The Chery Omoda 5 won't just be getting an all-electric option in 2024 – the company plans to add a more powerful variant with all-wheel drive (AWD) next year as well.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Director of product and aftersales at Chery Australia, Lucas Harris, confirmed with CarExpert at the launch of the new Tiggo 7 Pro SUV that the MY24 Omoda line-up will also see the addition of the larger turbocharged 1.6-litre engine with available all-wheel drive.
"The MY24 Omoda 5 will add those variants – we'll have a 1.6T and 1.6T AWD," Mr Harris said. When asked when in 2024 these variants would arrive, Mr Harris added the Omoda 5 1.6T should be "available very early next year".
Previously, Chery Australia has indicated there will be a pair of EX+ versions of the Omoda 5 coming to Australia with the turbocharged 1.6-litre engine, building on the existing top-spec EX version with the smaller 1.5T.
The Omoda 5 1.6T offers 145kW of power and 290Nm of torque, with drive sent to either the front or all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. For reference, the Omoda 5 1.5T makes 115kW/230Nm, employs a continuously variable transmission (CVT), and is FWD only.
Further, the more powerful Omoda 5 models will swap out the existing range's torsion beam rear suspension for a more sophisticated multilink rear setup. This usually results in better ride comfort particularly over sharper hits at the rear, in addition to better handling and road-holding.
Pricing and specification are still to be confirmed, though given the early 2024 signpost provided by Mr Harris, market details shouldn't be far off.
The Omoda 5 launched in March, and through to the end of October Chery has registered 4271 examples for a 3.5 per cent share of the VFACTS small SUV under $45,000 segment. That puts the Chery essentially on par with the likes of the Toyota C-HR (4750 units, 3.8 per cent share).
Further to the addition of the 1.6T models, Chery Australia has confirmed it will also add an all-electric version of the Omoda 5 to the local range around mid-2024, giving the Chinese brand a direct rival to fellow Chinese offerings like the BYD Atto 3 and MG ZS EV.
Stay tuned to CarExpert for all the latest Chery updates.
MORE: Everything Chery Omoda 5
Content originally sourced from: CarExpert.com.au
