Chery Omoda 5: First of all, quite normal

“Omoda”? How does a car get such a name? It goes back to the idea of ​​Chinese Relations strategists. As an internationally organized brand, “Omoda” was selected from over 10,000 nominations from 30 different countries. In the best marketing rhymes, it is made up of “O”, which should stand for oxygen, for new life and vitality. “Fashion” therefore comes from modernity and life. To find out the expectations and wishes of such a car, Chery’s parent company said it conducted more than 1,200 photo and lifestyle surveys with more than 10,000 people.

The Omoda 5, which rolls off a highly automated assembly line in Wuhu, China, wants to compete in the SUV and crossover markets – with prices starting at less than 27,000 euros. At dealers in Spain it is already available with high-quality equipment for less than 28,800 euros in new showrooms and cool blue light. According to Charlie Zhang, Vice President of Chery, it should compete with cars like the Cupra Formentor.

In return, you get an SUV that is already well-equipped in the basic version and has a standard design – apart from the radiator grille, which looks like it can absorb tons of krill and small pets. Length 4,424 mm – that’s not more than the VW Golf has. A body with a coupe-like roof, curved side moldings and narrow headlamps visually stretch the Omoda 5 and give it a sporty touch. The rear lights are designed in a third direction from the back and extend the entire width of the car. When it comes to safety, it can get points immediately: it came out of the NCAP crash test with five out of five stars.

Nothing shakes, everything fits

Inside, the Omoda 5 looks neat and is not full of beautiful and impractical tricks like many models of new cars from China. Instead of a screen display that resembles a drive-in movie, there is a 10.25-inch free-standing digital cockpit in front of the driver as well as another screen of the same size for navigation systems etc. Everything is easy to do. read, everything is intelligently designed. Touch-sensitive switches for functions such as air conditioning and so on are negotiable. At least their functions aren’t hidden deep in the program’s menu tree. The rotating equipment makes a high impression – nothing vibrates, everything fits.

When it comes to assistance systems, Chinese engineers once again found it difficult to control themselves: the tolerance for speed warning or lane keeping is set so badly that it always feels like there is a beep somewhere. But it is true that there are worse things from the Chinese toys on our streets. The space is adequate for the compact class: it is almost generous in the front, not quite luxurious in the back, but not too tight. Not least thanks to the wheelbase of 2,630 mm.

The plug-in hybrid comes before the BEV

Behind the large radiator grille and its honeycomb grille is a 1.6-liter turbo four-cylinder engine with 145 kW or 197 hp and a maximum torque of 290 Nm. That is enough for a top speed of 220 km / h and acceleration from a standstill to highway speed in seven seconds. The official consumption per 100 kilometers is not very economical at 7.5 liters. Two 7-speed clutches ensure accurate power transmission, keeping the SUV running smoothly and without noticeable gear changes. A few adjustments are still needed. On the road, for example, the correct operation, which is quite suitable for Europe, requires constant adjustment of automatic stability. And when you step on the accelerator it takes too long for the Omoda 5 to keep up. A plug-in and eventually an electronic-only version is already in the pipeline – with a less intimidating front end.

Chery’s vice president Charlie Zhang assures us that they are here to stay. Following the example of other car brands from Asia, the company has established its own research and engineering center in Germany to adapt its cars to the wishes and needs of European customers. In Raunheim near Frankfurt/Main, around 80 workers are currently unloading Chinese cars for Europe. Ascending direction.

“He came to stay”

The Omoda brand is supported by Chery, one of the largest car manufacturers in China. Chery has had a joint venture with Jaguar Land Rover in China since 2012. In fiscal year 2022, global sales were about 28 billion US dollars, and about 42 billion dollars were planned for 2023. No other car manufacturer from the Middle Kingdom sells out such a large amount. Chery, founded only in 1997, delivered about 1.9 million vehicles a year to 80 countries around the world last year. Now things should continue not only in emerging countries, but also in Europe. The plan is to launch three brands with around a dozen models, combustion engines as well as electric vehicles: Omoda, Jaecoo and – for high demand – Exlantix. The petrol version of the Omoda 5 starts this spring, first in Spain.