Chery O5

Highly sought-after, Chery Malaysia’s latest release, the new Chery O5 (Chery Omoda 5 renamed), upgraded and launched in Malaysia.

The B-segment (mid-sized crossover SUV) runner underpins Chery’s T1X platform with an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE: petrol) powertrain.

Locally assembled (CKD – Kedah), available via Chery Malaysia is one variant (O5 – RM116,800).

Price (OTR, w/o insurance) includes a vehicle warranty (seven years/150,000 km), a service package (five years, free labour) and roadside assistance (24/7, unlimited).

Exterior (single-tone) colours (Khaki White, Carbon Black, Phantom Grey, Bloodstone Red). Interior (single-tone) colour (Black).

The new O5 has a roundly angular and cascading dashboard, linked to a high-rising centre console (armrest: cooling storage, wireless charger, gear shifter).

Soft-/hard-touched (dash, steering wheel, centre console, doors), it sees one colour scheme (single-tone: Black) with contrast trims (Beige, Gloss Black).

Equipped is a single-piece driver/central display (instrument cluster, infotainment), air-conditioning vents (full width) and an ambient light system (64 colours).

Inclusively, the layout is modern (touch controls: centre dash) and straight-forward with accessibilities purposefully arranged (driver-centric, passenger-oriented).

Part of a floating single-piece unit (single-piece), installed is a 10.25-inch TFT LCD fully digital (Multi-Information Display – MID) driver display (instrument cluster).

Features are vehicle telematics, Bluetooth, navigation, Intelligent Voice Assistant and customisable interface (drive mode dependent).

Comfortable, the interior sees leatherette upholstery in one colour scheme (single-tone: Black) with contrast stitching (Beige).

The front gets electric-powered (driver/passenger: multi-way-adjust, ventilation) bolstered seats. The rear gets a manual-operated (60:40 split-fold) bolstered bench (three-seater).

Included are headrests (front, rear), armrests (front: centre console – rear: centre seat fold-out), cooler storage (front: centre console armrest) and a panoramic glass sunroof (electric: open/tilt/slide, sunshade).

A five-seater (mid-sized crossover SUV), the cabin offers generous space, providing comfortable seatings with ample interior mobility for the occupants (front, rear).

Sufficient head, shoulder and leg rooms.

Mounted is a three-spoke-flat-bottom steering wheel. Single-tone (Black) leatherette with contrast trims (Beige, Gloss Black).

Features are multi-switches (Bluetooth, media, Intelligent Voice Assistant, vehicle telematics), column adjustments (tilt, telescopic) and steering modes (COMFORT, SPORT).

Drive is aided by an Electric Power Steering (EPS) system.

Practical storage spaces. E.g., glove box, centre console compartments (armrest/partitioned/caverned/under-stowage, cooler storage) and pockets (seat backs, side doors).

Provided are four cup holders (two: front, rear) and four bottle holders (one: side doors).

Equipped are three USB ports (two: front, one: rear), two 12 V sockets (one: front, boot) and one wireless charger (centre console).

Accessing the boot’s electric-tailgate (handsfree: kick-sensor, remote-key fob, interior/tailgate button – anti-pinch, height-adjust, electric-suction-close) opens to 442 litres (rear seats up) of load capacity.

Weighing in at 1,434 kg, the new O5 stands at 4,400 mm long, 1,830 mm wide, 1,588 mm tall and with a wheelbase spanning 2,630 mm.

Sleek and sporty, it exudes a sharply round sculpted exterior, emphasised by angularly chiselled and dynamic proportions.

The front-end sees a formed bonnet (raised sides), rounded quarter panels (flared fenders) and an X-shaped bumper (‘Diamond Matrix’ grille: borderless – upper bar strip: OMODA script – vented: lower-central).

Accentuations, body clad (Black: bumper, fenders, side sills) and body trims (Black: grille, upper bar strip, vents, side mirrors, B-pillars, window/light surrounds – Chrome: OMODA script).

Athletically sleek, it continues the sharply round sculpted profile, emphasised by angularly horizontal and seamlessly lined creases.

The rear-end sees a mildly dipped roofline (roof-edge spoiler, shark fin antenna), muscular quarter panels (flared fenders), a tapered tailgate (OMODA script) and a covered bumper (diffuser: trapezoidal twin exhausts).

Accentuations, body clad (Black: bumper, fenders, side sills) and body trims (Black: diffuser, window surrounds, C-pillars – Silver: diffuser strip – body-colour: roof-edge spoiler, shark fin antenna – Chrome: OMODA script).

Seamlessly angular, the headlamps (main: upper bumper, DRLs: lower-side bumper) are housed sharply slim. Installed are full LED units.

Features are automatic On/Off/cornering, Daytime Running Lights (DRL – LED), Intelligent High-Beam Control Headlamp (IHC), welcome/leaving lights and sequential turn signals (LED).

Seamlessly sleek, the tail lamps are framed full width (lightbar) and sharply slim with pointed wraparound edges. Installed are full LED units.

Features are automatic On/Off, welcome/leaving lights and sequential turn signals (LED). Included is a high-mounted stop light (spoiler integrated).

The side mirrors (single-tone: Black) are electric-powered (auto-fold, adjust), with turn signals (LED), blind-spot indicators (Blind Spot Detection – BSD) and heating.

