2025 Chery Omoda E5 EV to undercut BYD Atto 3 on price

Challenger brand Chery’s first electric car, the 2025 Chery Omoda E5 small SUV, will start from under $43,000 before on-road costs when it arrives in dealerships this month.

Available in two model grades and backed by a seven-year warranty, the Omoda E5 starts at $42,990 for the entry level BX and extends to $45,990 for the more richly equipped top-spec EX.

Both versions boast more power and a longer WLTP driving range than their key rivals, the MG ZS EV and BYD Atto 3, thanks to outputs of 150kW/340Nm and the ability to travel 430km on a single charge.

Unlike Chery’s other vehicles, however, which have nationwide drive-away pricing, the Omoda E5 instead carries an MSRP figure meaning buyers will need to pay additional on-road costs.

Chery’s local boss, Lucas Harris, said the discrepancy in on-road charges between Australia’s states and territories for an electric car made it too complex to list one nationwide drive-away figure.

“My personal preference would be to have a national drive-away price,” said Mr Harris. “But on our website we will offer state-based drive-away pricing and we think the MSRP is quite competitive.”

Armed with a large 61.1kWh battery pack, the Omoda E5 is powered by a single electric motor on the front axle and can be recharged from 30-80 per cent in 28 minutes on an 80kW DC fast charger.

The Omoda E5 also carries the distinction of being one of the few electric cars in the country to come with a full-size spare wheel, which was requested specifically for our market by Chery’s local arm.

Today’s pricing announcement means the Omoda E5 is $1509 cheaper than its key Chinese rival, the BYD Atto 3, which starts at $44,499 for the Standard trim level. The Atto 3 also has less torque than the Chery (310Nm vs 340Nm) and has a WLTP driving range of 345km, which is 85km shorter.

The Omoda can’t match the MG ZS EV for outright value, however, after MG recently dropped its price to start from a razor-sharp $34,990 drive-away.

But rather than engage its competitors in a ‘race to the bottom’ on price, Chery says its local strategy is to improve the value of its cars by including a high level of equipment as standard.

As such, even the entry-level Omoda E5 BX scores a curved widescreen display that combines twin 12.3-inch screens, in-built sat-nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 6-speaker Sony sound system, DAB+ digital radio, a wireless phone charger and fabric seats with artificial leather bolsters.

Outside, there are LED lights front and rear as well as 18-inch alloy wheels.

Stepping up to the top-spec EX adds a power sunroof, automatic tailgate, black synthetic leather on the seats and steering wheel, heated seats in both rows, ambient interior lighting, puddle lamps, an 8-speaker Sony sound system, and a high-resolution 360 surround view monitor.

Both versions of the Omoda E5 score an extensive active safety suite that Chery says combines 18 advanced driver aids. The brand has also conducted extensive local testing on the calibration of these advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and has tuned them to be less intrusive for Australian roads.

“There’s a huge difference in how ADAS performs compared to what we had only 18 months ago,” said Mr Harris.

The Chery Omoda E5 is yet to receive a crash test rating, however the brand did say an ANCAP safety result will arrive in the coming months.

“We expect to see an ANCAP rating by the end of the year,” said Mr Harris. “I think it’s reasonable to assume we’ll continue our current trend [for safety ratings].”

The petrol-powered Chery Omoda 5, which was co-developed with the electric version, does carry a five-star ANCAP rating which was awarded in 2022.

Servicing intervals are every 12 months or 20,000km and range between $130 for a minor service and $511 for a major service. The total cost for seven years of servicing is $1586.

Like all new Chery models, the Omoda E5 carries a 7 year/unlimited km warranty and also includes 7 years of capped price servicing and 7 years roadside assistance. The battery, meanwhile, has an 8 year/unlimited km warranty period.

How much does the 2024 Chery Omoda E5 cost?
Omoda E5 BX - $42,990
Omoda E5 EX - $45,990
* Prices exclude on-road costs

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