Omoda 5 set to land some time in the first half of 2024.

ELECTRIC as well as petrol engine choices will avail with a key model that will return Chery’s market presence.

Confirmed as a starter here within the first half of next year, the Omoda 5 - a medium-sized five-door quasi crossover - will badge as a C5 with its petrol engine and E5 in battery-fed form.

The cars share the same bodywork, but differ in frontal styling. Whereas the petrol has an open grille (as below), for air flow, the electric (above) has a closed-off, body-coloured panel, and a restyled lower bumper.

The electric is expected to format as it does in its home market, which means a 165kW electric motor driving the front wheels and a 61kWh battery pack. The Chinese have claimed 450 kilometres’ range, but it is not clear what test schedule was used.

Chery claims it is targeting energy efficiency of 15kWh per 100km or less, a 0-100kmh acceleration time of 7.8 seconds or less, and a zero to 80 percent fast charge in 35 minutes or less from a DC fast charger. 

The petrol editions are both turbocharged. There’s a 108kW/210Nm 1.5 and a 145kW/290Nm 1.6-litre, those outputs as per how the editions present in Australia. 

The Omoda 5 petrol was meted a five star crash test credential from the Australasian New Car Assessment Programme (ANCAP), though it was criticised in some areas. It is unclear if that score will transfer to the electric, but often that is not the case.

Pricing and NZ market specification is expected to be kept under wraps until much closer to launch. In China cited rivals are the MG ZS EV and BYD Atto 3.

Omoda Jaecoo New Zealand, under country manager Sheldon Humphries, has been recruiting a national dealer network.