Chery, a Chinese manufacturing conglomerate, will enter the UK market through its new Omoda subsidiary. Chery currently offers a wide range of affordable ICE, hybrid, and electric vehicles in China. It also has a joint-venture agreement with Jaguar Land Rover, with Chery responsible for producing the Land Rover Discovery Sport, Range Rover Evoque, Jaguar XF, and Jaguar XE for the Chinese domestic market.
Omoda is marketed as a significantly more premium brand than Chery, with the 5 being its debut model. The 5 will be available in the UK from early 2024. It will come in ICE, PHEV, and full EV form with prices expected to start at around £45,000 ($54,290).
The electric version of Omoda 5 will reportedly be powered by a 64 kWh battery pack producing 198 hp. A WLTP range of 280 miles is expected.
Inside, the Omoda 5’s dash is dominated by a pair of 10.25″ screens. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come as standard, as does a wireless charging pad. The Omoda 5 also has ventilated leather seats, adaptive cruise control with lane keep, and a sunroof.
Undoubtedly the Omoda 5 looks like a compelling offering on paper, but will British consumers be willing to fork out £45,000+ for it? We’re not so sure, given well-known alternatives like the Tesla Model Y and Hyundai Ioniq 5 can be had for similar money.
It will certainly be interesting to see how relatively unknown Chinese models perform in Europe, with the likes of the Ora Funky Cat and BYD Atto 3 also going on sale in the UK this year. Undoubtedly, for a lot of Chinese automakers success in Europe could pave the way for a US entry.
