Peter Lyon
March 9, 2024
The long wait is over. Cher’s new Omoda E5 has finally been officially released. The price of the Omoda 5 SUV’s electric sibling, at RM146,800, is substantially lower than the RM160,000 estimated price that was revealed when order books opened last month. The E5 will be the first Chinese CKD electric vehicle in Malaysia when local manufacturing begins in Q2 2024.
The E5 has only one variant and one powertrain, which has a front-mounted electric motor packing 204 ps and 340 Nm, propelling the SUV from zero to 100 km/h in 7.6 seconds. The battery is a 61 kWh lithium iron phosphate unit sourced from BYD, and claims to deliver 430 km of range in the WLTP cycle—although in the real world, that number will be closer to 380km. Claimed power consumption is 15.5 kWh per 100 km.
The “e-Future Ranger” offers two charging options. The first is a three-phase onboard AC charger with a maximum rate of 9.9 kW. The second delivers up to 80 kW of DC fast charging, which can charge your battery from 30% to 80% in just 28 minutes. Additionally, the car can deliver up to 3.3 kW to power electrical appliances and devices thanks to the vehicle-to-load (V2L) function. For outdoor activities or blackouts, the latter is helpful.
With the exception of the front end, where the E5 has an active grille shutter that opens and shuts in response to the cooling needs of motor temperature or aerodynamic considerations, the EV and the ICE-powered Omoda 5 have a similar appearance from every angle.
The E5 also features one-pedal driving support, a creep function and some tech called pocket brake, which activates emergency braking when the ‘Park’ button is depressed when driving. Chery also boasts that the E5 has safely passed special off-road tests including a ‘water wading test’ and ‘bottom scrapping test.’
The E5 boasts a plethora of optional features, including LED projector headlamps, 18-inch alloy wheels, a powered sunroof, a powered tailgate, puddle lamps, selectable drive modes, ventilated front seats, dual-zone climate control with a PM 2.5 filter and rear vents, dynamic ambient lighting, a 12.3-inch touchscreen and leather upholstery in a very nice blue and grey two-tone or all-black colour scheme, while a Sony eight-speaker system delivers sound.
One of the highlights is a “24.6-inch curved 2K HD dual-screen” specially produced by Chery. The Qualcomm 8155 system on chip (SoC) powers the infotainment system, which supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The E5 also incorporates features that we all expect these days including a 360-degree camera, adaptive cruise control, lead vehicle departure alert, lane departure warning, and prevention, lane keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert, autonomous emergency braking, lane change warning and prevention, and tyre pressure monitoring system.
Interested buyers should be aware that the first 2,000 bookings will get a complimentary 11 kW wallbox, V2L adapter, and RM1,000 worth of EVC roaming partners credit (including Gentari and ChargEV). Also notable is complimentary charging at all Chery dealerships.
CARLIST THOUGHTS
Watch out, the Chinese EV revolution is on the way—and the E5 is leading the pack. Boasting cool looks, decent range, quick charging infrastructure, and all the tech you’d expect, the Omoda EV delivers the complete electric package. And at a competitive price.
