deal. But, with so many other crossover SUVs on the market and at a similar, if not lower, price point – particularly from countless other, more established and recognisable brands – is the OMODA 5 really worth considering? Well, having had a chance to drive it for a little while, it does share some growing pains of OMODA being a brand-new player in the UK and European markets. While it does have some slight quirks and issues, I still believe there’s hope for the OMODA 5 just yet. In short, for some SUV shoppers out there, it might be worth a look.
What Is The OMODA 5 Noble About?
Looking at it, the new OMODA 5 certainly has that same-ish modern-day crossover SUV silhouette… Aggressive, sharp, sporty, and raised up high. Nevertheless, it does feature some unique design touches to try and make the OMODA 5 stand out a bit more, like that massive front grille. This is probably the best way to tell apart the OMODA 5 from the all-electric E5. Look at one, and you’ll notice that the latter doesn’t have a grille, and the front bumper and the overall frontal fascia look slightly different, too. Elsewhere, you might also be able to tell that OMODA does take some inspiration from a few other brands, just from the front, in my opinion.
There’s the Thor’s Hammer-like headlights that Volvo’s made famous, or maybe there’s the Range Rover-y grille pattern and the text on the bonnet. At least the OMODA 5 does have a good presence on the road, and the big set of headlight clusters does look unique, as well. It looks fetching in this white paint too, especially when paired with the dark black lower-body trim pieces and rubber cladding, adding a robust appearance to the OMODA 5. When you move further back, that déjà vu feeling sets in again, as I noticed just how uncanny the taillight signatures are when you compare it to the new Nissan Qashqai. Remove the lightbar, and you might notice it, too.
Oh, and if you’re wondering about those big, shiny, chrome tailpipes, I’m quite sure they’re fake exhaust outlets. That said, overall, the OMODA 5 does look distinct, and I don’t really mind it. It might even catch some glances if you drive it enough. Size-wise, the new OMODA 5 is right around the same size as that aforementioned Qashqai, so it ought to be well-sized for UK and European markets, with our narrow roads and tiny city streets. Otherwise, aside from design, it’s what’s under the skin that matters more for me personally, so how well does the OMODA 5 feel to drive? More importantly, does putting a petrol engine make sense instead of the electric E5?
How Does It Drive?
On paper, the OMODA 5 sounds like it has a decent engine for its size and class. Under the bonnet, you’ll find its 1.6-litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol engine, with a modest 186bhp and 275Nm of torque. It sends power to the front wheels, through a 7-speed automatic transmission. In theory, it should manage a 0 to 62mph sprint in about 7.9 seconds, and onto a top speed of 121mph. Now, since the new OMODA 5 is sold in multiple markets around the world, there are varying different powertrain options and tunes. At the moment, this engine is the only one that you can get here in the UK, while other regions get to enjoy a more potent 290Nm torque output.
The latter explains the “290T” badge on the rear tailgate, even though it’s not an option here. Dynamically, just as its on-paper specs would suggest, the OMODA 5 isn’t a speed machine by any means of the imagination. A lot of the time, the new OMODA 5 did feel just a little bit slow, with its engine revving anytime you’re near the accelerator pedal. Once it does start moving, you do need to wait a bit before it gets up to speed properly. These limitations aren’t just down to the engine, mind you, as the transmission tuning shares some of the blame as well, so there are improvements that OMODA could stand to make here.
There’s a noticeable wait time before the transmission wakes up to shift into gear and deliver more power. Plus, you will only get power in the higher RPMs. With that in mind, for daily driving and commuting about town, the power on hand is sufficient to hoover you about. Though, don’t expect it to take off when you’re trying to exit a junction at speed, or are trying to pass another car on the motorway. Furthermore, the OMODA 5’s ride quality is pretty decent, too. Apparently, OMODA did a lot of testing and fine-tuning on UK and European roads for the suspension system and chassis. In the end, it’s comfy enough, soaking up some of the harsher bumps.
What Is It Like Inside?
The interior of the all-new OMODA 5 showcases that while “made in China” might typically draw some negative connotations, the cabin is actually very well put together. The upholstery and interior trim feels really nice and a touch premium for the price, with good use of materials throughout, and it even comes with some clever design tricks, to boot. For example, there’s a big suede tray to place your phone into, which has a wireless charging, as well as a cooling fan, too. The latter is a handy inclusion, given how hot most phones get when they’re charging wirelessly. Below the centre console, there’s a large, hidden cubby that you can stow away extra stuff into.
