Chery Omoda 5 GT AWD 2024 Review

As the buying public has come to recognise, the phalanx of Chinese vehicles entering the market presents massive price-saving opportunities. Quoting drive-away figures that most long-standing manufacturers simply cannot match, the Chery Omoda 5 small SUV is part of the changing shape of our volume car market.

In a segment where realisations and aspirations are shifting, yet still largely driven by practical needs rather than image or performance, the Chery Omoda 5 presents with an edgy, youthful vibe that tends to align it more with similar-size SUVs such as the Hyundai Kona, Mazda CX-30, Toyota C-HR, Haval Jolion and Volkswagen T-Roc than, say, a Mitsubishi ASX or Toyota Corolla Cross.

The Omoda 5 range comprises five models: The new 115kW 1.5-litre front-drive turbo FX, BX and EX at $27,990, $33,990, and $36,990 respectively, and two 137kW 1.6-litre GTs – in front-drive form at $38,990 and as an AWD at $40,990. All prices are drive-away.

The new GT is the star of Chery’s Omoda 5 show and is fitted out accordingly.

Inside the unarguably modish cabin there’s shapely leather-look seating with heating up front, six-way power adjustment for the driver (four-way for the front passenger), a twin-screen digital dash with both the centre touch-screen and driver display measuring 10.25 inches, dual-zone climate control, one-touch power windows throughout, and air vents for rear-seat passengers.

The GT gets a standard sunroof, 18-inch alloy wheels with red disc-brake callipers, LED headlights (non-auto-dipping), keyless entry/push-button start, a heated steering wheel and a power-operated boot lid.

Noise-reducing aerodynamics are used for the windscreen, while the rain-sensing wipers – according to Chery – function silently (this was a feature that prevailing weather conditions prevented us from trying).

The Omoda 5’s load space comprises a 360-litre boot that opens to a maximum 1075 litres with the rear seats folded, which makes it a bit less accommodating than Hyundai Kona, Mazda CX30 or Haval Jolion – although the AWD Omoda 5 GT‘s full-size alloy spare is a nice touch.

The Chery Omoda 5 GT AWD is covered by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, with up to seven years of roadside assistance (provided the car is serviced by an authorised Chery dealer), and seven years of capped-price servicing at one-year or 10,000km intervals. Over seven years, that adds up to a tad over $2,200.

The Omoda 5 was given a five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2022, scoring 87 per cent in adult occupant protection, 88 per cent for child occupant protection, 68 per cent in vulnerable road users testing and 83 per cent for its safety assist systems. The seven-airbag count includes a front centre bag.

Active safety tech comprises low-speed AEB, lane-departure warning with lane-keep assist, and emergency lane keeping, blind spot detection, rear cross-traffic alert with braking, driver attention detection, traffic jam assist, speed limit information with traffic-sign recognition, adaptive cruise control and a 360-degree surround-view camera.

Early question marks about some of the Omoda 5’s safety systems including lane-keeping and speed-warning appear to have been attended to by the company.

There’s a pretty full bag of connectivity technology that includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with wireless smartphone charging and a Siri-style “Hello Chery” voice-control system. Add a digital radio, a frameless auto-dimming rear-view mirror and eight-speaker Sony audio and not much is left unattended.

What’s not so user-friendly is the lack of inbuilt GPS, although for most that’s neither uncommon nor a deal-breaker as it’s available in the Omoda 5 GT through either Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. The touch-screen display is crisp and clear and generally intuitive, but there are plenty of diminutive graphics to decipher and some functions are only accessed by drilling down through the menus.

There are four USB points distributed through the front and rear of the cabin, plus two 12-volt outlets, one up front and one in the boot.

The bigger 1.6-litre turbo engine isn’t quite as punchy in Australia as its 145kW Chinese home-market equivalent, but it significantly bumps the kilowatts from the 1.5-litre’s 108kW to 137kW while raising the torque output from 210Nm to 275Nm. Injecting some extra driver engagement, the CVT transmission used in lower-level versions is swapped out, in both front-drive and AWD GTs, for a more engaging seven-speed dual-clutch system.

