Photos by LOW BOON TAT
CHERY Auto Malaysia has an impressive knack of packaging its cars with premium features and thoughtful, luxurious extras to deliver machines that feel like they cost double or more than the asking prices.
The all-electric Chery Omoda E5’s brochure tells you this B-segment five-seater SUV is packed with a barnful of nice appointments and safety technology.
Getting on the road is really easy - as you get near the car, the wing mirrors swing out, LED headlights and exterior lights activate, and the OMODA logo is projected (from both wing mirrors) onto the floor on both sides of the car.
Approach the driver’s door, get inside, step on the brake pedal and the Omoda E5 is ready to go.
The space-saving gear shifter stalk is conveniently located on the steering column.
Inside the Omoda E5 is a cozy and well-appointed cabin that has a premium continental car ambience, replete with chromed surfaces, sumptuous leather seats, soft touch materials, and smooth faux wood panels.
The Burmester-style audio speaker covers further elevate the cabin ambience.
Nice kit here include illuminated vanity mirrors for both driver and front passenger, and we also like the large and deep centre console storage box (between the front seats) which is also illuminated, and is fitted with an integrated cooling vent to cool your beverages.
Dominating the dashboard is a 24.6-inch curved 2K HD dual-screen for the digital instrument cluster and touchscreen infotainment system, powered by the Qualcomm 8155 chip for smooth operation.
Vehicle functions (including settings, driver assistance features, lighting, drive modes) are controlled via the touchscreen menu.
For better convenience, there are also physical buttons on the centre console to access the infotainment menu, air-conditioning, and to select drive modes - Eco, Normal, Sport.
There are also buttons on the steering wheel for voice command activation, audio volume control, and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC).
We found two USB-A and two USB-C ports to charge our mobile device, and there’s also a wireless 50W charging pad with an active cooling system for smartphones.
The Omoda E5 has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support.
The electric sunroof with manual sliding cover lets in more natural light for the smartly designed interior, which offers lots of storage options.
These include a plastic hook (for shopping bags) with a maximum 3kg load capacity, located next to the glove box/centre console, for the front passenger.
There’s 483 litres of boot space and rear seats can be folded, if more cargo room is needed.
The charging cable is stored in the 19-litre front trunk compartment.
A 540-degree HD panoramic camera system further enhances safety and manoeuvrability in tight spaces.
To recharge the 61kWh lithium iron phosphate battery, we only used a 3-point electrical socket at home.
The Omoda E5 has a 430km range (WLTP standard), and we put this to test with a 382km drive from Shah Alam to Kuala Krau, Pahang round-trip within a day.
From the PlugShare app, we found a Jomcharge operated 24kW DC charging point (50 sen per minute) at Petronas Genting Sempah along our route.
On an early Saturday morning, we left Setia Alam with a 100% battery state of charge (SoC) and an estimated 427km travel range.
We stopped in Sentul to pick up a friend, and with three adults in the Omoda E5, we later reached Petronas Genting Sempah at 7am, with 80% battery SoC and a remaining 290km travel range.
We were pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to charge with the plug-and-charge or Autocharge function (thanks to a collaboration between Chery Auto Malaysia and JomCharge operator EVC).
With Autocharge, users just connect the charger nozzle to the car for the charging to start.
In Malaysia, the Omoda E5 is also the first non-Tesla BEV that has the Autocharge function.
After a 42-minute session (costs RM21) and 13.72kWh of charge, the Omoda E5 showed a 98% battery SoC with an estimated 355km travel range.
On the curves and twists of the Karak Expressway, the Omoda E5 was a pleasure to drive – steering is accurate, and the SUV takes corners at speed quite capably and confidently, with minimal body roll.
The Kumho Ecsta PS71 ultra high-performance tyres sized 215/55 R18 delivered ample grip and driving comfort.
With a front-mounted electric motor set-up rated at 150kW (204PS) and 340Nm of torque, acceleration to high speeds in the Omoda E5 is brisk and effortless.
Noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) control is top-notch, resulting in a quiet and comfortable cabin experience.
