Chery Omoda 5 vs Mercedes-Benz Eqv300

What's the difference?

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 EQV is indeed a curious offering. The driving range is decent, but not outstanding, and depending on what you’re using it for, it could be a savvy investment. Especially if you charge using solar power. You’ll also save on servicing costs. But if you’re a limo operator, it really will depend how many kilometres you’re going to do each day. A V-Class might suffice.

Either way it’s great that Benz is giving buyers electric options in a variety of body styles and segments - an SUV simply won’t suit everyone.

If you can live with that ride quality and have the deep pockets for an EQV, there’s more than enough to like. But I suspect there won’t be many of you.

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. 

If you’ve seen a Mercedes van or people mover, you’ll have an idea of the EQV.

The difference between it and its V-Class twin is the ‘EQ’ touches, including the front end that has a definite connection to other EQ models like the EQA.

The chrome-rimmed grille is blacked out and has fins, and that’s the key difference between the two MPVs. Otherwise it’s a very large white box on wheels. Nicely designed 18-inch five-spoke alloy wheels, at that. 

Inside, the EQV is showing the age of this vehicle's shared underpinnings. Next year will mark 10 years since the current Vito went on sale in Europe, and while it and its derivatives are still somewhat handsome, the interior is getting on.

It’s hard to fault the materials used inside, and elements like the perforated leather steering wheel, and dash stitching are welcome, but it could feel even more premium. It’s no more high-end than a Kia Carnival Platinum that is more than half the price of the EQV.

But the look of the dash is very reminiscent of Benz models from a few years back - certainly nothing like the twin-screen set-up of the current crop. And given the size of the cabin, the 10.25-inch central screen looks small in this vehicle. 

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.

If space is what you want, space is what you’ll find in the EQV. People movers like the Kia Carnival are incredibly spacious, but they can’t compete with something that’s spawned from a commercial vehicle platform, like this Benz.

Thanks to the flat floor and 2+2+3 three-row seating layout, you can literally stand up (depending on your height) and walk from the driver’s seat to the third row.

Back up front, the old underpinnings mean no fully digital instrument cluster here, just analogue dials, which is not a bad thing.

That also means the air con controls are separate from the central screen and therefore easy to use.

The MBUX system isn’t as advanced as the version fitted to the latest Benz models, and as a result there are fewer functions and it’s less complicated to use. There’s a touchpad as well as the touchscreen but I only ever used the screen.

Another slightly old school element to the EQV is the fact that it requires a key to start. Which is unusual for an EV. Also, the ignition is on the left side of the steering wheel which is great news for left-handed people but it’s somewhat annoying if you’re right-handed.

Storage wise up front, there is a decent space with a cover under the centre stack, housing cupholders, two USB-C ports and a 12-volt charger, but no wireless charger. There’s ample space for very large bottles in the front doors and it has a medium-sized glove box.

The front leather seats with fold-down armrests on each side are well bolstered and are very comfortable, too. No complaints there.

Given this car is designed to ferry people around, you’d hope for a functional rear cabin and on that Benz has delivered - for the most part.

Unsurprisingly given the EQV’s massive dimensions, there is a huge amount of headroom, legroom, and hip and shoulder room in all rows.

Both sliding side doors are power operated and one (the passenger side) can be opened via the key fob. The very large tailgate is also power operated.

Those two second-row captains chairs are comfy and supportive. There are map pockets on the rear of the front and second-row seats. There are floor and roof-mounted air vents, but just roof vents in the third row.

There’s not a whole lot of storage options in the second row, while the third row has stand-up phone holders, but that’s about it. No USB ports back there.

If you’re folding the second row seats, they’re quite heavy and cumbersome. But tumbling them forward via the lever is much easier. That ensures ample space to get into the third row. 

The third row can be folded flat as well but you have to remove the very large and heavy parcel shelf from the cargo area. Like the seats the shelf structure is also on rails and it lifts out if required. That third row can also slide but not as far as the second row.

The shelf can double as a stand-up desk for a computer in the rear if required. It’s actually quite handy.

And it helps hide items in the boot. It comes with plastic folding shopping crates. 

Benz says the boot can swallow 1030 litres with all seats in place, but minus the parcel shelf. It also has a 17-inch spare steel wheel under the rear of the vehicle.

It’s fair to say the EQV isn’t cheap. At $155,338 before on-road costs, it’s now the priciest people mover money can buy in Australia.

But, it’s not without expensive electric competitors. Chinese commercial vehicle specialist, LDV, has just launched a new MPV dubbed the Mifa 9, another people-moving EV. The price for that model ranges from $106,000 to $131,000, before on-road costs.

Soon enough Volkswagen will have its funky ID. Buzz people hauler here as well, while Ford’s Transit Custom-based Tourneo MPV now has an electric version in Europe.

Point is, Benz and LDV aren’t going to be on their own for long.

The EQV sits alongside the mechanically related internal combustion V-Class in its line-up and that model ranges from $91,668 and $106,344. So it's quite a leap to electric from there.