The attention to detail goes all the way down to how OMODA designed the seats too – especially supportive and comfortable to sit in and spend time in. As for tech, you’ll find two giant 10.25-inch displays on the dash, both of which are equally nice to use, with their pretty graphics and a slick, easy-to-use UI. The digital gauges for the driver are clean and legible to read. It’s nothing to write home about, but they’re both very functional. And, OMODA has included wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well. I also like how minimal, yet functionally useful, the cabin of the OMODA 5 is, down to the placement of the buttons and its minimalistic look.
From the uncluttered centre tunnel and its conventional gear shifter, it all makes for a car that you don’t have to spend a lot of time re-learning your muscle memory. From a more practical standpoint, the OMODA 5 does have nicely trimmed rear seats, and there’s a good amount of head-, knee-, and leg room for rear passengers. Further in the back, the boot space in the OMODA 5 is rather large, too. Additionally, if you’re okay with sacrificing some underfloor storage, you can optionally get a full-sized spare tyre for it. Alas, it’s not all roses and sunshine for the OMODA 5, as some of the techy bits and bobs that are meant to help you can be a bit of a hindrance.
The Experience
On that subject, one neat inclusion in this top-end Noble trim is a nice 360-degree surround-view camera system. It’s really handy for parking and navigating tighter spaces. On the other hand, I have found that it comes on way too often, and thus, covering the satnav or whatever else I’m doing with its infotainment system. Those cameras would show up every time I came anywhere near a traffic island or a junction. So, I hope OMODA would do some tweaking to make the system a tad less sensitive to randomly popping up. Moreover, the OMODA 5’s plethora of ADAS systems, in my experience, are equally a tad too overly sensitive and too intrusive to a degree.
But given that this is early days for OMODA here in the UK market, I hope they’ll also fine-tune this to make it a bit less sensitive. It’s at least worth bearing in mind if you’re test-driving one. I would also be remiss to not mention its good enough fuel economy figures. It’s rated for a WLTP (combined) fuel consumption of 31.4 mpg, though if you’re forced to hammer the throttle pedal all the time, then you’re likely not going to get that. I found, in my testing with mixed driving conditions, that I didn’t quite get into the 30s mpg. Of course, it’s not the end of the world, but I had hoped it would do a bit better.
OMODA 5 Noble Cost
For the UK market, you can spec the OMODA 5 in one of two trim levels… The entry-level Comfort trim starts at £25,235, and the Noble trim that I have here starts at £27,035. It’s neat to see that OMODA hasn’t skimped on standard equipment, as the Comfort trim has more than a handful of nice inclusions. These include those two 10.25-inch screens, a rear parking camera, front and rear parking sensors, 18-inch alloy wheels, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and an 8-speaker Sony audio system (which does sound rather good). On top of that, you also get privacy glass, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot detection, and an ADAS suite.
Granted, if you’re looking for more kit, the Noble trim does add a few nice-to-haves and quality-of-life upgrades on top of that. These include the 360-degree surround-view camera system, a power sunroof, some heated seats in the front, PM2.5 air purification, a power tailgate, and the headlights even greet you as you get closer to your car. Elsewhere, there are a couple of options that you could add to your Noble-spec OMODA 5, such as larger 19-inch alloy wheels, and even two-tone paint. All in all, that’s not bad value for a new car in today’s economy, and I’m also pleased that OMODA is throwing in a 7-year (or 100,000-mile, whichever comes first) warranty.
Verdict
As a whole, the OMODA 5 is a decently strong start for the OMODA brand here in the UK, although they have to deal with some growing pains. I’d say you ought to keep a close eye on how OMODA intends to iron out these rougher edges, at which point, I could see it being a rather competitive vehicle in its class and price point, with a few software tweaks it could be a gem. It’s a very practical car, and its interior is very well-designed and solidly put together. I could see this being a great daily driver, in good time.
Performance is adequate for regular use, and all the tech inside the OMODA 5 works well when you need it to. I have to give OMODA praise for how they’re pricing the spec’ing the OMODA 5 too, with minimal optional extras that you have to pour through, and a lot of equipment is included as standard for each trim level. The OMODA 5 is priced attractively for what it offers, and with a lengthy and comprehensive 7-year warranty, I can see it being a faithful long-term companion for some would-be owners. Nonetheless, I can’t help but wonder if its all-electric sibling, the OMODA E5, is a better buy instead, even if you’re rather wary of electric cars.
Specification
OMODA 5 Noble Specs
- Price: £27,035
- Engine: 1.6-litre turbo 4-cylinder petrol
- Power: 186bhp
- Torque: 275Nm
- Transmission: 7-speed DCT automatic
- 0-62mph: 7.9 seconds
- Top speed: 121mph
- Weight: 1,381kg
- Economy combined: 31.4 mpg (WLTP)
- CO2: 170 g/km