Omoda E5 Review

I'm no tech geek, so please do excuse my ignorance, but a recent catastrophic failure of my smartphone pushed me through the doors of a Xiaomi store for the first time, and I was left utterly gobsmacked at the variety of products available for sale.

Need to get a new smart television, vacuum cleaner, smart lock for your home, and an equally smart wristwatch all at the same time? You can forget about driving all the way down to that popular furniture chain superstore - your local Xiaomi shop apparently has always had available stock of all these, and many more besides.

For those who are likewise looking for a vehicle with a set of abilities as wide as Xiaomi's range of consumer electronics, don't dismiss this Omoda E5 just yet.

The split clusters for the head lights and daytime running lights, aerodynamic 18-inch rims, and sloping roof at the rear all make the Omoda E5 look futuristic

A new contender

At $179,888, this Omoda E5 is asking for just a bit of more than the 150kW BYD Atto 3 (yours from $181,888), although shoppers here looking for a Chinese-branded option might also match this Omoda against the less powerful Aion Y Plus, which was recently launched here and comes in with a smaller $145,888 price tag (all prices as of 12 April 2024).

But this car deserves to ask for a premium against these options, even if its parent company Chery isn't a name that many here associate with quality cars just yet.

Everything in the cabin of the Omoda E5 feels well put together, although the highly polished wood trim might not be to everyone's taste

Let's start with its looks, which are enough (in this writer's eyes) to make shoppers of premium marques sit up and notice. Up front, the car splits its daytime running lights from its dipped beams - a touch that Citroen has also adopted for its lineup - although I think the angular approach that Omoda has adopted here is a much more accomplished one.

Approach the car from the rear and you'll notice the Omoda E5 also sports that oh-so-trendy coupe-like gently sloping roof, while its taillights are housed within a case that spans the width of the car - another design feature that is making its rounds amongst the very latest cars today.

You get plenty of options to set the Omoda E5 up just the way you want it

Well ready to impress

Step into the Omoda E5 and it will continue to impress.

Ahead of the driver are two 10.25-inch screens, which are great if, like me, you detest the miniscule digital instrument clusters that seem to be the standard for more affordable Chinese vehicles.

Omoda states that the software behind these screens come powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon SA8155 processor, which is widely reported to be one of the best in the business, unlike the terrible one that seems to have been deployed in my new Xiaomi A3.

Both the 50W smartphone charging pad and the centre console cubby get fed with cool air so you'll be able to keep your phone and drinks cool when on the move

I will say that moving through the sub-menus of the infotainment system only yields a responsiveness that is on par with most vehicles I've recently tested: It was practically lag-free during the three days that I had the car, although I didn't find myself sufficiently familiarised with its various layouts to have demanded any quicker loading times. 

And in fairness, there's plenty of options all available in here for you to set your car just how you like it, including the ability to choose from 64 different colours from the ambient lighting system, or three different indicator chimes, on top of the option to change just exactly how you'd like the car's smart key to operate.

Beyond these screens, the Omoda E5 is generously equipped: You get a 50W wireless smartphone charger with its own cooling vents, a centre console cubby that also gets a feed of cool air to keep your drinks cool, and there's also an additional storage area under the centre console itself, complete with USB ports on the passenger side. Local distributor for the brand, Vertex Automobile, also informs us that customer vehicles will come equipped with ventilated seats at the front row.

Charging the Omoda E5 can be done at up to 80kW via a direct current source, while charging the car via an alternating current charger will cap charging power at 9.9kW

With the guts to compete

There's no dedicated start button here in the Omoda E5 - you simply step on the brakes, push the lever on the steering column into drive, and you're ready to go.

Press down hard on the accelerator pedal and the E5 will return a fair bit of torque steer, while its ride is a touch on the firm side and it takes a bit of time to settle back down after you drive over larger obstacles, but otherwise, the drive is a peach.

With a total of 340Nm of torque to deploy, sprinting between the lights is always effortless, and the Omoda E5 pairs this with a quick steering rack that further encourages eager driving.

The Omoda E5 is equipped with a 61kWh battery, which should allow you to cover up to 400km between charging sessions

Visibility out of the back isn't that great thanks to that sloping roof and the raised rear seats, but thankfully there's a blind spot monitoring system and lane departure warning and intervention system all in this Omoda E5 for added assurance.

I managed to achieve an energy economy close to 6.7km/kWh after three days with the Omoda E5, translating to a real-world range of close to 400km, not far from the car's WLTP range of 430km.

Looking for a sleek and capable electric SUV? Be sure to add the Omoda E5 into your shortlist

A promising new entrant

With its wide range of abilities, I reckon the Omoda E5 should have little trouble finding owners, despite its association with a brand that has had a less-than-prestigious history here in Singapore.

Chinese-branded consumer electronics have clearly already gained more than a strong foothold here, and this Omoda E5 shows it is already past due that we start to embrace Chinese-branded vehicles as well.

Looking for an electric SUV? There's also these options to consider:

The Hyundai Kona Electric comes with a distinctive exterior and a refined drivetrain

Fans of the coupe-like roof might also want to consider the comfortable Citroen e-C4

The Hyundai Ioniq 5, meanwhile, pairs a chunky exterior design with plenty of cabin space

There's also the Cat A-friendly BYD Atto 3 to think about!