What's the difference?
Finding a half-decent small SUV for less than $30,000 has become quite challenging in the past couple of years. But as mainstream brands march further upmarket, some Chinese manufacturers are happy to grab sales at the lower end of the market.
One such brand, Chery, re-emerged with the Omoda 5 compact crossover about 18 months ago with keen pricing and loads of standard features.
Further pushing the value point, Chery recently added a new base grade of the Omoda 5, the FX. It sits under the Omoda 5 BX and EX with the same powertrain and it only loses a handful of features from the BX.
At $27,000 drive-away, it looks like a steal on paper. But how does the new cut-price Omoda 5 handle urban duties? And does this small SUV offer more than just a solid standard features list?
The Chery Tiggo 7 Pro Elite is a part of the brand relaunch for Chery and it showcases the brand's commitment to safety with its five-star ANCAP rating, awarded in 2023.
The medium SUV market is well and truly saturated with options and the Tiggo 7 Pro has rivals like the GWM Haval H6, Hyundai Tucson and MG HS which offer affordable packages for families in an expensive economy.
So, does the newest offering from Chery hold its own? In this review I'll unpack what my little family of three thought after a week with the mid-spec Elite model. (And why I suddenly have a hankering for Cherry Ripes).
There’s little argument that Chery is focusing on value-for-money when it comes to its model range, and that’s absolutely the case with its new range opener - the Omoda 5 FX.
The spacious, flexible and neat cabin also get a tick.
Purely looking at this car on paper, it is hard to beat for $27,000 drive-away. And if you stick exclusively to urban areas without hitting the open road, you might be happy with your purchase.
However, the overall drive experience, including the behaviour of the advanced driver assistance tech, is well off the pace of mainstream rivals from Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, VW and more.
If that price is too good to look past, then be sure to do back-to-back test drives with other similarly priced rivals to compare.
The Chery Tiggo 7 Pro Elite has been a very surprising car for me. Its premium features, stylish design and practical space don't match the affordable price tag! But I'm all for it because you definitely get bang for your buck. The technology needs to be improved but everything else more than makes up for it. This medium SUV is a solid all-rounder.
My son likes the red paintwork and how much space he has in the back seat.
The Omoda 5’s design is bold, certainly more so than its larger Tiggo 7 and Tiggo 8 stablemates.
At the front the narrow daytime running lights integrate into the busy-looking grille that is surrounded by vertical headlights.
Tall wheel arches, narrowing rear three-quarter windows, creases, a boot lip spoiler and a perky rear help it stand out, but when you look at it front on or rear on, it seems oddly proportioned. Like it’s on stilts or something.
The cabin design is smart and restrained with a high-set centre console, piano black inserts, attractive three-spoke flat-bottom steering wheel with clear dials and minimal use of buttons.
Soft-touch materials adorn the top of the dash but the doors make do with hard plastics, which I have no issue with. The passenger side dash is upright but that doesn’t impact functionality.
The Chery Tiggo 7 Pro looks great because it manages to do two things really well.
It's not boring to look at yet simultaneously blends into the sea of medium SUVs without ruffling any design feathers.
The Tiggo 7 Pro is well-proportioned and has some interesting focal points like the large grille that sports a dual-coloured 'diamond' motif.
It gives me some insect-like vibes while adding depth and dimension to the bonnet.
There is a full suite of exterior LED lights that look sharp, the 18-inch alloy wheels and the simplified rear rounds out the package.
The overall footprint is a good size at 4513mm long, 1862mm wide and 1696mm tall.
With those dimensions, the Tiggo earns its place in the medium-SUV category, yet it's still being easy to manoeuvre in tight city streets.
The interior style looks premium with the use of black synthetic leather upholstery and contrasting white piping.
The dashboard is headlined by a large curved screen housing the 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system and 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster.
There's also adjustable, coloured ambient lighting, a chunky shifter and a plethora of soft touchpoints throughout, accentuating an already pleasant cabin space.