Cabin noise insulation is quite impressive, and wind and road/traffic noise are more than sufficiently muffled for us to enjoy the 8-speaker Sony audio system.
There’s steady braking performance from the all-round disc brake set-up.
The leather seats felt solid and comfortable, and provided solid support during our day-long outstation trip.
Rear headroom is more than adequate for 1.7-metre adults.
We arrived in Kuala Krau with the SoC at 54%, and drove for a short while around the area.
Later, after lunch, we charged the car via a 3-point house electrical socket for two hours, which increased the SoC from 52% to 58%, with a remaining 183km travel range.
We made the 188km return trip (including a detour to Sentul, Kuala Lumpur) without another charging stop, and finally reached Setia Alam with 11% SoC.
We drove in Eco mode most of the time, which delivered an enjoyable mix of relaxed motoring on township roads and ample power on tap whenever we need more speed on highways.
A minor niggle was the floor carpets that tended to slide around.
For the Omoda E5, Chery Auto Malaysia provides warranties of 7-year/150,000km (whichever is first - vehicle), 8-year/160,000km (battery) and also a one-to-one battery replacement (if battery health falls below 70% during the warranty period).
The company also provides a class-leading 8-year or 160,000km drive unit warranty which covers the power motor, power motor control unit, power battery management system and control unit.
The first 2,000 bookings enjoy a free wall box charger, V2L (vehicle-to-load) charger, and charging credits worth RM1,000 at charging points under JomCharge operator EVC.
Omoda E5 owners also enjoy free car charging facilities at Chery outlets nationwide.
The Omoda E5 has been well received here, with 244 units registered as at end-April 2024 since its launch in early March.
With a RM146,800 price tag and lots of bells and whistles, the Omoda E5 offers a compelling value-for-money combination of luxury features, performance, range, practicality and a generous warranty package.
Chery Omoda E5
Motor: 3-in-1 flat-wire motor, front-wheel drive (FWD)
Maximum power: 204PS (150kW)
Maximum torque: 340Nm
Battery: 61kWh Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP)
Power consumption: 15.5kWh per 100km
Range: Up to 430km (WLTP)
Acceleration (0-100kph): 7.2 seconds
DC fast charge (30% to 80%): 28 minutes
Charge module: AC 9.9kW, DC 80kW, V2L (Vehicle-to-Load) 3.3kW system
Suspension: Front MacPherson struts; rear multi-link
Features: 24.6-inch curved screen, powered sunroof, dual-zone air-conditioning, rear air-conditioning vents, 64 multi-colour ambient light, 8-speaker Sony audio system, front ventilated seats, front powered seats, 50W wireless phone charger with cooling system, 540-degree HD panoramic camera system, voice assist/control, front armrest/centre console storage box with cooling vent, illuminated vanity mirrors for front
occupants, automatic LED headlights with high/low beam adjust and Cornering Light system, 215/55 R18 tyres, electronic power steering – tilt and telescopic, Disc brakes (all wheels), Electronic parking brake with auto hold, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto (wireless), faux leather seats, hands-free powered tailgate, automatic wipers, Follow-Me-Home headlight function, 2 USB-A ports and 2 USB-C ports
Safety and driver assistance features: Six airbags, Driver Monitoring System (DMS), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Blind Spot Detection (BSD), Emergency Lane Keeping (ELK), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), Front Collision Warning (FCW), Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Traffic Jam Assist (TJA), Lane Departure Prevention (LDP), Integrated Cruise Assist (ICA), Rear Cross Traffic Braking (RCTB), Multi-Collision Brake, Lane Change Assist (LCA), Rear Collision Warning (RCW), Intelligent Evasive System (IES), Departure Reminder, Hill Start Assist, Hill Descent Control, Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
Top speed: 172kph (electronically limited)
Cargo capacity: 483 litres (rear seats up), 19 litres (front trunk)
Price: RM146,800 on the road without insurance
Warranty: 7-year/150,000km whichever is first (vehicle), 8-year/160,000km (battery), one-to-one battery replacement (if battery health falls below 70%)
