Omoda C5 GT (2023) First Drive Review, C9 Preview and Jaecoo J7 and J8 Reveal
Fancy a faster and more fierce-looking Omoda C5? The limited edition GT model has just been released, and other SUV models from sister company Jaecoo are also coming our way. We drove the C5 GT on launch.
Since the fashionable and glamorous Omoda C5 arrived earlier this year, the AutoTrader team has been quite busy answering questions about this Chinese vehicle, which happens to be an opulent Chery sub-brand. Its combination of head-turning looks, a punchy drivetrain, extensive on-board safety features, and convenience technology at a pocket-friendly price is proving to be a winner in South Africans’ books, despite the fact that consumers don’t know much about the brand. (Here are top 3 things you need to know about the OMODA C5)
What makes the Omoda C5 GT different from the C5?
Following in the successful footsteps of the ‘normal' C5 with its 1.5-litre (115kW) turbocharged turbo petrol engine (like the one in the image above), comes the new limited edition Omoda C5 1.6TGDI 290T GT, priced at R589 900. It’s faster, offering 145kW and 290Nm from its 1.6-litre turbocharged powerplant for a sprint from 0 - 100 km/h in a claimed 7.8 seconds, and it looks sexier, too, with side skirts, a lower front bumper, split front headlights, T-shaped DRLs, and ‘urban flowing matrix’ LED taillights.
Search AutoTrader for OMODA C5 models here
The exterior also dazzles with rose gold GT badging, 18-inch rose-gold alloy wheels, rose gold Omoda lettering, and a gold strip below the edge of the bonnet and around the dual exhaust. And then there is the pièce de résistance, a massive rear wing that gives off supercar vibes to enhance its avant-garde appearance.
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According to Shannon Gahagan, National Brand and Marketing Manager of OMODA SA, the GT model offers up to eight different exterior customisations. If you choose the full styling package described above, you will pay another R10k, for a total cost of R599,900.
What’s the Omoda C5 GT like inside?
The interior looks more or less the same as its ‘regular’ counterparts, with beige piping on the edges of the black leather seats. There’s plenty of piano black trim, dual 26 cm screens that form a single unit, a large wireless charging pad in the centre, dual-zone climate control, ambient lighting, power seats, a strangely positioned USB-A and USB-C port (they’re both on the passenger’s side), and a virtual, voice-activated assistant that doesn’t seem to grasp the South African accent very well. Still, then again, this is an issue for most cars, not just Chinese ones. Plus, there’s wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Is the OMODA C5 good for families?
Driving the 'regular' Omoda C5
Both the current C5 and new GT variants were available on launch.
We first hopped in the existing 1.5-litre turbocharged, garden variety Omoda C5 for a pleasant drive from The Vineyard Hotel in Wynberg to a coffee shop in Scarborough. The C5 handles securely, with a fizzy powertrain and light steering suited to urban environments. Sport mode can be selected for a meatier steering feel, but don't expect Lexus NX or BMW X4 dynamics. It does the job easily, and that's all that matters.
Omoda C5 (2023) Launch First Drive Review
While some of my colleagues in the industry complained about the CVT transmission’s calibration and that typical CVT drone (i.e., noise) at higher speeds, the former isn’t going to be very noticeable to the average car buyer, especially not the kind of person the C5 range is aimed at.
Admittedly, there is the incessant beeping from the vast array of safety systems, such as the lane departure system (and others), but all of these can be switched off one by one by first accessing the settings icon, which can be found on the elongated touchscreen. Once my co-pilot deactivated all of them, the drive was pleasantly quiet and irritation-free.
OMODA C5 1.5T 230T Elegance (2023) review
The digital instrument cluster’s display of other surrounding traffic is reasonably effective, but the distances don’t always seem to add up. However, it’s something you definitely don’t see in most other cars in this price range, and the quality of the graphics on the infotainment system's view is good too.
Omoda C5 vs Honda BR-V vs. Mitsubishi ASX - running cost shootout
Driving the Omoda C5 1.6TGDI 290T GT model
After a quick stop at Scarborough’s holistic coffee shop, we exchanged our white 1.5T C5 for a metallic royal blue 1.6-litre turbocharged GT model. Still, I couldn’t help noticing that the rose gold OMODA lettering on the boot lid and GT badging on the side hadn’t been properly secured. The GT lettering also appeared to be made of plastic and not metal.