The cabin offers enough space for a small SUV. It feels wide across the front seat and there’s plenty of headroom, too.
The driver’s seat is power adjustable and while the fabric and stitching look cool, there’s almost too much padding under your bottom.
There are clear controls on the comfy door armrest and on the lovely looking three-spoke synthetic leather, flat bottom steering wheel.
The console sits up high, presumably to give the cabin a sports car look, and the dash is neat and clean, largely due to a lack of physical buttons. There are two phone holders that dominate the lower part of the dash and they double as device chargers in higher grades, but not in the FX.
There is space under the console to fit a bag or other items but the USB-A and USB-C ports are on the passenger side so you have to reach over to connect a cord if required. Thankfully, the Apple CarPlay is wireless. It connected easily and did not require reconnection while I had the car.
Two smallish cupholders are found near the gear shifter, and a sizeable central bin will store a number or items. The doors can stow a tall and wide bottle as well as other flat items.
Chery’s dual-screen set-up looks nice and not a world away from Kia’s integrated screens. The driver instrument display is not customisable in this grade and many of the items on the display are quite small. It would help if these were a little larger.
The multimedia side is simple to use with iPhone-like icons for functions like vehicle settings and more. There’s even a cute little bubble face on the side that you press to dictate commands. I asked the system to perform a few basic tasks like turning the air con off and on and it did it immediately without fault.
Air con controls are housed in the screen as well but it’s not as fiddly as some systems from other manufacturers. The only complaint is that it doesn’t appear to show the exact temperature, and the air flow could be stronger for a hot climate like Australia.
Taller passengers will probably need to duck their heads getting in and out of the Omoda 5’s rear seats, because of the low roofline. Once in the rear, there is a decent amount of knee and legroom, and headroom is good too despite the roofline.
Those rear seats are flat and not the most comfortable but fine for urban drives, and they feature ISOFIX points on the two outboard seats and three top tether points for child car seats.
In terms of amenities, there’s one USB-C port in the second row, lower air vents - something too many small SUVs go without - a centre fold-down armrest with two (shallow) cupholders and enough space for big bottles in the doors.
All petrol Omoda 5s have a cargo capacity of 360 litres, which increases to 1075L when you fold the 60/40 split rear seats down. This is more than the GWM Haval Jolion petrol’s capacity (337L).
It has a manual tailgate, a high loading area and some under-floor storage, but there is more than enough space for some luggage or a large amount of groceries in the boot.
It has a temporary spare wheel which is essential in Australia if you’re driving beyond urban areas.
The only negative is the flimsy parcel shelf. It struggles to stay in the groves that are designed to hold it. I had to re-fit it every time I opened the boot.
The cabin space is practical and user-friendly, which is a great combo. Both rows have a decent amount of leg- and headroom (despite the massive sunroof).
Individual storage is great throughout the car with the front row enjoying an extra-deep middle console, undershelf storage cubby below it, a drink bottle holder in each door and two cupholders.
The rear row gets two map pockets, two cupholders in a fold-down armrest and drink bottle holder in each door.
There is also a (very) shallow storage nook at the back of the middle console… think packet of chewing gum or small wallet size.
The boot space is a great size at 626L but if you need extra space, you can bump it up to 1672L with the back seats folded.
The rear backrest has a 60/40 split with a level loading space. Impressively, underfloor storage is taken up by a full-sized spare wheel and you get a powered tailgate in this model.
Other amenities accentuate the premium-feeling the Elite is going for with the electric and heated front seats offering well-cushioned support, although I miss having adjustable lumbar support!
The rear seats aren't as comfortable as the front (a bit hard on the tush) but the back support is fantastic.
In terms of technology, you get a single USB-A port in each row but the front also gets a faster USB-C port, 12-volt socket and a wireless charging pad to choose from.
The multimedia system's touchscreen can be laggy at times, which is annoying while on the go and the onboard 'Hello Chery' assistant tech needs improving.
