CHERY is the fifth largest Chinese automobile manufacturer and biggest car exporter with around a million units per year finding homes across the globe.
Much like Volkswagen, they have a number of brands, of which two are quite new and will fill the crossover and SUV niches in our market.
The Omoda brand or range is almost the cherry on top of the Chery cake, the more premium city crossover range.
The compact-to-medium-sized model is the C5, of which we reviewed the GT iteration, a good- looking, swept-back crossover. Pleasing to the eye inside and out. Although it is subjective I would give Omoda a 5 out of 5 for the styling of the C5.
The interior is very practical and ergonomically laid out. There is very useful storage, like a space below a ‘bridge’ which has a place for a phone charging mat high up, but hidden below an additional space which is useful for keys or padkos or a notebook. There is a bottle holder in the door and cupholders between the seats. A clever use of different textures lends an air of opulence to the cabin surfaces. Those surfaces which should be soft to the touch are.
The switches are all easy to use and the touchscreen menu system is easy to learn.
Like most manufacturers, Omoda claims a frugal 6,8 L/100km as a possible average consumption. Which is not too far off the 7,8L/100 km I got on a trip up to Clanwilliam. In town I did about 8,3 L/100 km, which is not too bad.
A 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine coupled to a 7-speed dual-clutch auto delivers 145kW of power and 290Nm to the wheels. Chery says the C5 will reach 100km/h in 7,62 seconds rolling on the Apollo 215/55 R18 tyres. In practice the C5 is pleasant to drive and accelerates well in gear for overtaking. Visibility is good and the steering is light in town, making parking easy.
I have three caveats or issues with the C5. In the week I had the car I could not set the driver’s seat up the way I think it should be. As a result, I got a stiff knee and hip on any longish trip. Secondly, the interior rear window and image in the roof mirror are small and take a bit of getting used to. The accelerator (throttle mapping) was, I think, over sensitive and combined with the automatic braking system resulted in a hesitation followed by a jump every time you pull away, until you learn to cope. My biggest gripe was with the cruise control on the uphills. It really hunts for the right gear and throttle setting, with the result that the revs fluctuate by up to 1000 RPM at times when it, for instance, jumps from seventh to fifth and then back to sixth. This may be a car-specific issue as other journalists have not mentioned it.
The Omoda C5 GT is a bit of a standalone-model at R589 900. The other C5 models have different engines, gearboxes and so on.
The C5 Style lists at R359 900 and the Lux at R477 900. The Lux S is listed at R479 900, while the Elegance is R507 900 and the S R509 900. All these versions have a 1.5 TCI motor coupled to a CVT box. You are looking at 115 kW and 230Nm with a claimed consumption of 6,9 L/100 km. Each trim level adds more items to an already fairly good offering in the base model. The big difference is the drive assist kit on the Elegance models. I almost think the sweet spot is the Style trim.
The C5 GT feels powerful and handles quite well but tends to be a bit jittery on uneven surfaces. Not a driver’s car. It is not quite what a GT should be but is pretty stylish. Great for people who want a good-looking gutsy car.
The competition includes the Jaecoo J7, Chery Tiggo 4 Pro, Haval Jolion, Toyota Corolla Cross, Mazda CX-30, Kia Seltos, Opel Mokka, Nissan Qashqai, BAIC Beijing x55, Volkswagen T-Roc and Citroën C5. Quite a list, but it means you can get exactly what you want.
Each C5 has a 5-year/150 000km warranty, a 2-year/25 000km service plan, and an additional 10-year/1-million km engine warranty for the first owner.
