The 2023 Chery Omoda 5 was spied by an eagle-eyed Car Expert reader, who noticed it in traffic near Parramatta in Sydney’s western suburbs.
Wearing a NSW number plate suggests the car is undergoing final inspection before the marque’s official launch in Australia, and it’s likely the marque will use an almost Hyundai-N-like light blue as its hero color if this is a press release. launch vehicle.
Car Expert has contacted several brand representatives for Australia to confirm launch times for both Chery and the Omoda 5 SUV, and we’ll update this story when we learn more.
The company previously told us that a February 2023 launch was the plan.
If you don’t know about the Omoda 5, it will be the brand’s most compact SUV in Australia – at least initially.
At 4400mm long, 1800mm wide and 1585mm tall, it aims to steal buyers away from rivals such as the larger new-generation Nissan Qashqai, and the MG ZST and Kia Seltos, which are both just a touch smaller.
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The Omoda 5 will follow the same path as many other compact crossover models in the segment, being front-wheel drive and running a small turbocharged engine.
It is understood that the brand will launch the SUV with a 1.5 liter turbo petrol engine and CVT automatic. Power output is expected to be between 108kW and 115kW.
However, there is the potential that the brand will add a 145kW 1.6-litre turbo version with an automatic dual clutch and more power and torque, not to mention a multi-link rear suspension layout instead of a torsion beam.
Based on the screenshot image (taken from the video), it’s hard to tell which version this is.
As detailed here, the upcoming Omoda 5 small SUV received a five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP which we expect will carry over into ANCAP testing.
China’s Chery was sold in Australia a few years ago by the Ateco dealership, where the pitch for the brand was to offer some of the most affordable cars on the market.
It is not clear whether the plan is the same this time, but Chery International’s executive vice president, Charlie Zhang, told Car Expert in 2022 that the brand wants to change expectations and maybe Men In Black memories of old cars sold here.
“We will not be labeled as a cheap Chinese brand… we want to be a technology-driven company,” Mr Zhang said.
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Chery J11
“We want to go to Australia with a new image… where customers remember Chery for the technology, for the design, for the quality of the car.”
Chery will join fellow mass-market focused Chinese brands MG, LDV, GWM, GWM Haval and BYD in the market, with other brands such as JAC Motor and GWM’s Ora and Tank brands also launching this year.
Stay tuned for more information on Chery’s relaunch, including pricing and full detailed specifications, as it arrives.
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