Chery’s first new-generation mannequin in Australia shortly grew to become its first all-electric car in Australia too.
The Chery E5 (previously known as the Omoda E5) is the all-electric model of Chery’s distinctively styled C5 (previously the Omoda 5) small SUV, which spearheaded the Chinese language model’s return to the Australian market in 2023.
Aiming straight on the likes of the BYD Atto 3 and MG S5 EV, the E5 is an attainable compact electrical SUV that can price you comparable cash to an up-spec petrol-fired Kia Seltos or Mazda CX-30 – and now it’s even extra inexpensive.
Like its ICE-powered C5 sibling, the E5 trades arduous on worth and aftersales provisions, with inexpensive pricing and a protracted seven-year manufacturing facility guarantee. The E5 additionally affords aggressive efficiency and vary at this finish of the market.
On check right here we’ve the entry-level 2025 Chery E5 – now often called the City – which since being renamed has seen retail pricing drop by as a lot as $6000. It’s now priced listed from $36,990 plus on-road prices.
WATCH: Paul’s video overview of the 2023 Chery Omoda 5
The Chery model is steadily gaining momentum within the Australian market, registering 12,603 new automobiles in 2024 (up 114.0 per cent), with the Omoda 5 household (now C5 and E5) main the cost (6162 items, up 14.7 per cent).
To date in 2025, the Chery C5/E5 has been supplanted because the model’s top-seller Down Underneath by the extra inexpensive Tiggo 4 small SUV, however it stays in second place throughout the Chery steady. Is that this base EV model value a glance?
Be aware: The car pictured is an MY24 Chery Omoda E5, which apart from revised ‘CHERY’ badging changing the outdated ‘OMODA’ script and a few minor specification modifications, is successfully the identical car.
How a lot does the Chery E5 price?
For 2025, the Chery E5 has been renamed and repriced, with the bottom City now beginning at $36,990 plus on-road prices.
| Mannequin | Value earlier than on-road prices |
|---|---|
| 2025 Chery E5 City | $36,990 |
| 2025 Chery E5 Final | $40,990 |
To see how the Chery E5 strains up towards the competitors, take a look at our comparability device
What’s the Chery E5 like on the within?
As with the Omoda 5 (now C5), the E5 affords a extra premium cabin design than most of its Chinese language opponents, with inspiration drawn from luxurious marques like Mercedes-Benz.
It differs barely from the petrol-powered C5 in a few of the detailing, with its padded leather-look protrusion underneath the air vents and central show, and a novel centre console design. It’s much more Benz-like than the ICE model.
There’s a slickness to the straight strains and shiny finishes. The bigger 12.3-inch shows are properly built-in right into a unified fascia, and the steering wheel design is beautiful – although within the base grade it’s not leather-based or leatherette wrapped, simply squishy plastic which feels just a little rental-spec.
Piano black materials adorns a lot of the bridge, tunnel, and dashboard. Good within the dealership, not so good when you begin poking and prodding it with soiled fingers – finest to maintain a rag within the glovebox.
The sporty cloth and leatherette-clad seats are manually adjusted within the entry grade, however that’s high-quality within the scheme of issues. They’re snug, with supple cushioning and respectable assist from the bolsters.
They aren’t fairly pretty much as good as the gorgeous entrance pews within the Mazda CX-30, however they’re comfortable on lengthy journeys. Not like another Chinese language-branded automobiles, there’s higher under-thigh assist from the lengthy base cushion, which matches a good distance.
Now whereas these shows I discussed earlier look schmick when the automotive isn’t shifting, they’re not fairly as slick in operation. The design and interface could be very budget-Benz, however the display is laggy to the purpose the place issues nearly ‘tick’ as they animate, and the motive force’s cluster doesn’t have a extra standard dial view like in petrol automobiles.
Fortunately, the wi-fi Apple CarPlay labored usually properly throughout our testing, although there was the odd event the place recognized blackspots would trigger a disconnection after which a buggy reconnection – or no connection in any respect.
Chery Australia has additionally eliminated native satellite tv for pc navigation from the E5 vary, certainly one of few modifications made throughout the rebrand. So, these CarPlay quibbles is usually a little bit of a problem should you’re utilizing your cellphone to navigate someplace and it out of the blue disconnects and you’ll’t get it again on-line.
Construct high quality feels sturdy, and the design is extra up to date and cohesive in contrast than an MG ZST or GWM Haval Jolion. There’s respectable storage too, you probably have a behavior of carrying unfastened gadgets like wallets and bottles.
The E5 isn’t class-leading by way of second-row house, however has ample room to deal with a pair of adults with out a lot fuss. Simply be conscious that the sloping window line would possibly imply you knock your head on the best way in – talking from expertise right here…
Knee room is just a little cosy behind these chunky entrance seats, however in any other case 6″1′ me might sit behind my most popular driving place. Headroom is okay, although my voluminous hair was brushing the headliner within the again.