Download the Omoda C5 GT Brochure here
Driving the GT model proved to be engaging and fun. The nippy 145 kW powerplant allows highway driving and flitting nimbly through Cape Town’s congested streets and highways. In this model, petrolheads will be pleased to hear that a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox takes care of the heavy lifting and not the so-called “irksome” CVT. However, some wind noise emanated from the voluminous wing on the back.
The rear seat lacks legroom if you’re taller than about 1.7 cm, but the OMODA is a compact SUV (and the GT model is no smaller inside than the rest of the C5 range), and usually, the kiddos will ride in the back anyway.
For reference, there’s about as much room on row two as you’d find in a Renault Duster. The boot is generously sized for the segment, and will easily fit up to four people's holiday luggage if they travel lightly, and you’ll easily lift a baby buggy into it.
As for headroom, my co-driver, who is 1.92 metres tall, found that his hair touched the roof lining even with the driver’s seat in its lowest position. Fortunately, most South Africans aren’t nearly that tall.
Verdict
My two brief stints in the Omoda C5 and Omoda C5 GT proved insightful. While it is known that Korean cars are specified to the hilt, the Chinese take it to a whole other level. But will these cars last like their Korean and German counterparts do? It’s too soon to tell; we have no idea what after-sales service is like, although Shannon Gahagan says that the brand is determined to build a personal relationship with each customer and not just be in touch when the customer (hopefully) wants to trade in his or her car every couple of years.
View ALL OMODA C5 news and advice
With Chery as their parent company, Omoda benefits from the same 1-million-kilometre warranty for first owners, which is appealing. But how will these owners feel about their Omoda models two years down the line? Only time will tell, but for now, the Omoda looks good and is priced right, especially for Mzansi’s value-seekers.
The C5 is sold with a 5-year/150 000 km warranty, a 5-year/70 000 km service plan, and a first-owner-only 10-year/1 million km engine warranty. Here is the pricing for the entire range:
1.5T Tech: R447,900
1.5T Lux: R477,900
1.5T Lux S: R479,900
1.5T Elegance: R507,900
1.5T Elegance S: R509,900
1.6T GT: R589,900 (with premium paintwork)
1.6T GT with bespoke kit and paintwork: R599,900
"The OMODA C5 GT will be available in limited quantities. Each of these limited editions features a power boost and sporty exterior enhancements, making them unique collectibles." - OMODA
What is covered under the OMODA C5's manufacturer warranty?
But wait! There's more: The Omoda C9 will be joining us in 2024
The biggest head-turner at the event was the upcoming Omoda C9, which will be the brand’s new flagship. You can expect Lexus-like seating, upholstery, layout, and overall interior design, with the usual plethora of cutting-edge Chinese tech, and then some.
While pricing has not been released, a little bird from Omoda told me that this vehicle will be surprisingly affordable, undercutting its premium Japanese and German competitors significantly.
JAECOO is coming our way too
Did you know that Jaecoo is also a sub-brand of Chery, making OMODA their sister company? On the C5 GT launch, there were also two impressive-looking Jaecoos on display: The medium-sized J7 SUV (with plenty of Land Rover Defender/Velar design cues, especially inside) and the larger, impressive J8, a large six-seater SUV, with elements of Volvo, Mercedes, and Range Rover thrown in for good measure. These cars will be making their way to SA in 2024.
I found the J7 the most agreeable of all; it’s a good-looking softroader aimed at active families, and it grabbed my attention immediately. The interior seems to be of high quality; it’s nice and spacious, and the cargo area offers decent room for more than just the school run paraphernalia.
The J7, the brand’s first crossover, has already been on sale in Russia since October 2023, where it’s available in front-wheel-drive as well as AWD configurations, offering four trim levels, and fitted with a 1.6-litre turbocharged engine—probably the same unit employed in the Omoda C5 GT. I’m quite excited to get this car on the road. (The JAECOO app is already on Google Play.)
“While our product rollout in South Africa will commence with the eagerly anticipated J7 early in 2024, there’s plenty more to come from the brand. Later next year, for instance, JAECOO will also launch the new, larger J8, which was revealed in Qatar as recently as October and is packed full of more segment-redefining features, from an ultra-smart curved infotainment screen to row-specific climate control. Furthermore, the J7 PHEV is set to be introduced in Q3 2024, before the flagship J8 arrives in Q4 2024.” - Shannon Gahagan
Watch this space for more details on these new cars as well as upcoming reviews of the new Omoda C5 GT model.
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