Chery Omoda E5 to hit local showrooms on Feb 24th ahead of March launch

Ahead of a launch scheduled for March, Chery Malaysia has declared that the Omoda E5 EV will be available in showrooms across the nationwide starting this weekend, on February 24.

Registration of interest for the Omoda E5 began in December of the previous year, and now an official estimated price of RM160,000 has been announced. While that price is a significant premium over the RM108,800 to RM118,800 that Chery prices the standard combustion-powered Omoda 5, it does slightly undercut the RM167,800 sticker price of the BYD Atto 3 Extended Range.

It will feature a single powertrain configuration, consisting of a front-mounted electric motor generating 204 PS (150 kW) and 340 Nm of torque, allowing the SUV to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 7.6 seconds.

Underfloor, the Omoda E5 will be equipped with a 61 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, providing a range of 430 km on the WLTP cycle. In terms of headlining specifications, both the Chery and the BYD seem to be trading equal blows, at least on paper.

As for charging capabilities, the Omoda E5 supports AC charging up to 9.9 kW and DC fast charging up to 80 kW, enabling the battery to reach 30-80% state of charge within 30 minutes. Additionally, it features a vehicle-to-load (V2L) function, allowing the car to supply up to 3.3 kW to power external electrical devices.

Visually, the electric Omoda resembles the ICE-powered Omoda 5 from most angles, except for the front end, where the E5 incorporates an active grille shutter system which adjusts based on motor temperature and aerodynamic needs, replacing the prominently studded grille of the ICE version.

The Omoda E5 includes LED projector headlamps, 18-inch alloy wheels, a powered sunroof, powered tailgate, puddle lamps, selectable drive modes, leather upholstery, dual-zone climate control with rear vents.

A 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, and a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system takes up the bulk of the dashboard, though Chery markets it as a '24.6-inch curved 2K HD dual-screen. The infotainment system is powered by a Qualcomm 8155 system on chip (SoC) and supports both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

Like the non-electric Omoda 5, Omoda E5 boasts a comprehensive suite including a 360-degree camera, automatic high beam, lead vehicle departure alert, front collision warning, autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning and prevention, lane keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert, and a tyre pressure monitoring system, collectively termed as ‘ADAS 2.5’ by Chery.