Your children shall be high-quality within the again supplied the entrance seats don’t impede their view an excessive amount of, and there are facilities like rear air vents, USB-A and USB-C cost ports (new for the up to date mannequin), map pockets, and bottle holders within the doorways. There’s additionally a flip-down centre armrest with cupholders.
Talking of the youthful ones, the requisite ISOFIX and top-tether baby seat anchor factors are current as you’d count on.
Additional again, the Chery E5’s boot capability takes a success in comparison with petrol fashions. It’s quoted at 300 litres with the rear seats in play and 1079L with them folded. By comparability, the Chery C5 affords 370L in five-seat configuration.
One spotlight that’s fairly uncommon – particularly for an EV – is the presence of a full-size spare wheel underneath the boot flooring. Props to Chery for going towards the trade development on this one.
| Dimensions | Chery E5 |
|---|---|
| Size | 4424mm |
| Width | 1830mm |
| Top | 1588mm |
| Wheelbase | 2610mm |
| Boot house | 300L-1079L; 19L ‘frunk’ |
To see how the Chery E5 strains up towards the competitors, take a look at our comparability device
What’s underneath the bonnet?
All variations of the E5 are powered by a front-mounted electrical motor making 150kW/340Nm, fed by a 61.1kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack – and there’s a 19-litre ‘frunk’.
| Specs | Chery E5 |
|---|---|
| Drivetrain | Single-motor electrical |
| Battery | 61.1kWh LFP |
| Energy | 150kW |
| Torque | 340Nm |
| Pushed wheels | Entrance-wheel drive |
| Weight | 1776kg – kerb |
| 0-100km/h (claimed) | 7.6 seconds |
| Energy consumption (claimed) | 15.5kWh/100km – WLTP |
| Energy consumption (as examined) | 17.0kWh/100km |
| Claimed vary | 430km – WLTP |
| Max AC cost charge | 6.6kWh – single part 9.9kWh – three part |
| Max DC cost charge | 80kW |
To see how the Chery E5 strains up towards the competitors, take a look at our comparability device
How does the Chery E5 drive?
The petrol Omoda 5 (now C5) is just a little hit or miss in my expertise, relying on the drivetrain, so I used to be eager to see if the torque-rich nature of electrical motoring could be a marked enchancment within the E5.
Pictured: MY24 Chery Omoda E5 BX
Typically I discover that drivetrain refinement in petrol-powered Chinese language-branded automobiles wants just a little work to actually be aggressive with legacy manufacturers from Europe and Asia, however within the EV house it’s a way more degree enjoying discipline.
Naturally, the E5 begins in full silence, and setting off isn’t met with clumsy lurching like outdated Omoda 5 automobiles fitted with the dual-clutch automated had been vulnerable to. It’s additionally very quiet, and the elevated driving place provides you a commanding view of the street forward and makes this really feel like a bigger, extra substantial car.
Whereas straight-line acceleration is easy and responsive, supplied you don’t mash the throttle and light-weight up the entrance tyres, there’s a little bit of a disconnect between the drivetrain and dealing with.
That huge car really feel I discussed earlier interprets just a little an excessive amount of to the steering and dealing with, with very mild weighting and minimal suggestions, sometimes making the E5 really feel just a little imprecise and ponderous.
It’s fairly softly sprung too, so there’s a little bit of physique lean in corners, which mixed with the tall driving place can exacerbate the top-heavy feeling behind the wheel. That stated, it’s solely actually a downside should you’re a eager driver, and that is priced to be economy-class zero-emissions transport.
Pushed with a extra measured method in metropolis and suburban environments, the E5 is a reasonably snug and quiet runabout. It’s dimension for city residing too, with comparatively compact dimensions, entrance and rear parking sensors and an honest reversing digicam – you want the flagship Final for the wonderful encompass cameras.
Outward visibility is sweet out the entrance and sides, although the rising belt line and slim rear window means the aforementioned sensors and digicam come in useful, as does commonplace blind-spot and rear cross-traffic screens.
Issues settle properly on the open street too, with the E5 providing good sound insulation regardless of the absence of a combustion motor, and a settled experience that’s solely ever upset by sharp floor imperfections like growth joins on the nationwide freeway restrict – not helped by the bigger 18-inch alloy wheels shod with 215/55 Kumho rubber.
Whereas it’s principally an honest if not good displaying, Chery’s driver help applied sciences nonetheless require some work. It is a grievance I’ve had about practically each one of many firm’s automobiles I’ve pushed.
In equity, it’s primarily the Built-in Cruise Help, which mixes adaptive cruise management and energetic lane maintaining tooffer semi-autonomous freeway driving, that’s not fairly there.
The lane-centring operate nonetheless can’t precisely maintain the E5 centred in its lane, usually jerking the steering wheel left because it dislikes the driver-side lane markings. Once in a while it’ll wrestle you in direction of the car subsequent to you or a concrete barrier if it will probably’t appropriately detect the lane markings, which might be fairly unsettling.