And that’s not all: In AWD form, the GT comes with an independent multi-link rear suspension, not the front-drive’s simple torsion-beam setup.

The upshot is that the 1535kg AWD Omoda 5 GT weighs a solid 105kg more than the front-drive GT – or 142kg more than the base 1.5-litre model.

Chery claims a combined fuel consumption of 7.4L/100km for the AWD Omoda 5 GT which is right on the money when compared with the bulk of its non-hybrid competitors such as the AWD 1.6-litre turbo Hyundai Kona Premium N-Line (7.6L/100km) and the front-drive 1.5-litre turbo Haval Jolion S (7.5L/100km).

And although our review vehicles recorded 8.0L/100km was encouragingly close to Chery’s claim, it’s worth noting that Chery advises the 1.6-litre engine should be fed with more-expensive 95 RON fuel. The 1.5-litre asks only for 91 RON.

Even with the increased power, AWD driveline and fully independent suspension, the Chery Omoda 5 GT AWD doesn’t come across as overly sporty. The AWD grip means costlier, heavier engineering and a lower power-weight ratio (down about 6kW/tonne) than the front-drive version, plus a $2000 price hike. The all-paw Omoda 5 GT gives and takes simultaneously.

Acceleration is quick but not startling, despite the over-reactive and sometimes unsettling throttle response suggesting otherwise – even in the two-mode driveline’s ECO setting. The seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox helps maximize the engine’s power delivery but doesn’t offer paddle-shifting. The all-disc braking system (ventilated at the front, solid at the rear) feels up to the task.

The Omoda 5 GT AWD’s road manners, despite the reasonably-substantial 215/55R18 tyres and the compliant MacPherson strut/multilink suspension, are best described as competent. The system feels under-damped and not especially well-adapted to Australian driving conditions, with some clunking evident on gnarly bitumen and a degree of road noise seeping through on coarse surfaces.

Irritating too, is the stop/start system’s sometimes-tardy activation that can leave the Omoda 5 GT momentarily stranded mid-stream in heavy traffic.

The electronic power steering is well-geared and responsive enough, but it’s so light that it offers no suggestion of the connected, sporty feel that might be expected of a small, low-riding SUV with a ground-hugging 140mm ground clearance. It’s hardly suited to even mild dirt-track ventures.

The Omoda 5 GT’s cabin aims for an upmarket presence, and, despite some touches of superficiality, it generally hits the mark.

Some things that might have been expected – lumbar adjustment and a tilting lower cushion on the driver’s seat for example – are missing, although there’s compensation in the use of soft-touch surfacing in places it’s not always seen, the touches of suede trim that can be found here and there, a characterful flat-bottom steering wheel and generally-tactile controls.

Cabin space is pretty good too, with the rear-seat legroom bringing no complaints – but there’s a downside - the support and general comfort of the front seats themselves becomes questionable after a couple of hours on the road.

The Omoda 5’s 360-litre boot is not particularly large – less commodious than a Hyundai Kona, Mazda CX-30, or Haval Jolion – but with the second-row seats folded flat it does open to a quite-useful 1075 litres.

There’s no question that the Chery Omoda 5 GT AWD presents an attractive face to the small-SUV market segment with its high standard equipment levels, massive warranty, and enticing drive-away pricing.

The AWD version’s promise of a hot-performing all-paw SUV isn’t really delivered, but there can be no question that the Cherys we see today, and will see tomorrow, are a far cry from the underwhelming first attempts at getting the brand up and running back in 2011.

Given that it’s not really a hi-po SUV in the first place, it’s probably worth considering whether the AWD GT version justifies its $2000 impost over the similarly-equipped and identically-powered but slightly cheaper and quicker front-driver.

2024 Chery Omoda 5 GT AWD at a glance:
Price: $40,990 drive-away
Available: Now
Engine: 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 137kW/275Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 7.4L/100km
CO2: 176g/km
Safety rating: Five-star (2022)

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