I managed to get a few voice commands to work but most of the time the response was 'I haven't learned that yet' or a garbled version of the request (despite using the same phrasing as previously approved requests).
The system has built-in satellite navigation supplied by Turbo Dog, which is easy to use and it's simple to connect to the wired Apple CarPlay.
It also has Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity and AM/FM radio but misses out on digital radio.
At the time of publishing, the only non-Chinese-branded model in the mainstream small SUV category available for less than $30K drive-away is the 14-year-old Mitsubishi ASX. The only other sub-$30K small SUVs are from Chery, GWM Haval and MG - all from China.
Since launching the Omoda 5, Chery has placed value at the heart of its pitch to buyers, and that has only sharpened with the launch of the new base FX grade, tested here.
The FX kicks off at $27,990, drive-away, which lowers the price of entry to the Omoda 5 range by $6500. Not bad at all.
The only other models that compete on price are the GWM Haval Jolion Premium from $26,990 drive-away, the soon-to-be replaced MG ZST Vibe at $26,490 drive-away and the Mitsubishi ASX GS which is $26,740, but that doesn't include on-road costs.
Spec wise, the FX is not missing much from the next grade up, the $34,490, drive-away, BX. You get halogen headlights instead of LEDs, and it loses acoustic glass, soft-touch upper door inserts, ambient lighting, a wireless device charger, a 12-volt outlet in the boot and a frameless rear-view mirror.
Compared with the BX the FX suffices with single-zone instead of dual-zone air conditioning, the audio system drops from eight speakers to six and it has fabric rather than synthetic leather seat trim.
Out of these missing items, you’ll miss some more than others. Offering halogen instead of LED headlights is increasingly rare these days, even on base grades, and halogens are just not as strong, especially on regional roads at night.
But I am yet to encounter a truly effective device charging pad in a car so that’s no great loss.
The safety list is solid (see Safety section below) and it still has a good level of standard gear, especially for the price.
The FX comes with rear passenger air vents, keyless entry and start, a proximity key, a six-way power driver’s seat, dual 10.25-inch screens (multimedia and driver instrumentation), digital radio, an intelligent voice command as well as wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
There are three variants for the Chery Tiggo 7 Pro with the range starting with the Urban base model for $39,990 drive-away, the Elite (our test model) for $41,990 drive-away and the top-spec Ultimate grade which sits at $45,990 drive-away.
The price tag for the Elite puts it on par with most of its rivals with the Hyundai Tucson being the most expensive competitor.
The Elite grade comes with a host of standard features which makes the price tag feel very reasonable. Think full-size spare wheel, keyless entry, keyless start, dual-zone air-conditioning, adjustable coloured ambient lighting and a full suite of LED exterior lights.
There are a lot of premium-ticket items, too, like a panoramic sunroof, electric and heated front seats, synthetic leather upholstery and built-in satellite navigation.
Technology and safety get some serious focus with dual 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia screen and digital instrument cluster, 360-degree view camera system, powered tailgate, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (both wired) plus an eight-speaker Sony sound system, to name a few.
However, it's the brand-spanking-new five-star ANCAP safety rating that should excite families out there.
There are two petrol engine choices for the Omoda 5. The FX, BX and EX use a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged unit delivering power and torque outputs of 108kW and 210Nm, respectively.
These grades are front-wheel drive and the powertrain features a continuously variable transmission (CVT).
Those outputs are inline with the GWM Haval Jolion petrol but offer more punch than the MG ZST.
The Omoda 5 GT grades use a more powerful 137kW/275Nm 1.6-litre turbo, but they also come with a higher price tag.
The Elite variant has a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine with a maximum power output of 137kW and 275Nm of torque. It also features a front-wheel drive drivetrain and a seven-speed dual-clutch auto transmission.
I wasn't expecting it to be as gutsy as it is and the Elite has adequate power for easy open-road driving.