Chery’s driver monitoring system can also be deserving of a typical gripe made towards Chinese language manufacturers, usually chiming too eagerly even should you’re simply doing a head-check or glancing over on the infotainment show.
To see how the Chery E5 strains up towards the competitors, take a look at our comparability device
What do you get?
The Chery E5 vary stays a two-variant mannequin household in Australia, although the outdated BX and EX trims at the moment are known as the City and Final.
2025 Chery E5 City gear highlights:
- 18-inch alloy wheels
- Kumho PS71 215/55 R18 tyres
- Full-size spare wheel
- Eco, Regular and Sport drive modes
- LED headlights
- LED entrance fog lights with cornering operate
- Automated high-beam
- Proximity entry with push-button begin
- Rain-sensing wipers
- Heated, power-folding exterior mirrors
- 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
- 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Wired and wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- DAB digital radio
- Voice assistant
- 50W wi-fi cellphone charger
- 6-speaker sound system
- Cloth upholstery with leatherette bolsters
- Folding rear armrest with cupholders
- Twin-zone local weather management with rear air vents
- Gloss woodgrain impact trim with darkish chrome accents
- Tilt and telescopic steering wheel adjustment
- 3 x USB-A shops (1 x sprint, 1 x higher windscreen, 1 x rear)
- 2 x USB-C shops (1 x entrance, 1 x rear)
- 2 x 12V shops (1 x entrance, 1 x boot)
E5 Final provides:
- Sequential rear indicators
- Energy sunroof
- Acoustic entrance door glass
- Rear privateness glass
- Energy tailgate
- Leatherette-wrapped steering wheel
- Heated steering wheel
- Leatherette upholstery
- 6-way energy driver’s seat
- 4-way energy passenger seat
- Heated entrance seats
- Heated outboard rear seats
- Color-adjustable ambient lighting
- 8-speaker Sony sound system
Is the Chery E5 protected?
The Omoda E5 has the identical five-star ANCAP security score as its petrol-powered siblings, primarily based on 2022 check standards.
| Class | Chery C5 + E5 |
|---|---|
| Grownup occupant safety | 87 per cent |
| Little one occupant safety | 88 per cent |
| Weak street consumer safety | 68 per cent |
| Security help | 83 per cent |
The exams had been performed by Euro NCAP, however when awarding the electrical model the identical five-star score, ANCAP confirmed extra testing was performed on the E5 to find out the integrity and security of the E5’s battery and high-voltage electrical system.
Customary security gear contains:
- 7 airbags
- Adaptive cruise management
- Autonomous emergency braking
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Driver consideration monitoring
- Lane-keep help
- Emergency lane-keep help
- Built-in Cruise Help
- Site visitors Jam Help
- Parking sensors – entrance, rear
- Rear cross-traffic help
- Protected exit warning
- Velocity restrict data
- Multi-collision brake
- Reversing digicam
- Tyre strain monitoring
Final provides:
To see how the Chery E5 strains up towards the competitors, take a look at our comparability device
How a lot does the Chery E5 price to run?
As with the broader Chery lineup, the Omoda E5 is roofed by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre guarantee, with the high-voltage battery in EV fashions coated by a prolonged eight-year, unlimited-kilometre guarantee.
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| Servicing and Guarantee | Chery E5 |
|---|---|
| Guarantee | 7 years, limitless kilometres – car 8 years, limitless kilometres – EV battery |
| Battery guarantee | 8 years |
| Roadside help | As much as 7 years – service activated |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 20,000km |
| Capped-price servicing | 7 years |
| Whole capped worth service price | $1586 |
To see how the Chery E5 strains up towards the competitors, take a look at our comparability device
CarExpert’s Tackle the Chery E5
Since I drove this car in MY24-spec, Chery has made a considerable change to the retail pricing which helps the worth equation by some margin.
An entire $6000 drop – even when there have been sharp drive-away offers on the time of testing – is nothing to sneeze at, and the bottom City’s new $36,990 sticker places it within the firm of a wide range of legacy-branded combustion-powered SUVs.
For an inexpensive electrical crossover it drives properly sufficient, it’s geared up properly sufficient, and it’s arguably styled to look dearer than it’s. Eager drivers like me would possibly discover it underwhelming or boring on the street, however it’s high-quality for what it’s.
The finicky driver help tech stays a grievance, however that is frequent to the majority of Chery’s lineup together with even its new Omoda Jaecoo portfolio. It’s an space the place BYD and MG have made fairly good strides – although their equal fashions price extra.
Whereas it could lack a few of the polish of the equally sized BYD Atto 3 and MG S5 EV, the Chery E5 is 1000’s extra inexpensive and affords extra vary than its Chinese language rivals. That alone shall be a key promoting level for a lot of.
CarExpert can prevent 1000’s on a brand new Chery E5. Click on right here to get an incredible deal.
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