Chery OMODA 5 Previewed in Malaysia – HRV and X50’s New Rival?

As reported earlier, Chery is finally back in Malaysia after quite a lengthy hiatus. The Chinese marque’s effort of rejuvenating its brand sees it employ a five-strong SUVs-only model range, all sporting striking designs and a myriad of premium amenities on board.

Headlining Chery’s Malaysian comeback event is the all-new Chery OMODA 5 – a 5-seat crossover with bold and futuristic design. Seen for the first time in Malaysia, the OMODA 5 comes with two powertrain packages – a 1.5 L TCI with CVT gearbox and 1.6 L TGDI with seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT).

Chery described its aggressive yet futuristic design as “art in motion”. By ‘futuristic’, we mean your typical EV crossover concepts look. The OMODA 5’s front fascia features a massive hexagonal-like grille with body-matching colour. Crowning said grille is a chrome-finished strip – which we initially thought to be an LED daytime-running light strip.

Flanking the grille are the slim LED daytime running lights that are barely visible straight from the front. The notch on the end of said headlights made it look plainly-similar to the Mjolnir-like Volvo headlights – though in this case it's more of a pickaxe than a hammer.

From the side, this SUV boasts an aggressively slanting roofline – slimming the windows for a sportier look. Said roofline tapers to the backside with a sharp, angular shoulder line running from the rear quarter panel to the taillights. Ending the slanting roofline is a small aero wing just barely tipping up to contrast the downward rear windshield.

Its raised wheel arches are decorated with black strip that runs across the side skirt – a recurring theme in any modern crossovers nowadays. Below the arches is a set of 18-inch bladed wheels, all blacked out for discreet yet premium finish.

Moving to the back side, the taillights span from the side and almost meet in the middle – only to be split by a horizontal chrome strip with Chery word embossed on it. Try as you might to resist calling it Harrier-inspired, but honestly that’s the best way to describe it. Positively, that is.

Stepping inside, the cabin space still maintains the “art in motion” futuristic design approach. Dual-widescreen 20.5-inch display for both infotainment and driver’s metre display blend in seamlessly with the aircon vents – spanning across the whole front dashboard.

OMODA’s infotainment system caters the standard mobile connectivity via Android Auto and Apple Carplay as well as its 360° camera displays and multiple other car-related functions. Fortunately for us, the climate control is not integrated into said infotainment system, with a separate module sitting below said vents right in the centre.

Powering the OMODA is either the 1.5 L TCI paired with CVT or the1.6 L TGDI plus seven-speed DCT. Offered in three variants, the baseline model will feature the lower spec 1.5 L powertrain, with the mid spec comes with the 1.6 L package. The range-topper boasts the bigger 1.6 L power mill combo, plus a range-exclusive all-wheel drive (AWD) configuration – a complete functional package for a sporty crossover.

The previewed OMODA 5 is draped in pastel light green colourway, though we much prefer the dual-tone accent finish featured in its China launch a few moons ago.

With its closest competitor – the new Honda HRV – clocked at a RM130,000-140,000 price range and Proton X50 barely hitting the RM100,000 mark, the OMODA 5 should be poised for a middle-in-the-park price tag. But neither official pricing nor variant offerings for our market were disclosed during said preview.  

Will its standout look be enough to sway away the Honda-loving Malaysian public? And do the superior performance specs make it a better upgrade to the X50?