Chinese brand Omoda enters the SUV C-segment with this car, the Omoda 5. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Review

The Omoda 5 aims to offer something just a little different for customers seeking a Qashqai or Kona-class compact family SUV. There's a choice of combustion or EV powertrains, striking design and a strong value proposition. If you like the looks, it might be tempting.

Background

So. Yet another Chinese brand for you to consider. Omoda is part of the Chery group, probably the biggest Chinese automotive player you've never heard of. It's China's biggest car exporter, which is quite an achievement when you consider the other brands from this market - names you might be more familiar with like the SAIC corporation's MG marque, BYD, GWM Ora and NIO. Unlike in other global markets, 'Chery' branding won't be used in Europe, where the cars from this conglomerate will be marketed under the Omoda badge, a name derived from two sources; 'O' is for 'oxygen' (supposed to give an enviro-vibe) and 'moda' denotes fashion, apparently keynote for a marque that aims to focus on trendiness. We're going to get a whole series of Omoda models over the next few years (most of them EVs) but the first of them is the car we look at here, the Omoda 5, engineered in both combustion and EV forms. It's a compact crossover aimed at cars like the Nissan Qashqai and the Hyundai Kona. Let's take a closer look.

Driving Experience

The core Omoda 5 models are the most affordable 1.6-litre petrol version and the EV variant. This design has been engineered to accept a petrol Hybrid unit too, so most of the major bases seem to be covered. The conventional petrol version uses a 1.6-litre four cylinder turbo unit with 187bhp and 275Nm of torque transmitted through the front wheels via a 7-speed dual clutch auto gearbox. The 62mph from rest sprint occupies 7.8s. A four-wheel-drive version is offered in other markets but there's no sign yet of that being available here. Handling was developed in Europe and benchmarked against what the brand sees as this car's closest rival the Hyundai Kona. The suspension, steering and anti-roll bars have all been re-tuned over the Chinese market model to cater for differing European tastes. Don't expect cutting-edge handling or particularly feelsome steering but the drive dynamics will certainly be class competitive. There are various drive modes provided: obviously, to get anywhere near to the quoted efficiency stats, you'll need to spend most of your time in the 'Eco' setting. On that subject, if you'd prefer to look at the EV version, you'll find it powered by single front-mounted 201bhp motor. That's energised by a 61.4kWh battery that when fully charged is claimed to be able to take the car up to 257 miles. Later, a 48kWh variant with a lesser 134bhp motor will also be offered.

Design and Build

Omoda is determined that fashionable design should be a major selling point of its models, which is why you'd be unlikely to mistake the Omoda 5 for anything else. Certainly not the two cars this 4-metre-long compact family crossover is primarily pitched against, the Nissan Qashqai (which is slightly longer) and the Hyundai Kona (which is a little shorter). The main visual talking point is a huge grille which is almost completely flush with the front bumper. The rear gets a full-width light bar and if you opt for the plusher 'Noble' spec level, you get various red-coloured external trim elements. All models have a rakish profile with blanked-out C-pillar. And the EV version gets a bespoke front grille and modified side wings. Inside, where everything is of surprisingly high quality for a mainstream brand, there's a high-mounted 10.25-inch infotainment screen. And a digital instrument cluster of the same size built into a single wide panel mounted on top of the dashboard. You're going to need to like smudge-worthy gloss black-trimmed panelling, but everything is decently screwed together and the things you interact with regularly are soft to the touch. Plus there's adjustable ambient lighting that varies itself with the selected drive mode. Despite the gently sloping rear roofline, there's plenty of headroom in the back, even with a sunroof fitted. And decent leg room for six-footers too. Out back, there's a 378-litre boot, though that falls to just 292-litres in the EV version (basically supermini-sized). The trunk area lacks bag hooks but gets a low loading lip, so it's easier to slide heavy items in.

Market and Model

Unlike its Chinese counterpart BYD, Omoda isn't immediately trying to match prices against the established players in this segment. The Omoda 5 petrol model in base 'Comfort' form costs £24,000, with a further £3,000 required for the plusher 'Noble' version with all its red exterior coloured trim elements. Expect the E5 EV variant to start at around £33,500. You might expect a new largely-EV brand to be selling online, with agency models and subscription services. But no: Omoda will be selling its cars here via traditional dealerships, with 50 open at launch and double that number by the end of 2024. They cover most major UK centres and you can find your nearest one by going to omodauk.com. The brand has lent heavily on advice from its partner Jaguar Land Rover for its launch into the UK; Omoda parent company Chery handles local Chinese production of the Evoque, the Discovery Sport and Jaguar's XF and XE models for that Far Eastern market. As you'd hope, there's lots of equipment included as standard. Like powerful LED headlights with T-shaped daytime running lights. And matrix taillights with 3D-effect illumination. Inside, the sporty front seats can be heated and ventilated and feature a variety of electrical adjustments. As you'd want, there's a full suite of intelligent ADAS systems for driver assistance. The portfolio includes adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane keeping and automatic low/high beam switching.

Cost of Ownership

You shouldn't have particularly high expectations for efficiency when it comes to the base 1.6-litre petrol turbo Omoda 5. This four-cylinder engine is something of a stop gap (and will probably be eventually replaced by a Hybrid). It manages very unremarkable figures; 31.4mpg on the combined cycle and 170g/km CO2. Which might encourage you to find the extra the brand wants for the EV version. This uses a 61.4kWh battery with a claimed range of 257 miles. It only charges at up to 80kW but will replenish itself from a DC public charger from 10 to 80% in 40 minutes. Most new brands offer comprehensive warranties and this one is no different. Omoda includes a 7 year/100,000 mile warranty with all its cars. As for servicing for the petrol model, the service needs to be done at either 6,213 miles (10,000km) or 6 months, whichever comes first. The second service will be at 15,534 miles (25,000km) or after the first year, whichever comes first. After the second service, the intervals are every 15,534 miles or 12 months from the last service, whichever happens first.

Summary

The Omoda brand is here for the long haul. This 5 model will shortly be joined by the Omoda 3 (Puma-sized) and the Omoda 7 (Sportage-sized), before the model line-up is completed by the Cayenne-sized Omoda 9. Chinese owners are often referred to as 'Omoders' and get access to a special 'O-Club', a social platform for 'brand experiences' that will be replicated in Europe. The kind of 'brand experience' you can expect from an Omoda 5 is likely to see you in possession of a car that compensates for largely unexciting engineering with rather striking looks. It'll be fully equipped, well-warrantied, decently built and probably metronomically reliable. It's also just a little bit different from the Qashqai or Kona-class compact family SUV you might just have been about to sign up for. Which makes this Chinese newcomer worth a look.