At long last, Chery’s return is official. Moments ago, Chery Malaysia officially launched the Omoda 5 and Tiggo 8 Pro SUVs as the first models in a new era of the brand in Malaysia. TLDR: the Omoda 5 comes in two variants – the C is priced at RM108,800 while the top H is yours for RM118,800. You should read on though, as it’s a unique entrant from a returning brand.
It has been a long gestation – our exclusive in December 2021 broke the news of Chery’s re-entry into our market, and the Chinese carmaker’s first official event here happened in October 2022. Since then, we’ve brought you previews of what’s coming next from the company’s base in Wuhu, as well as first look posts of the local spec Omoda 5 and Tiggo 8 Pro. All of that culminates in tonight’s ‘grand launch event’.
In case you’re wondering about the ‘return’ part, or aren’t old enough to remember, Chery was brought in by Tan Sri Cam Soh Thiam Hong’s Alado in the noughties and we had models like the QQ minicar, Tiggo SUV and Eastar MPV in the ‘Chery Alado’ era. We even had a world debut of a Chery here in 2015!
No local partner this time around, as Chery has decided to do things its own way in a market that’s very difficult to penetrate. Even the mighty BYD has the backing of major player Sime Darby. Also, there will be 31 dealerships at launch, with more opening by the end of 2023. That’s a staggering number that’s probably unprecedented in the Malaysian auto market, based on our memory.
Another sign of bravery is the fact that the Omoda 5 and Tiggo 8 Pro are launching in CKD form, with no initial small CBU batch to ‘test the waters’ but local assembly at Inokom in Kulim right from the start. This is no small undertaking, as even Proton – with its huge plant, established vendor network and national car status – kickstarted sales of Geely SUVs with CBUs.
A bold approach indeed, which leads nicely into the Omoda 5 you see here. This is a B-segment SUV with expressive design that’s love or hate. Whether you like that wide studded nose or not, it’s attention grabbing, and that’s surely a good thing for a new brand.
The rest of the SUV’s body should be less divisive. It’s a sculpted shape with blacked out rear pillars and a full-width strip for the tail, with Chery spelled out in letters. Very current. Face aside, I see a bit of Lexus in the Omoda 5, which is no bad thing. What do you think?
Size wise, the Omoda 5 is 4,400 mm long and 1,830 mm wide, which is 70 mm longer and 40 mm wider than a Honda HR-V. Sitting on 18-inch wheels, the swoopy body stands at 1,588 mm, which is just two mm shy of the benchmark Honda. The Chery’s 2,630 mm wheelbase is 20 mm longer than the HR-V’s. It just occurred to me that the Omoda 5’s highly-sculpted shape and loud details is a polar opposite to the latest HR-V’s straight lines and clean design. Which is more you?
The Omoda 5’s dashboard is similarly on-trend, sporting co-joined screens pioneered by Mercedes-Benz and a high centre console. Although it looks nicely minimalist, you don’t have to dive into the touchscreen for vital controls such as AC functions, which are stealthily embedded in the trim – a nice touch.
Pop the hood (struts, by the way) and you’ll find a 1.5 litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 156 hp (115 kW) and 230 Nm of torque, hence the 230T badge. Drive goes to the front wheels via a CVT with nine virtual ratios. To counter negative perceptions of Chinese products or reliability concerns, Chery Malaysia is offering a 10-year/1-million km warranty.
Output wise, where does Chery’s in-house 1.5T stand? The HR-V’s 1.5L VTEC Turbo four-pot makes 181 PS (178 hp) and 240 Nm, while the X50’s 1.5L turbocharged three-cylinder generates 177 PS (174 hp) and 255 Nm in TGDi form (Flagship variant) or 150 PS (148 hp) and 226 Nm in PFI guise. The HR-V uses a CVT while the X50 goes the DCT route. By the way, in China, there’s an Omoda 5 variant with a 194 hp/290 Nm 1.6T with a seven-speed DCT.
We come to specs, and the Omoda 5 is well-kitted even in the lower of two trim levels, which is called C. The two 10.25-inch dashboard screens are standard, and the infotainment comes with wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto too. There’s also wireless charging and your phone rests on an angle for easy viewing. Ambient lighting, dual-zone air con with PM 2.5 filter, reverse camera, auto dimming rear view mirror, heated wing mirrors and proximity sensor keyless entry are also included. And how about double-glazed windows to boost NVH performance?
Go for the top spec H and Chery adds on full faux leather upholstery (fabric combo in C), a sunroof (manual sunshade) and an eight-speaker Sony sound system (unbranded six speakers in C). The H also gets powered and ventilated front seats (manual in C) and a powered tailgate. There’s also a 360-degree camera system to aid parking.
From the outside, the C and H are separated by the high-spec car’s red highlights on the front lower grille, side mirrors, lower doors and rear spoiler too. It’s rare for a colour trim pack to also include the wheels, but Chery has done so for the Omoda 5 H. The headlamps, tail lamps and DRLs are LEDs across the board, but the H gains sequential signals and a front/rear light show upon start up.
Safety wise, the full ADAS driver assist pack is standard for both, and it includes lane departure warning and prevention, blind spot detection, emergency lane keeping, rear cross traffic alert, adaptive cruise control with low speed follow, front collision warning and AEB, and auto high beam. There’s also hillstart assist, hill descent control and tyre pressure monitoring.
Colour options are safe – you can only choose from Khaki White, Phantom Grey and Dark Black. As mentioned, H models get red highlights. If you go with the white H, there’s an option of a black roof for RM2,000 extra. Once again, the Omoda 5 starts from RM108,800 for the C and the H you see here goes for RM118,800. The Khaki White + black roof option is RM120,800. For reference, the Proton X50 Flagship retails for RM113,300) and the HR-V Turbo V goes for RM135,900.
Chery Malaysia also unveiled its warranty package tonight, and it’s seven years or 150,000 km for the vehicle, plus five years of free service (alternating, free labour). The engine warranty is a whopping 10 years or one million km. But the catch is that the headline-grabbing engine warranty is for the first 3,000 customers. After that it reverts to seven years/150,000 km, joining the rest of the vehicle. But if you really want the 10y/1m package, top up RM2,000 for an extended warranty package.
So, what do you think of this Chery’s looks and price/package? A battery-powered EV version is coming soon.
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