Omoda launched in South Africa with eye catching prices

Like Lexus is to Toyota, Omoda has been launched in South Africa as the flagship brand of Chery.

The Chinese marque promises increased levels of luxury and finishes than regular Chery cars and the first product is the Omoda C5, a compact crossover which goes on sale this week in three 1.5l petrol turbo derivatives.

According to Chery, the letter “O” from Omoda is derived from the word “oxygen” while “Moda” means “modern”.

Omoda will be a separate business unit from Chery South Africa with more than 33 Omoda dealers to be established nationwide.

The vehicle boasts ultra-modern styling with a bold “diamond matrix” grille, a wedge-shaped roofline and thin, arrow-shaped head and tail lamps with smart LED illumination.

The modern and minimalist interior is heavily digitised, including dual 10.25-inch screens that act as the infotainment touchscreen and driver display.

At 4,400mm long, the Omoda C5 competes in a bustling market segment and has eye-catching pricing that undercuts the opposition, including compact crossovers such as the Citroën C5 Aircross, Kia Sportage, Peugeot 3008, Mazda CX-5, Proton X50, Volkswagen Tiguan and Chery Tiggo 7 Pro. The entry-level Omoda costs just R10,000 more than the basic Tiggo 7 Pro and might be poised to steal sales from its less premium cousin.

The Omoda models all come highly specced and the entry-level Tech model is fitted standard with 17-inch alloy wheels, dual zone automatic air conditioning, vinyl/cloth seats, infotainment with Apple Car Play and Android Auto, wireless smartphone charger, keyless entry and start, cruise control and front and rear parking sensors. It also has voice control for features such as opening and closing the windows.

The safety fare in all three versions comprises ABS brakes, stability control and six airbags.

Moving up to the Elegance model increases the alloy wheel size to 18 inches and adds features such as a powered sunroof, electric tailgate (both of which can be opened and closed by voice control), leather seats, electrically adjustable front seats with ventilation, a premium eight-speaker Sony sound system, automatic headlights and rain-sensing wipers. Elegance specs also offers driver aids such as adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, emergency braking, blind spot detection, lane keeping and rear cross-traffic alert.

The Elegance S model lays on a sporty styling pack with red accents.

Behind the gnashing grille of all three models is the 1.5l petrol turbo engine familiar from Chery, albeit with outputs boosted to 115kW and 230Nm (from 108kW and 210Nm), feeding the front wheels via a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

I drove the range-topping Omoda C5 Elegance at the media launch in Johannesburg this week and it was further evidence of how far Chinese brands have come from their cheap and tinny origins in a relatively short time.

The cabin lays on a chic design and swanky feel, heightened by soft-touch surfaces and ambient lighting with 64 colours. The cabin is roomy enough for four adults and the rear seats flip down to expand a decent-sized boot.

Visibility is good, except for the limited view out of the small rear window due to the fastback design. The car feels refined with a plush ride that absorbs bumps well, combined with a solid and rattle-free feel.

The turbo engine feels satisfyingly powered and has eco and power modes that affect throttle and steering response, but the weak part is the CVT which despite having simulated gear changes isn’t able to do away completely with the droning and slipping clutch effect of such transmissions.

PRICES

Omoda C5 1.5T Tech — R447,900

Omoda C5 1.5T Elegance — R507,900

Omoda C5 1.5T Elegance C — R509,900

Includes five-year/150,000km warranty and five year/70,000km service plan. Engine warranty of ten years/1 million km applies to first owner

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