Chery C5 review: Updated Omoda 5 offers standout style among small SUVs

It’s surprising given it launched just three short years ago, but the Chery Omoda 5 has been given a mid-life update. Now called the Chery C5, it has undergone a light refresh with updated styling, a new transmission, new independent rear suspension and a larger boot in an attempt to make it more competitive in the crowded small SUV segment. The question is whether that shift has worked?

How much does the C5 cost to buy?

There are two Chery C5 models currently available in Australia: the entry-level Urban ($29,990 driveaway) and the upper-spec Ultimate ($34,990 driveaway). At the time of testing, Chery is also offering a $2000 factory discount or the C5 range. In other words, the value equation is sharp, as expected from the Chery brand. 

A full list of standard features is available at the bottom of this article but standard equipment highlights for the C5 Urban include: automatic LED headlights, 17-inch alloy wheels, cloth and synthetic leather trim, an electric driver’s seat, dual 10.25-inch screens, wireless smartphone mirroring and a full safety suite, including a front centre airbag, traffic jam assist and driver monitoring. 

1

The upper-spec Ultimate comes with a much larger basket of fruit, with features like synthetic leather trim, dual-zone automatic climate control, a sunroof, a Sony sound system and a 360-degree camera added. Is it worth the extra $5000 spend? Well, the Urban certainly doesn’t feel or drive like it’s $5000 less car but if you need the extra features that the Ultimate adds, we say go for it. Regardless, both models offer the excellent value we’ve come to expect from Chery.

Competition for the C5 includes other small SUVs not limited to the Hyundai Venue, Kia Stonic, Skoda Kamiq, MG ZS, Toyota Yaris Cross and Mahindra XUV 3XO. There are also Chery’s own Tiggo 4 and Tiggo 7 models, and its sister brand is soon launching petrol and hybrid variants of the new J5 electric SUV. Consumers benefit strongly in this segment with such deep and varied competition across all brands and that shows no signs of slowing down. 

How practical is the C5?

The interior of the Omoda 5 was its biggest positive previously, as it was well finished, elegantly designed and practical – and thankfully, we can report that not much has changed in the transition to the C5. There are new trims, including a new synthetic leather/cloth trim in the Urban, and overall, it’s quite a well finished cabin with soft touch materials on the dashboard and front door trims, soft synthetic leather on the steering wheel rim and funky, switchable ambient lighting.

The 10.25-inch touchscreen could be faster to respond to touch inputs, but it’s still an easy system to use with large and colourful icons making identifying what it is you want to do, as easy as it could be. Annoyingly, there are no physical buttons or dials for the climate control, but on the centre console you’ll find a large volume button, drive mode selection and – in the Ultimate – heated seat controls and a button to activate the 360-degree camera. 

Front seat comfort in the C5 is noteworthy, with satisfying lateral support, though more adjustment like under-thigh and lumbar would be great to further tune the driving position for a wider range of tastes. Thanks to its swooping coupe-like roofline and high belt line, the C5’s rear three-quarter visibility is not its strongest point but the large exterior rear-view mirrors do help, as does the 360-degree camera in the Ultimate. 

Practicality in the front section of the C5 cabin is great with large door bins, a huge under-console box and a large box underneath the central armrest. Given so many family buyers opt for this segment, storage and practicality are important ones to get right.

4

Rear seat occupants will be comfortable in the C5 thanks to its air vents, USB charging port, door and map pockets and central armrest, though the high window line may restrict visibility for shorter occupants. Notably, the roofline is less commodious than the smaller Tiggo 4, so it doesn’t feel as spacious as its more affordable sibling. Try both and work out which model which suits you better. 

In a rare-for-a-mid-life-update win, the C5’s 360-litre boot is actually 10 litres larger than the Omoda 5’s was, thanks to the new independent rear suspension set up (more on that later). As before, the C5’s boot is effectively square, with a low loading lip helping practicality further. However, it now features a space-saver spare wheel instead of a full-size option and there’s now a large step in the boot floor with the rear seats folded. With those seats folded, there’s 1075 litres on offer. 

How powerful is the C5?

