The C5 marks the entry of Chery's luxury sub-brand, OMODA, into the South African market. Since its highly anticipated launch in April 2023, the Omoda C5 has been gaining widespread popularity for its futuristic design and competitive pricing.
Design and features
The C5 embodies Chery's "Art in Motion" design language, showcasing a sleek and modern crossover SUV. Its glamorous profile, accentuated by an assertive front end and eye-catching red exterior accents on the Elegance S model, exudes high-end sophistication. Step inside, and you'll discover a host of upmarket features, including wireless CarPlay and Android Auto, intelligent voice command, and dual 10.25" high-resolution screens. The C5 gets a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating, thanks to its robust ultra-high tensile steel body that is said to withstand pressures exceeding 1,800 MPa.
Popularity
Since its arrival, the C5 has garnered significant attention throughout South Africa. In comparison to other Chinese crossovers, the C5 has emerged as a strong contender, offering major bang for your buck - but it's worth mentioning that the BAIC Beijing X55, one of its fiercest rivals, emerged victorious in the Compact Family Category in the 2023 SA Car of the Year Awards.
How does it drive, though?
According to my colleague Lawrence Minnie, who attended the local launch, it's a great product from an exterior, interior, and specification perspective, but the drivetrain itself lacks finesse. Here's what he had to say:
Chery took this fantastic package but then went with a CVT gearbox. Our launch drive route was a mixture of city driving, twisty country roads, and some open freeway driving and through all of it, the drone of the CVT was ever-present. With its snatchy low end and slippery high end, the vehicle either lurched forward in traffic or limited out at a 5000rpm drone if you wanted any kind of performance. We were able to switch off many of the audible warning tones, of which there was a plethora, and tone down the ADAS system so that it wasn't as intrusive and once you'd figured out the sweet spot on the CVT, and modulate the throttle input, were able to sit back and enjoy the drive, any deviation from this small safe haven though, left one gnashing the teeth.
The suspension was supple and ironed out the bad roads very well, with the brakes checking up the vehicle in good time when not fighting the CVT. Steering was light on centre with the ADAS (Automatic Driver Assistance System) keeping the vehicle in its lane. - Lawrence Minnie, AutoTraderSA
Future plans in SA
Chery has much in store for the Omoda C5 in SA. An electric version has already been introduced in left-hand-drive markets worldwide and could potentially make its way to right-hand-drive countries, including Mzansi. Chery SA has also taken a proactive approach by designating 30 Chery dealerships to support Omoda's growth in South Africa.
Models and Pricing
Omoda South Africa has now expanded the Omoda C5 range from three to five models including the introduction of Luxury and Luxury S grades. Prior to the introduction of these new models, the Omoda C5 range consists of the Tech, Elegance and Elegance S models. The new Luxury and Luxury S grades will slot in between the Tech and Elegance ranges. In terms of specifications and styling the new Luxury grade is similar to its Elegance siblings than to the Tech model. - OMODA SA
Chery offers the Omoda with a 5-year / 150 000km warranty and a 5-year / 70 000km service plan, along with its unbeatable 10-year / 1 Million km (to first owner) engine warranty.
Learn the differences between all five variants - View the full OMODA C5 spec sheet here.
| Omoda C5 1.5T 230T Tech | R 447 900 |
| Omoda C5 1.5T 230T Lux | R 447 900 |
| Omoda C5 1.5T 230T Lux S | R 479 900 |
| Omoda C5 1.5T 230T Elegance | R 507 900 |
| Omoda C5 1.5T 230T Elegance S | R 509 900 |
Verdict
Despite all the hype, if I were to buy myself a Chinese car, would probably settle for the BAIC Beijing X55 (read our review here) for now, which was developed in partnership with Daimler. Once Omoda irons out the above-mentioned CVT issue, I may change my mind. Don't forget to check back to AutoTrader for the full review when we get the Omoda C5 on a week-long test.
