√2023 Chery Omoda 5 initial details for Australia, ANCAP safety rating coming

Returning Chinese brand Chery is preparing to offer four versions of its new Omoda 5 small SUV in Australia, all with a suite of advanced safety technology as standard – and an ANCAP crash rating to come.

The 2023 Chery Omoda 5 is set to launch in Australia with a choice of two model grades and two engines from the end of this year – and an ANCAP safety rating at an undisclosed time – but prices are still to be confirmed.

Chinese car maker Chery plans to return to Australia before the end of this year – seven years after it left the local market following slow sales, an asbestos scandal, and poor crash-safety ratings – with its first model to be a small SUV, known as the Omoda 5.

Representatives for the brand confirmed to Drive two model grades will be available, each with a choice of a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine with front-wheel drive, and a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine with all-wheel drive.

The 1.5-litre front-wheel drive variants will be the first to launch, arriving by the end of this year – a few weeks later than anticipated, with a launch previously indicated for late October, or sometime in November – with the 1.6-litre all-wheel-drive option to follow sometime next year.

All models will come with a full suite of advanced safety features – which will help it in Euro NCAP crash safety testing, which a Chery representative told Drive is already underway at Euro NCAP’s facility in Spain.

The representative told Drive the company “will definitely” submit the Omoda 5 for testing by Australian independent safety body ANCAP – though the European rating may be carried over instead. A date for the release of results is yet to be confirmed.

If the Omoda 5 performs well, it would be a departure from the vehicles Chery sold during its last stint in Australia in 2011 to 2015, which could not achieve more than two or three stars under far more lenient safety criteria.

Prices for the new Chery Omoda 5 range are yet to be confirmed, however Chery is surveying potential customers on social media on prices between $28,000 and $39,990 plus on-road costs – in line with competitors from China, South Korea and Japan.

That price would apply to one of the two 1.5-litre models, which surveys posted by Chery on social media indicate may develop 108kW and 210Nm in Australian-market form (down 7kW/20Nm on Chinese outputs), with a continuously-variable automatic transmission.

Meanwhile, the 1.6-litre turbo version develops 145kW and 290Nm in China, with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and all-wheel drive (for Australia).

Standard features for Australia are yet to be confirmed, however available features include LED headlights, dual 10.25-inch screens, heated and ventilated seats, a sunroof, eight-speaker Sony sound system, keyless entry, and synthetic leather seats.

What has been confirmed as standard equipment is a full suite of 16 advanced safety features, including autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, lane-change assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, traffic sign recognition, rear parking sensors, and a 360-degree camera.

For more details on Chery’s Australian relaunch, click the links below to read Drive’s past coverage.

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