Chery’s least expensive SUV has become more affordable, launching a new base model with fewer features but a sub-$30,000 price point.
The Chery Omoda 5 range now opens with the FX, available to order from today, with a price tag – at least until July 31 – of $27,990 drive-away.
That makes it $6000 cheaper than the BX that no longer serves as the entry point to the range, and pits it up against the GWM Haval Jolion Premium ($26,990 drive-away) and MG ZST Core ($25,490 drive-away).
It features the same turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine as the pricier BX, producing 108kW of power and 210Nm of torque and mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT).
However, various features have been removed to bring the price down.
The headlights are now halogen projector units, albeit still with LED daytime running lights, while there’s no gloss black trim on the B-pillar and lower window surround.
The BX’s acoustic front door glass and LED tail lights are also nowhere to be seen.
Inside, leatherette seats are swapped for cloth with leatherette bolsters, while dual-zone climate control is replaced with single-zone air-conditioning.
Also removed are ambient lighting, soft-touch upper door trims, a wireless phone charger, a 12V power outlet in the boot, and two of the eight speakers in the Sony sound system.
However, standard equipment still includes:
- 17-inch alloy wheels
- Automatic headlights
- Automatic high-beam
- Rain-sensing wipers
- Power-folding exterior mirrors
- 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster
- 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- DAB+ digital radio
- Intelligent voice assistant
- 6-way power driver’s seat
- Proximity entry with push-button start
- Leatherette-wrapped steering wheel and shifter
- Tilt and telescopic steering wheel adjustment
- Rear air vents
- 2 x USB-C outlets (front)
- 1 x USB-A outlet (rear)
- 1 x USB-A outlet (windscreen upper)
- 1 x 12V power outlet (front)
There’s also the same suite of safety equipment, which includes:
- Autonomous emergency braking
- Adaptive cruise control
- Emergency lane-keep assist
- Lane-keep assist
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Rear cross-traffic assist
- Traffic sign recognition
- Driver attention monitoring
- Traffic Jam Assist
- Front, front-side, front-centre and curtain airbags (7 in total)
- Reversing camera
- Front and rear parking sensors
Chery already expanded its Omoda 5 range earlier this year with pricier GT variants which pack a more powerful 1.6-litre turbo four-cylinder engine.
At the time, it brought the base price up by $1500 to $34,490 drive-away for the BX 1.5T, however it’s currently advertising this model for $33,990 drive-away.
Chery plans to introduce another small SUV to Australia with the Tiggo 4, due later this year with a base price under $30,000.
To the end of May, Chery has sold 2246 Omoda 5s this year, putting it ahead of the likes of the Honda HR-V (1453 sales) and Suzuki Vitara (1114 sales), if still below the GWM Haval Jolion (5826) and MG ZS family (9839).
The Omoda 5 range will expand further this year with an electric version known as the E5, to battle the MG ZS EV.
MORE: Everything Chery Omoda 5
