2023 Chery Omoda 5: Australian details

The 2023 Chery Omoda 5 will finally hit Australian showrooms in late in March, when it will initially be offered in two model grades, backed by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty and sold via a 40-strong national dealer network.

Pricing is yet to be confirmed, but Chery says it is aiming for drive-away pricing in the low-$30,000 bracket for the regular Omoda 5. The better-equipped Omoda 5 EX will be priced somewhere around $35K drive-away.

The all-new compact SUV marks the relaunch of the Chery brand, which has aspirations of selling 75,000 cars annually by 2027, in turn tackling the sales might of Toyota, Mazda, Kia and others.

The Chery Omoda 5 is the first of at least three new models to come from Chery; late in the year the aspirational Chinese brand will launch the five-seat Tiggo 7 Pro mid-size SUV and the larger seven-seat Tiggo 8 Pro.

There will also be more powerful EX+ versions of the Omoda 5, one of which will get all-wheel drive.

Chery Australia says it is planning to command a market share of about eight per cent share in the segments it competes in. That would mean around 10,000 annual sales for the Omoda 5, something that would make the fledgling brand a significant player in the sub-$40K compact SUV segment – the fifth best seller among more than 20 competitors.

It would also mean outselling popular models from established players, including the Subaru XV (soon to be Crosstrek), Toyota C-HR and Kia Seltos.

But Chery believes it has a compelling proposition that beats competitors on value, including a marginally wider compact SUV body; it is 4400mm long, 1830mm wide and 1588mm high.

Standard gear on the Omoda 5 includes 18-inch alloy wheels, smart key entry, fake leather trim, a powered driver’s seat, wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and identically-sized central infotainment screen.

The Omoda 5 EX adds a powered passenger seat, sunroof, powered tailgate, heated front seats, heated steering wheel, 360-degree camera, additional LED lighting and red design highlights.

Each variants will be covered by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, seven-year capped price service plan and seven-year roadside assistance.

The Omoda 5 will initially be offered with a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine making 115kW and 230Nm and consuming a claimed average 6.9L/100km.

It drives the front wheels through a CVT automatic transmission and runs on regular 91-octane fuel.

Later this year Chery will bring a more powerful 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo engine in both front- and all-wheel drive guises. In China that engine makes 145kW and 290Nm.

The Omoda 5 will compete with other compact SUVs, including the Mazda CX-30 that is priced from $30,210 before on-road costs. Other rivals include the Hyundai Kona (from $26,900), Kia Seltos (from $29,500), Toyota Corolla Cross (from $33,000), Toyota C-HR (from $31,715), Volkswagen T-Roc (from $37,100), Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross (from $31,490) and GWM Haval Jolion (from $28,490).

The budget-priced MG ZS is the top-seller with a sharp $22,990 drive-away price tag.

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