The C5 employs the same 1.5-litre, turbocharged petrol engine as the smaller Tiggo 4 and larger Tiggo 7, making a respectable 108kW and 210Nm peak outputs. It’s the same engine as the Omoda 5 therefore, albeit with a new transmission, and while it’s no powerhouse, it’s got more than enough spunk for everyday use. The full 210Nm hits at 1750rpm, which is low in the rev range and more than effective enough to get up to speed respectively quickly. 

Like the Tiggo 7, the Chery C5 uses a six-speed dual-clutch transmission that replaced the CVT we tested in the Omoda 5 and even though it can be a bit slow to react at low speed in typical DCT fashion, it’s superior to the lethargic CVT it replaces. The Omoda C5’s jumpy throttle response has also been smoothed out in the C5, and it’s more enjoyable to drive as a result. And easier to drive smoothly, perhaps more crucially. 

1

The C5’s claimed combined fuel consumption is 6.9L/100km with claimed CO2 emissions of 160g/km. That’s not too difficult to achieve in the real world, though those looking to lessen fuel consumption will note that there’s no C5 hybrid at the moment. There is, however, the fully electric E5, if full EV is an option for you. 

What is the C5 like to drive? 

Thankfully, the Chery C5 has seen improvement in the way it drives compared to the lacklustre Omoda 5. The new independent multi-link rear suspension has made its ride quality more supple at lower speeds as it’s able to better deal with bumps than the former torsion beam set up, while handling has also improved. It’s not as fun as something like a Mazda CX-3, but do small SUV buyers really care? We think no, and you frequently tell us you don’t.

Chery has also refined other elements of the driving experience and it’s now a better handler, the steering has a bit more weight to it (though still precious little) and it’s just more engaging to drive overall. Thankfully as well, the C5’s active safety systems have been further refined with less intrusion from the active lane keeping assistance for a more relaxing driving experience, though we’d still like less sensitivity from it and the adaptive cruise control. 

How much does the C5 cost to service? 

Chery covers the C5 with a solid seven-year/unlimited km warranty including 12 months of roadside assistance that’s extended a further 12 months with every dealer service (up to seven years in total). Although MG’s warranty can be extended up to 10 years in total, Chery’s is still one of the longest on the Australian new-car market. 

Five years/75,000km of servicing for the C5 costs $1400, or as little as $280 per year. The C5’s service intervals are the industry standard 12 months/15,000km (whichever comes first). 

4

Should I buy a Chery C5?

If you’re looking for a stylish and value-packed small SUV, the Chery C5 is well worth consideration. While it may not appear as such from the minor exterior changes, it’s a big upgrade compared with the Omoda 5 as it drives better, is more practical and more stylish as well. Plus, the best parts of the Omoda 5 have carried over, including its excellent value for money, useable power for the daily grind and well finished cabin. 

It could be even better to drive as its transmission can be hesitant, the active safety features are still a bit too sensitive and the steering is still quite light as speed increases. Plus, the coupe styling means that its rear seat and boot practicality could be better and that other, more practical Chery small SUVs are available for around the same price. Overall, however, the Chery C5 is a good way to stand out in the small SUV segment. 

Chery C5 specifications: 

1

Chery C5 Urban standard features: 

• 17-inch alloy wheels with a temporary spare wheel
• Dusk-sensing automatic LED lighting
• Rain-sensing automatic wipers
• Proximity key entry with push button start
• Heated/auto-folding mirrors
• Synthetic leather upholstery
• Cloth seat upholstery with synthetic bolsters
• Six-way electric driver’s seat
• Single-zone air-conditioning with rear air vents
• Dual 10.25-inch displays
• AM/FM/DAB+ digital radio
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (wired and wireless)
• Six-speaker sound system
• 4x USB ports
• 7x airbags
• Autonomous emergency braking
• Lane keeping assistance
• Adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Rear cross-traffic alert (with braking)
• Auto high beam
• Driver attention monitoring
• Traffic sign recognition
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Reversing camera
• Anti-theft alarm
• Tyre pressure monitoring

C5 Ultimate adds to Urban:

• Larger 18-inch alloy wheels
• Synthetic leather upholstery
• Heated front seats
• Power tailgate
• Sunroof
• 360-degree camera
• Red brake callipers
• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• Eight-speaker Sony sound system
• 50W wireless phone charger
• Multi-colour LED ambient cabin lighting
• Sequential rear turn signals
• Auto-dimming rear mirror