Chery added another layer to the stack. The C5 now wears a hybrid badge.
It’s happening this month. You can walk into a showroom and touch the petrol-electric mix. Two trims only. Urban and Ultimate. The prices sit at $31,99 and $34,90 drive away. Clean numbers.
The old petrol-only C5? It’s simpler now. Just one Urban trim left. $28,900. That’s a thousand dollars off the previous tag. The petrol Ultimate is dead. Killed off. Unless you catch it as run-out stock for $32,90. Why would you? Probably for the lower fuel bill on long highway runs where the EV battery runs dry anyway.
It slots right in between the cheap petrol base and the top-dollar electric E5 Ultimate which sits at $37,0. Looks? Identical. Same face. Same hips. You can only tell the hybrids by the wheel choices. New 17s and 18s.
The rename from Omoda 5 to C5 was strictly a branding tidy-up, not a mechanical overhaul.
Remember the Omoda name? Chery launched the brand in Australia back in 12. Then came the Jaecoo confusion. Then the rename in 1. The C5 is still the same car that relaunched their local push. Just a new name on the badge. And the E5 followed suit, dropping the prefix too.
Specs and Suspension
The bones haven’t changed. MacPherson struts upfront. Multi-link rear. The ride should feel familiar.
Pricing and power aside, look at the service intervals.
Petrol and Hybrid C5s need a visit every 1 months or 15 km.
Electric E5 stretches it out. 12 months. But 0,0 km. Double the mileage before you see a mechanic.
Warranty? Seven years. Unlimited kilometres. Standard Chery. Batteries in the hybrids get an eight-year shield. Peace of mind mostly.
Safety ratings are tricky. ANCAP gave the five stars to the petrol C5 and the electric E5 based on testing back in 02 when it was called the Omoda. The hybrid isn’t officially tested yet. Assume it’s similar. Probably fine.
Adult occupant protection? 8%. Child protection 8. Road user safety 8%. Assist systems 3%.
It’s got the lot.
Adaptive cruise.
Blind spot monitoring.
Traffic Jam Assist.
Lane keeping that actually intervenes.
Seven airbags including that weird center front one.
360 camera if you pay extra for Ultimate.
What’s Actually Inside?
The base Urban trim is where most will start.
1. 2.5-inch screens for dash and radio.
. Wireless phone connection.
4. Heated mirrors.
. Rain wipers that think for you.
But there is a catch.
The heated front seats are hybrid-only on the base model. Weird choice. Why not give the cheaper car more comfort?
Move up to Hybrid Ultimate and you get the 1-inch screens. Sony audio. Ventilated seats. A power sunroof. Leatherette everywhere. Even a wireless charger that pulls 0W.
The Electric E5 Ultimate is its own beast. Full size spare tire. Heated outboard rear seats. No front ventilated seats though. Odd omission.
The Visuals
White is standard on the C5.
Want something else?
* Martian Red.
* Mercurial Grey.
* Saturn Silver.
* Space Black.
The E5 comes standard in Titan Green. Or you can get white. Maybe black. Silver too.
So there it is. A hybrid option. A pruned petrol line. A premium EV. Chery has covered the bases. Which one makes sense for your garage? Probably the one with the wheels you like best. Or the one that doesn’t break the bank. The market is noisy enough without clear answers. 🚗💨