Fitted are ventilated (front) and solid (rear) disc brakes. Drive is aided by an Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) with Auto Brake Hold system.

Sportily designed, mounted is a set of 18-inch five-twin-spoke (single-tone: Black) alloy rims, wrapped in 215/55 18 (front, rear) tyres.

The new O5 is installed with the following suite of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).

Grouped are Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Lane Departure Prevention (LDP), Lane Change Assist (LCA), Lane Keeping Assist (LKA), Emergency Lane Keeping Assist (ELKA), Blind Spot Detection System (BSD), Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), Front Collision Warning (FCW), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Integrated Cruise Control (ICC), Autonomous Emergency Brake (AEB), Traffic Jam Assist (TJA), Smart Active Speed Limit Assist (SLA), Speed Control Assist (SCA), Traffic Signs Recognition (TSR), Intelligent Speed Assist (ISA), Intelligent High-Beam Control Headlamp (IHC) and Drive Away Information (DAI).

Other systems include Around View Monitor (AVM – 540-degree), Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist System (BAS), Brake Override System (BOS), Emergency Brake Assist (EBA), Electronic Stability Program (ESP), Traction Control System (TCS), Hill Start Assist Control (HAC), Hill Descent Control (HDC), Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) with Auto Brake Hold and Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).

Passive safety includes six (driver-passenger, front sides, front-rear curtains) airbags, seat belts (reminders, pre-tensioners, anchors), ISOFIX (two: outer-rear seats), parking sensors (two: front, four: rear), parking cameras (reverse, 540-degree), rear-view mirrors (exterior: BSD – interior: frameless, automatic-dimming), automatic-door locks (speed-sensing, central-locking, walk-away-lock), automatic wipers (rain-sensing, intermittent), automatic headlamps (On/Off/cornering/low-/high-beam), automatic windows (anti-pinch, one-touch up/down), impact beams, door ajar warning, acoustic glass (windscreen, windows) and anti-theft system (security alarm, immobiliser).

Enabled are three drive modes (ECO, NORMAL, SPORT). Included are steering modes (COMFORT, SPORT).

Part of a floating single-piece unit (single-piece), installed is a 10.25-inch HD touchscreen central display (infotainment).

Features are AM/FM radio, USB, Bluetooth, 5G/WiFi/WiFi hotspot, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto (wireless), media, live navigation, Intelligent Voice Recognition and vehicle telematics (drive).

Entertainment is channelled via a Sony Premium Audio System (eight speakers).

The new O5 comes with an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE: petrol) powertrain.

Nestled is a 1.5-litre inline four-cylinder 16-valve turbocharged direct-injection (T-GDi) DOHC petrol engine (156 PS/115 kW, 230 Nm).

Mated to the setup is a six-speed automatic DCT (Dual-Clutch Transmission).

Power is transmitted to the front wheels, via a Front-Wheel Drive (FWD) system.

0 to 100 KM/H is done in 7.9 secs. Top speed is 190 km/h.

Fuel tank capacity is at 51-Litres.

The new O5 features these conveniences.

E.g., Smart Entry system (keyless entry, engine Start/Stop button, remote engine start), electric-tailgate (handsfree: kick-sensor, remote-key fob, interior/tailgate button – anti-pinch, height-adjust, electric-suction-close), dual-zone automatic climate control system (rear vents), electric-powered (driver/passenger: multi-way-adjust, ventilation) bolstered seats (front), headrests (front, rear), armrests (front: centre console – rear: centre seat fold-out), cooler storage (front: centre console armrest), panoramic glass sunroof (electric: open/tilt/slide, sunshade), interior storage areas (centre console compartments, seat/door pockets), steering wheel (multi-function, column adjustments, steering modes, EPS), interior illumination (cabin/boot/ambient), charging ports (USB, power sockets, wireless charger), parking sensors (two: front, four: rear), parking cameras (reverse, 540-degree), rear-view mirrors (exterior: BSD – interior: frameless, automatic-dimming), automatic-door locks (speed-sensing, central-locking, walk-away-lock), automatic wipers (rain-sensing, intermittent), automatic headlamps (On/Off/cornering/low-/high-beam), automatic windows (anti-pinch, one-touch up/down), impact beams, door ajar warning, acoustic glass (windscreen, windows), Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) with Auto Brake Hold and Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).

Installed is a dual-zone automatic climate control system (rear vents).

A suitable daily driver, the ride comfortability feels flexible and firm at the same time, providing great power with agile handling.

Suspension fitted is a setup of MacPherson strut (front) and multi-link independent (rear). Inside and out, performance- and comfort-wise, the ride quality is satisfactory.

Good sound insulation with the NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) aspects accounted for. The cabin is well-designed, enhancing the in-car ambience.

Overall, the cabin can suppress unwanted noises well and make them barely noticeable, even when cruising through bumpy terrains or at high speeds. 

Equipped is acoustic glass (windscreen, windows).

The new Chery O5 is built with a dynamically sporty appeal, offering appearance, space and practicality.

Sharp and sleekly sculpted, its exterior is well-designed with roundly angular lines donating to a powerful overall character. 

Inside and out, the quality of the equipment installed is impressive with clean and minimalistic detailing.

Ultimately, the new O5 bargains more than just good looks, as it also offers plenty of other amenities at the price it comes with.