The EQV is offered in one grade in Australia and Mercedes has ensured it has a decent amount of standard gear. The EQV comes with a 10.25-inch central screen housing the 'MBUX' multimedia system and operated via touchscreen or touchpad, digital radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, sat-nav, and USB-C ports.

It also gets power side doors, leather trim, a Burmester surround sound system, multifunction leather steering wheel, heated power adjustable front seats, ambient lighting, automatic dual-zone climate control with pre-entry climate, a seat rail system and rear removable parcel shelf.

Lining the specs up next to the LDV reveals that the Mifa 9 Luxe has more gear. It’s not super surprising given that model is very new and LDV has a strong value proposition. Also the underpinnings of the EQV are older.

But at more than $150K and a Benz badge, you think there would be a few more goodies, like heated rear seats or a massage function. Some extra luxuries would be nice, but it’s certainly not without the good stuff.

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 EQV is a battery electric vehicle that uses a single motor that sends up to 150kW of power and 365Nm of torque to the front wheels. It is paired with a 90kWh lithium-ion battery pack housed beneath the floor. The kerb weight is a hefty 2846kg.

With a DC charging capacity of up to 110kW, topping the battery up from 10 to 80 per cent can be done using a rapid charging station in about 45 minutes.

If you use an 11kW AC charger, like a Mercedes-Benz Wallbox, it will take approximately 10 hours to recharge from empty to 100 per cent.

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.

According to Mercedes-Benz, the EQV has a driving range of 418km on the NEDC cycle, which is about 355km on the WLTP cycle, which is seen as more real world.

I covered 233km in the EQV and by the end of the week the vehicle’s trip computer was sayong I had used 239km of range, which is pretty close.

As an example of how this vehicle would be used, let’s say an airport transfer driver did six trips to and from the Melbourne CBD to the airport in a day (about 46km), that’s about 276km - which is well within the EQV’s range.

However, when you consider the diesel V-CLass has a range of more than 900km, you can see why some buyers might not want to take the risk.

It consumes 26.3kWh of energy, which was the same figure I achieved. 

The EQV has a CCS charging port.

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. 

Driving the EQV feels a bit like driving a bus. That’s because you’re essentially driving a bus.

There’s no getting around the EQV’s size and heft, especially in an urban driving setting. It’s massive and challenging to park, especially in inner city areas with small spaces. It also has a pretty sizable 12.9-metre turning circle.

It does also have excellent visibility thanks to a significant amount of glass around you.

After so many years of complaining about Mercedes’ steering wheel-mounted gear shifter, I think I have finally come around to it. Would I prefer it in the centre console? Yes, but I now think the stalk is actually a logical place for it.

A stalk is a less logical place to house cruise control buttons. They are much better on the steering wheel than a stalk hidden behind the wheel.

From take-off, the EQV doesn’t quite flaw you with its acceleration like some EVs can. It’s more leisurely, but far from slow.

The 0-100km/h dash is done in approximately 12 seconds but around town it is responsive enough. In fact, on a particularly hectic day rushing to and from appointments all over town, I was surprised how lively the EQV felt, despite feeling heavy on the road.

As expected, it’s quiet on the road, for the most part - a nice change from diesel engines found in its siblings. But I did notice some creaking noises when driving on less than perfect tarmac.

The steering is weighted on the heavier side and slow to respond but that’s fine for a vehicle like this. You don’t need point and shoot steering for a 3.0-tonne bus. The brakes are not super responsive and require a bit of weight in the foot.

The biggest issue is with the EQV’s ride. The firmly sprung suspension combined with the vehicle’s mass means that you feel, and hear, every single bump.

I understand it is a commercial vehicle platform but given its positioning, Benz could have done more to soften the ride and make it less crashy, especially over speed bumps, potholes and sections of roadwork.

The EQV bumps along the road after you’ve gone over a speed bump and takes a while to balance itself out. It’s this floaty, bouncy ride characteristic that makes all but the smoothest roads a bit of a chore.

At this point, ANCAP has not rated the EQV. 

Benz has fitted the EQV with standard safety gear including A-to-D-pillar window airbags, auto emergency braking, driver and front passenger airbags (front, thorax and window), hill-start assist, lane keep assist, blind spot monitor, crosswind assist, reversing camera and sensors, driver attention warning, and a tyre pressure monitor.

It also has Benz’s ‘Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC’ which uses the adaptive cruise control to reduce and increase speed according to the movement of the vehicle it is following.

The Benz’s lane keeping aid is not intrusive. Rather than steering you back into the lane it has a haptic steering wheel vibration and audible alert. The adaptive cruise control is responsive, too. 

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 EQV is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty for private buyers (that drops to five years/250,000km for commercial buyers), and an eight-year or 160,000km battery warranty. 

The servicing schedule is once a year or every 40,000km.

Benz offers the EQV with a choice of three servicing plans, covering three services ($1252), four ($1959), or five services ($2149).

It also comes with a one-year complimentary Chargefox subscription.

The warranty terms are a little better than the LDV Mifa 9 (five years/160,000km), but you get more kilometres (200,000km) for the battery warranty on the LDV.