Don’t worry if you’ve never heard of Omoda, it won’t be long before you do. Along with Jaecoo, it’s owned by Chinese giant Chery and is now on UK roads with a mix of ICE, PHEV and EV models, the latter including this Omoda E5.
Despite its low presence here, Chery isn’t a small operation either. It boasts 12 million customers worldwide and 80,000 employees and it already has 60 dealers here in the UK (a figure soon due to boost to 120). And, while its sales targets are relatively low for this year, it’s planning to sell 40,000 cars by 2026.
This Omoda E5 will have a crucial part to play in that with the ZEV Mandate targets too. Near identical to its 5 ICE-powered counterpart, the E5 gets a 61kWh battery and a 257 mile range, so how does this newcomer fare?
OMODA E5 – DESIGN
In a world now full of midsize SUV crossovers, the silhouette of the E5 isn’t much to write home about. And, while the styling is a little generic and could easily be the next Nissan Qashqai, we actually quite liked it.
The sleek front end with the pop up front section revealing the charging ports is the main difference between the E5 and the petrol-driven 5 which has a more traditional grille. The sides have a sharp crease line over the rear wing and the slim rear lights, there’s no question it’s a smart, clean design that has a lot going for it.
OMODA E5 – POWER AND RANGE
The Omoda E5 gets a single choice of battery at 61kWh giving it the equivalent of 204bhp and a 0-60mph time of 7.2 seconds. That doesn’t sound like a huge battery size for what is a car that’s close to being the size of a Qashqai, but Omoda claims a 257-mile range and openly admits that that’s a conservative figure. Our own efficiency average of 4.1mls/kWh bore that claim out too.
That’s an impressive figure from not a small car, but unfortunately it’s not all great news – especially when it comes to charging. Single phase charging at home maxes out at 6.6kW (rather than the usual 7.4kW that your home charger is capable of), while even the DC charging can only handle up to 80kW, which by today’s standards is pretty low.
Anyone regularly DC charging is soon going to be frustrated by that particular number. Omoda claim a 30-80% charge time of 28 minutes as a result. There’s not a heat pump available on the E5 even as an option yet, but Omoda says this will come eventually.
OMODA E5 – ON THE ROAD
If MG and BYD haven’t already proved that the Chinese are building some very impressive electric cars, then this Omoda proves it. Whatever pre-conceptions you might have climbing into it, they can be immediately binned. That’s the case for both the interior – see next section – and also how it drives.
As with most EVs, there’s pre-conditioning and then there are three driving modes – eco, normal and sport – and three settings for the regenerative braking (more on which in a moment). Two elements however really strike you within five minutes of setting off in the Omoda E5 though, one good, one not so good.
The first is the ride quality which is exceptional, particularly so as your speed builds. Forget the bone-jarring, allegedly sporty ride of some European cars, the E5 is a very comfortable car to drive and handles its weight well (unlike many EVs we could mention).
What isn’t quite so good however is the steering. It’s simply way too light, in a way that we saw in some Japanese cars of the 1980s. There’s no feel or feedback whatsoever about what the wheels are doing beneath you and it feels totally anodyne. There is a stronger setting for the steering within the infotainment system, but it’s only linked to the sport driving mode. And while it does add more weight, the steering still lacks any kind of feel. Anyone after any kind of driver enjoyment is best off looking elsewhere.
The same is true of the regenerative braking which is buried in the menu settings on the infotainment screen and certainly not easy to switch or change on the move. The high setting gives a good degree of retardation, even if it’s not quite the one-pedal driving of some EVs. However, rather unnervingly, it only kicks in when your right foot is fully off the throttle pedal, when most deliver a growing level of regen as you lift off. It can make for a rather less than smooth experience when driving as a result.
Overall, the E5’s driving experience is ok rather than outstanding. It’s hard not to feel a little short-changed when Omoda claims that the car has been specifically honed for UK and European roads, but it’s not that far off.
OMODA E5 – INTERIOR
As we said in the previous section, you can forget what you think you might know about Chinese brands. Omoda is known as a fashion brand in China and the colours and materials used here are very impressive indeed. That’s backed up by some very good build quality too. Forget the short-cuts of other brands in their early days, this E5 has really hit the ground running.
For a first European model, it’s hard to under-estimate to how good it feels in terms of tactile quality – it’s no exaggeration to put it on a par with the very first Lexus models when they arrived.
As with the driving experience, the infotainment system could do with some fine tuning, as it’s not always clear how to return to the main system when using Apple Carplay for instance. Likewise, some everyday functions are too buried in sub-menus as well. But, there’s plenty of space in the front and a reasonable amount in the back seats too.
Ironically, one of the biggest shocks of the Omoda E5 isn’t in the cabin at all, but is actually further back. At 380 litres, the boot is a little small for the size of the rest of the car, but lift the boot floor and you’ll find a full-size spare wheel – something that we can’t even remember the last time we saw on a brand new car. Omoda states that it’s something that has gone down very well with initial buyers.
SUMMARY
What do you want from the Omoda E5? If you’re after an electric car from a proven brand then that’s absolutely fine but, as we’ve seen with MG, GWM and BYD, these Chinese brands are coming to the market – and they’re coming fast.
The E5 isn’t the perfect EV on the market, but at this price level, it presents good value for money. Many will be willing to forgive it its shortfalls, simply because of that and, as with those other brands, this is a company that’s certainly here to stay.
For us, if Omoda is to succeed longer term for British drivers, it will need to address those shortfalls, but as a first model for the UK, it’s hard not to step away quietly impressed even with those shortfalls. Other first cars from new manufacturers have been a lot worse than this.
FACT BOX
Model: Omoda E5
Price: from £33,055
Power: Battery – 61kWh
Range: 257 miles
Average efficiency: 4.1mls/kWh
Average charge time on a domestic wallbox: 10hrs
CO2 emissions: 0g/km
Rating: 7/10