2024 Chery Omoda E5 review

The Chery Omoda E5 has been priced aggressively and undercuts the established BYD Atto 3 – its most natural competitor – but is trumped in price by the smaller MG ZS EV, currently Australia’s cheapest electric SUV.

The Chery Omoda E5 is equipped with a single motor mounted on the front axle to deliver 150kW and 340Nm and offers a claimed range of 430km (WLTP) from the 61.1 kWh Lithium Iron Phosphate battery.

On test it achieved energy consumption of 16.8kWh/100km, which is on par with most electric cars when heading on an extended drive with little opportunity for regenerative braking.

How much does a Chery Omoda E5 cost?

The Chery Omoda E5 is available in two variants: the BX at $42,990 and the EX at $45,990, plus on-road costs. Unlike other Chery models, the Omoda E5 does not come with national drive-away pricing.

Both vehicles feature a decent level of tech and standard features including dual 12.3-inch screens, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, inbuilt satellite navigation and wireless phone charger.

Chery Omoda E5 BX: specs and features

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• 18 advanced driver aids
• Dual 12.3-inch Instrument and Infotainment screens
• Inbuilt sat-nav
• Three drive modes
• Intelligent voice command
• 6 speaker Sony sound system
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• DAB+ radio
• Wireless phone charger
• LED exterior lighting
• Fabric seats with synthetic leather bolsters
• Full-size spare wheel

Chery Omoda E5 EX: additional features on top of the BX variant

•  Power tailgate
•  8 speaker Sony sound system
•  Puddle lamps
•  Ambient interior lighting
•  Black synthetic leather seats
•  360-degree camera
•  Heated front and rear seats (outboard)
•  Synthetic leather steering wheel with heating
•  Powered sunroof

Chery has confirmed the Omoda E5 will receive capped price servicing for the first seven years or 140,000kms travelled. Drivers who choose to service at one of Chery’s 21 Victorian dealers will visit every 12 months or 20,000kms and pay between $125.40 and $511.03 depending on the service required.

In addition to Chery’s seven-year unlimited kilometre vehicle warranty, the battery warranty is extended to eight years.

Chery Omoda E5 exterior design

The Chery Omoda E5 features the same futuristic exterior as its petrol-powered equivalent. Chery says the styling has been popular with its customers, so it's likely the appeal of the electric version will continue.

Both grades of the Omoda E5 feature 18-inch alloy wheels and will be available in a choice of five colours. The two grades are visually similar, with the primary distinction being the EX’s sunroof.

The charge port is located on the nose of the Chery Omoda E5, which may be perilous for local drivers that often encounter wildlife on the road, such as kangaroos. Time will tell whether this is the best place to locate an EV charge port in Australia - a damaged charge port would certainly put an EV immediately out of action. Chery has pledged to prioritise local spare parts for the Omoda E5 by keeping 95 per cent of parts on shore here in Australia.

Chery has also carefully considered the unique needs of Australian drivers by equipping the Omoda E5 with a full size spare – unheard of in the local EV market. Kudos to the local team for demanding that small but important inclusion.

What is the Chery Omoda E5 like inside?

The interior of the Chery Omoda E5 is well considered on both variants. There’s no leather interior available, with fabric seats with synthetic leather bolsters in the BX and synthetic leather on the EX. Each option is appealing, although we found the driver’s seat hard to adjust for taller drivers.

In the EX, both front and rear outboard seats are heated, as is the steering wheel.

The Chery Omoda E5 has the prerequisite infotainment screens which rely on various swipes to operate. Based on the test, this infotainment screen will require some learning for the owner to get the best out of the system. If you want to plug in your phone into the system then the sockets are located on the passenger side of the centre console, and therefore fiddly to access from the driver’s seat. However, the Omoda E5 does have wireless charging available to make life easier.

Overall, the interior of the Omoda E5 is well suited to smaller families and the boot space is decent. There’s a 19-litre frunk that keeps the charge cable out of the boot, while the boot itself offers up 300 litres of space with the seats up and can extend to 1079 litres with the rear seats folded. That’s not as much cargo capacity as the MG ZS EV or the BYD Atto 3, but you do get the all-important spare wheel.

Is the Chery Omoda E5 good to drive?

The Omoda E5 falls short in key areas, particularly in driving dynamics. Chery has taken on board negative feedback on its intrusive driver assistance systems, and carried out local engineering work to improve their calibration. But steering, suspension and damping have not been attended to by the local engineering team, and the lack of attention here has resulted in a small SUV which is bested in the driveability by most of its main competitors.

Steering is light and imprecise (and impacted by the aggressive lane keeping technology), while the suspension is soft and unresolved, and does little to absorb bumps on the country roads of Canberra’s outskirts.

Both variants of the Chery Omoda E5 we drove were also noisy on the road. The Chery Omoda E5 EX had wind noise from the rear and the sunroof, while the Chery Omoda BX rear-view mirror rattled while driving. There was also significant noise at speed from the BX around the A pillar, possibly coming from the wing mirrors.

Add to this Kumho EV tyres which were noisy on almost every road surface, and it was not hard to conclude that this is an EV that could benefit from some further refinement.

How safe is the Chery Omoda E5?

The Chery Omoda E5 safety tech mirrors the petrol version, as does its five-star ANCAP safety rating.

The Omoda E5 has a full suite of active and passive safety features, including driver, passenger, centre, front-side and side-curtain airbags.

There are 18 driving assist functions featured on the Omoda E5 including adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking and lane keeping assistance.

In practice, these systems on the Omoda E5 are unresolved and require improved calibration to match more expensive rivals such as the Kia EV5 or Hyundai Kona EV - although their audible alerts and the process to switch them off do wear thin.

How does the Chery Omoda E5 compare?

Australia is a competitive car market, and there are plenty of great small SUVs, medium SUVs and electric cars available. With that in mind, the Chery Omoda E5 has to be exceptional to recommend above its rivals, whether they are electric, hybrid, or petrol. 

While the price and package of the Chery Omoda E5 might be compelling, it's well worth considering extending the budget to reach the next tier of EVs and SUVs from brands including Kia, Hyundai and Toyota.

Or consider an alternative fuel option such as the larger BYD Sealion 6, a Chinese built plug-in hybrid which is more convincing to drive.

Should I buy a Chery Omoda E5?

Australian drivers expect their cars to be able to tackle local roads and the unique driving conditions presented. This is particularly important for new brands in Australia looking to capture market share.

Despite its compelling price point and features list, the Chery Omoda E5 needs further refinement for local roads before it earns a spot as one of the best small and compact SUVs to buy.