When creating the Omoda (part of the Chery concern) S5, the already aged Chery Arrizo 5 Plus sedan of the 2018 model was taken as a basis. Especially for our market, it was slightly updated to fit the general concept of the new Omoda sub-brand, so the car received a branded radiator grille with a three-dimensional pattern stylized as a scattering of diamonds.
Despite the transmitter’s age, the exterior of the S5 looks modern:
a huge front end, a swift silhouette in profile, taillights that seamlessly combine with the LED “single-browed” LED in a Kia trunk,
— everything corresponds to automotive fashion. In appearance, the car was clearly designed for a young audience.
The cabin is quite spacious and comfortable, the front seats have lateral support, and the steering wheel is adjustable both in height and in reach, which allows a tall driver to sit behind the wheel.
The digital instrument cluster is neatly integrated into the dashboard and can be read in bright sunlight. But the screen of the multimedia system, on the contrary, disappointed – in addition to the thick bezels around the device, the screen has no brightness, moreover, due to the unsuccessful angle of connection to the instrument panel, the tablet shines quite strongly . It has support for CarPlay and Android Auto so you can view the navigation from your phone.
The center console has a special platform for a smartphone, it is equipped with wireless charging. True, there is one nuance: during use, the device got so hot that it gave a warning about the overheating of the device. Perhaps the indirect reason for this was a hot summer day and an open hatch, in which the sun additionally warmed the device.
Unlike the exterior, the interior of the sedan looks rather boring:
no ambient lights, no bold design solutions like in the related Chery Arrizo 8. I’m talking about stylish door cards with eco-leather stitching and silver-plated speakers with seat-tuning unique to Mercedes-Benz. Everything is solid and everyday in the Omoda sedan.
For a taxi, such a car will probably be a good option and will most likely fit in the “comfort” tariff.
The brand is positioned as a youth brand, but in the case of a sedan, “youth” began and ended in a “diamond” radiator grille. The first-born Omoda on the Russian market – the C5 crossover – looks much more interesting from this point of view.
As for the comfort of passengers in the rear seats, there is more than enough space. At 183 centimeters tall, as they say, I was able to settle behind me without any problems.
For the rear row passengers, there are two options for options that vary depending on the configuration: heated rear seats or dual-zone climate control, but it is impossible to order them at the same time, which is confusing.
The S5 offers two 1.5 petrol four-cylinder engines: the classic naturally aspirated (113 hp, with a maximum torque of 138 Nm) and a turbo engine (147 hp; 210 Nm). In both cases, the car is equipped with a CVT, manual transmission is not provided. During the test drive, we were able to test the car in the top-of-the-line Ultra configuration with a turbo engine.
Although the interior is simple, the S5 sedan is surprisingly enjoyable to drive, thanks to its driving characteristics:
Due to the well-tuned suspension, sharp steering and good soundproofing, the car wanted to go faster than the road surface and weather conditions allowed.
With a sharp pressure on the gas, the turbo engine produces linear acceleration without jerks and sharp pickups of a high-torque engine, the power is enough for comfortable overtaking on the track. Up to 100 km / h, the four-door accelerates in 9.7 seconds, the fuel consumption in the combined cycle, according to passport data, is 6.9 liters per 100 km. On our trip, during active movement, the on-board computer gave an indicator of 8.5 liters per “hundred”.
When parking and maneuvering in a confined space, the proprietary all-round imaging system, well known to Chery vehicle owners, is of great help, the image from the cameras is clear and transmitted quickly. Nice practical bonus
The S5 already has an integrated built-in video recorder, where the recording can not only be viewed on the screen of the multimedia system, but also exported to external media.
In the minimum configuration, the Life sedan with a 113-horsepower engine will cost 2.16 million rubles. The basic version already has a surround view system, 16-inch aluminum wheels, LED headlights, remote engine start and a 10.3-inch infotainment system display.
The top version of the Ultra with a turbocharged engine, 147 hp. It will cost 2.47 million rubles. For this money, the buyer will receive: 17-inch wheels, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, heated second-row seats, steering wheel, windshield and washer nozzles.
It turns out that the basic version can even compete with VAZ cars in price, given that the new generation of “mechanics” Lada Vesta costs about 1.6 million rubles, and the “automatic” version is the promised “automatic”. By the end of the year, its price will be very close to the Chinese sedan.
During the test drive, the company announced plans to further expand its Omoda line in Russia. Already this year, representatives of the brand promise to introduce two more new products.