Chery Omoda 5 vs Citroen C5

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?

What’s a point of difference you look for in the oversaturated SUV market? Is it price? Warranty? Features? How about comfort?

There are a lot of mid-size SUVs in Australia. Most of them like to trade on their features or value or, more than ever, sportiness.

You can see it in the huge wheels, aggressive body kits, stiff suspension. The list goes on. But not for the Citroen C5 Aircross.

The most recent offering from the storied French automaker is all about one thing. Comfort.

My question is why is comfort in SUV-land such a niche concept? And how does this quirky orange Citroen get it so right? Read on to find out.