2024 Chery Omoda E5: first electric SUV with full-size spare wheel

Fledgling Chinese brand Chery is hoping for a growth spurt with the imminent arrival of the EV version of the 2024 Chery Omoda 5 small SUV.

The all-electric Omoda E5 is shaping up to be the first EV SUV fitted standard with a full-size spare wheel, something Chery Australia managing director Lucas Harris believes will be a drawcard in the growing market segment.

“Having that full-sized spare is going to put people’s mind at ease,” said Harris of the Omoda E5 that’s due in dealerships around July.

“It’s a pretty popular feature which sometimes gets overlooked.”

While most EVs have tyre repair kits, the rival Hyundai Kona Electric gets a space-saver spare while Subaru plans to offer a full-size spare option on its recently-arrived Solterra EV.

But Chery will be the first to fit one as standard on an electric SUV.

The Omoda E5 is powered by a single 150kW/340Nm electric motor driving the front wheels, making it the performance hero of the growing Omoda range.

Claimed to hit 100km/h in 7.6 seconds, it has a WLTP range of 430km from a 61kWh battery.

Chery isn’t talking pricing for now but says the E5 will be “competitive” against key rivals such as the MG ZS EV (from $40,990 plus on-road costs) and BYD Atto 3 (from $48,011 plus ORCs).

“It’s probably going to be in the middle there somewhere,” said Harris, something that could lead to a sub-$50,000 drive-away price tag, popping it in the sweet spot of the EV market.

Chery will offer two model grades of the E5 – Standard and Premium – each sharing the same battery and motor.

Both get a 12.3-inch curved infotainment screen and panoramic sunroof, with the Premium adding more features and superior finishes.

Harris nominated the BYD Atto 3 as the sales target – and one Chery believes it can unsettle.

“Certainly our intention is to give them a run for their money,” he said of the Atto 3.

“We’ll price it competitively enough that we’ll get more than our fair share [of sales].”

While the Omoda E5 shares its overall shape and many components with the petrol-fed Omoda 5, it gets a different grille and headlights for a more futuristic look.

Inside, too, the E5 has a fresh centre console, among other detail changes.

Harris believes the Omoda E5 could sell many thousands annually in Australia, making it one of the higher-volume EVs in Australia.

Sales growth is key to Chery’s goals over the next few years.

The Omoda 5 and still-fresh Tiggo 7 are currently the only two models in the 70-strong dealer network, but the larger seven-seat Tiggo 8 is imminent and the sporty Omoda 5 GT is now on sale.

Chery believes the GT and E5 could double the sales volumes of the Omoda 5 compact five-seater, with the $38,990 drive-away GT making up about one-third of sales.

“That car delivers a fairly compelling value proposition and once it’s got a bit more time in market and a bit more brand awareness I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t be doing around 1000 vehicles a month,” said Harris.

Since hitting the market early in 2023, Chery has sold 5370 examples of the Omoda 5, giving it a modest 3.7 per cent of the sub-$45,000 small SUV segment.

The all-wheel drive GT model at $41,490 adds to the depth of the model line, with a 137kW/275Nm 1.6-litre turbo a decent step up on the 108kW/210Nm 1.5-litre turbo in regular Omoda 5 variants.

“We’ve had a fair amount of interest so far [in GT] … and there seems to be a strong amount of interest in the all-wheel drive version,” said Harris.

In a bid to grow sales Chery is also shifting its gaze towards fleets as it looks to muscle into the list of Australia’s top 10 best-selling brands.

“We haven’t been doing too much in the fleet space yet, so I think it’s still got … some opportunity there,” said Harris.

“It’s not something that we’ll be overly aggressive with [fleet], but we certainly see an opportunity there.”

Chery also plans to continue its focus on aftersales support, including spare parts and warranty support – something it believes can set it apart from other hard-charging value-focused brands.

The company says it has $15 million of parts stock to trim wait times for vehicles that need repairs.

“Ninety-six per cent of the time when a dealer orders a part we ship it, without having to put it on back order,” said Harris, adding that the aim was to get that to 98 per cent.

“All of our warranty and customer support are run out of Australia by local experts.”

He says it’s about building trust as part of a longer-term ploy to build loyalty.

“Having the decisions made here by local people, it allows us to pass the pub test,” he said.

“That sounds like the right thing to do – and that’s the feeling that we want to give to customers.”

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