Chery says the official combined cycle (urban/extra-urban) fuel use figure for the Omoda 5 1.5L is 6.9 litres per 100km and the CO2 emissions are rated at 164g/km from the Euro 6-compliant engine.
After a week of urban, freeway and outer suburban driving we recorded a figure of 10.3L/100km which is well off the official figure.
It has a 51-litre fuel tank and runs on 91 RON petrol. Based on our calculations you can expect a theoretical range of about 765km.
The official combined cycle fuel consumption figure is 7.0L/100km and my real-world usage averaged 8.2L after doing some open-road, but mostly urban, driving.
The fuel economy is great considering the driving conditions and the fact I don't hold back in making use of its power.
Based on the combined cycle fuel figure and the 51L tank, expect a driving range of around 730km.
Chery recommends minimum 95 RON unleaded petrol be used.
The Omoda 5 has two personalities depending how and where you’re driving. If you only drive in urban areas and rarely exceed 60km/h, it’s more than fine as a daily driver.
It’s when you’re on the open road or a freeway that its flaws are revealed.
The 1.5-litre engine is responsive enough, although there is some hesitation when accelerating under full throttle, and it’s slower to pick up pace when you’re already on the move at 60 or 80km/h.
The throttle is quite sensitive, however, and can be a little jolty when taking off. And light tyre chirp is also possible when accelerating hard.
Chery’s CVT is fine and doesn’t have the drone of other CVTs, but the manual mode toggles on the side of the shifter are in a confusing spot. When I first got in the car, I mistook this for the button that allows the shift between drive and reverse that many other cars have. I only made that mistake once, though.
The engine is rowdy when accelerating hard but not unpleasant, and Chery could do more to keep noise out of the cabin. Wind noise is particularly noticeable.
The Omoda 5’s ride can be jittery, particularly on uneven or pockmarked roads. The tyres seem to soak up road reflectors and smaller bumps but the suspension tune is on the firmer side which means it’s crashy over bigger bumps.
It also leans a lot when cornering, feeling top heavy in bends. This is not the sort of dynamically capable crossover you can have fun with on a twisty road, like the sadly departed Ford Puma, or the Mazda CX-30 or VW T-Roc.
Some general impressions - the brakes are a little slow to respond but you learn to adjust. The steering feels artificial and twitchy and you’re constantly fighting with the lane keeping aid. More on that in the ‘Safety’ section below.
On sunny days a distracting reflection of the top of the dash appears on the inside of the windscreen. It’s not great. But another general impression is that the proximity key works a treat. Which is not often the case.
The Tiggo 7 Pro is a fairly easy-going car to drive. It handles well in the city but also feels pretty solid on the road at higher speeds.
There is a good sense of power that always feel primed and ready to go, in the sense that you don't have much delay between putting your foot down and the car shooting forward.
However, if you're too aggressive with the accelerator, you will lose a bit of tyre traction which can make it feel jumpy.
The brakes aren't particularly sensitive, meaning you have to be firmer when applying pressure. This creates a jerky experience until you get used to it but is more noticeable in stop-start traffic.
Steering feel is not too heavy, not too light. There's a great balance and the car is responsive when manoeuvring, which is what makes its cornering behaviour so surprising.
It doesn't feel dynamic on a winding road, due mainly to the amount of roll the car exhibits.
The cabin is very quiet in terms of wind and road noise, accentuating the premium-feel but suspension is a little firm which can lead to some grunts over harder bumps.
I like medium SUVs because their size usually makes them easy to park and the Tiggo 7 Pro is no different.
With a super clear 360-degree camera system, you shouldn't have any issues parking it. However, I didn't notice the front and rear parking sensors sounding out all that much.
As mentioned earlier, Chery has a long list of standard safety gear for all grades of the Omoda 5 from the base FX to the top-spec GT AWD.
In fact, the only feature the FX and BX don’t get is a 360-degree surround-view monitor.
It comes with a centre airbag to help mitigate against injury during a side collision, front and rear parking sensors, multi-collision brake, forward collision warning, auto emergency braking (AEB), emergency lane keeping, lane departure warning and prevention, traffic jam assist, lane change assist, rear cross-traffic alert and traffic sign recognition.
ANCAP gave it a maximum five-star crash safety rating in 2022.
There is no question you get a bucket load of safety gear for your money. However, some of the advanced driver assistance features let the car down.
We have written before about the poor performance of systems like the lane keeping aid when the Omoda 5 launched 18 months ago.
Chery was very quick to recalibrate some of these systems to ensure they are better suited to Australian conditions. But it’s still well off the pace of other more established small SUV rivals.
Despite the improvements, the active lane keeping system still isn’t great. On a freeway, the steering is incredibly jittery and it makes for an unpleasant driving experience. The car ping pongs between the line markings and sometimes it feels like it’s going to steer you into the next lane.
At one point I had the indicator on to change lanes and even then the steering was fighting me to stay in the lane I was in.
It feels like one of the first examples of lane keeping systems from several years ago. Many other brands have sharpened these systems to the point they are barely noticeable.
The blind spot monitor beeps a lot and at inappropriate times. It is quite frustrating. You can turn off some of these systems in the settings menu, but you shouldn’t have to do that. They should just work without distracting from the task at hand - driving.
Chery’s driver attention alert is infuriating. I lost count of the number of times the ‘You’ve been distracted for a long time’ warning flashed up when I was looking straight ahead at the road. At one point the display flashed when I was at a roundabout trying to turn. So I was distracted by what? My own driving?
The adaptive cruise control, however, is responsive and adapted to forward traffic without getting flustered.
Chery may have improved the ADAS calibration after the Omoda's launch, but the carmaker still has a lot of work to do in this area to be anywhere near its mainstream rivals.
The safety list is fantastic for the Tiggo 7 Pro Elite with the standard features list including full LED external lights, daytime-running lights, adaptive cruise control, rear cross-traffic alert, rear collision braking, blind-spot monitoring, driver attention monitor, forward collision warning, lane departure alert, lane keeping aid, intelligent seatbelt reminders, child occupant alert, child rear door safety locks, traffic sign recognition, a 360-degree camera system plus front and rear parking sensors.
I found the driver attention monitor annoying as it's extremely sensitive. There's an audible alert and a badge pops up onto the digital instrument cluster for the smallest things: scratching your face, looking at the speedometer, looking at the steering wheel controls, adjusting sunnies … you get the idea.
Multiple alerts on every journey is distracting and takes away from the driving experience.
Annoyingly, you can't adjust the sensitivity but you can switch this function off. You just have to do it in every trip.
The Tiggo 7 Pro has eight airbags, which includes a driver's knee airbag and the newer front centre bag, which is great to see. And the five-star ANCAP safety rating, awarded in 2023, will surely entice families!
The AEB with pedestrian, cyclist and motorcyclist detection is operational from 5.0–80km/h and up to 135km/h for car detection.
There are ISOFIX child seat mounts on the rear outboard seats and three top tether anchor points but two seats will fit best. There is enough room for front occupants when a 0-4 rearward facing child seat is installed.
Chery has a solid aftersales offer that includes a seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, seven years of roadside assist as long as you service with a Chery dealer, and seven years of capped-price servicing.
The service schedule is every 10,000km or 12 months, whichever comes first. That’s off the pace of some rivals that don’t make you return to the dealership until 15,000km.
But the cost of the first five services is $280 a pop before increasing to $391 and then $295. That is well priced for the segment.
The Tiggo 7 Pro comes with a seven-year/unlimited km warranty, which is longer than usual for the class.
There is a seven-year/105,000km capped priced servicing program and services average $294 per, which is very competitive.
Servicing intervals are reasonable at every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first.