Chery Omoda E5 vs Honda CR-V

What's the difference?

The Chery Omoda E5 gets solid ticks for value, practicality, performance, efficiency and a great ownership promise. 

But its suspension compliance isn’t in line with class standards and some of its safety assist features aren’t as refined as they should be. Both of which matter in a car likely to be used by families day-to-day. Its price and specification are strong drawcards and that will get it over the line for many. But we think this Omoda E5 would still benefit from some judicious fine-tuning.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

The most-expensive version of the latest Honda CR-V is one of the most convincing family-orientated mid-sized SUVs in Australia, regardless of price and positioning.

For efficiency, economy, driveability, packaging, safety, quality, refinement and value-for-money, it is an outstanding value proposition. Don't buy a RAV4 or Forester hybrid before checking this one out.

We cannot wait for the e:HEV hybrid powertrain to filter down to cheaper grades, to make the best CR-V in decades even more accessible.

While retaining the fundamental shape of its internal combustion siblings the Omoda E5 does away with the petrol-powered car’s huge, rear-sloping grille, replacing it with a wrap-around forward-pointing nose proudly branded with the model name and hiding a pop-out battery charging port door.

The rear is more or less unchanged save for some detail tweaks to the bumper design, with a more noticeable change being the addition of aero-inspired 18-inch rims which I for one like a lot.

Parts of the interior are markedly different to combustion Omoda models with the front of the cabin dominated by an enlarged twin-screen array, both 12.3-inch, one covering multimedia and another in front of the driver for instrumentation. 

The gearshift has also been moved to a steering column stalk which frees up additional space in the centre console.

Soft touch materials on the dash and upper part of the doors is a high quality touch often missing in this part of the market and overall this Omoda E5 has a contemporary exterior design (without necessarily breaking new ground) while the interior exudes a suitably techy vibe.

Though considered handsome, the CR-V has never been a style leader. Function over form has always been its calling card, and Number Six is no exception.

Cleanly drawn, with boxy proportions and a blunter, squarer nose providing a contemporary if somewhat bland appearance, the Thai-built Honda lives on the larger end of the mid-sized SUV scale, resulting in lots of space and practicality.

Yet there are interesting and worthwhile details to explore, like narrower-than-usual windscreen pillars for exceptional forward vision.

The same applies to the considered positioning of the exterior mirrors, minimising blind spots, while deep glass areas allow light to flood in.

The stylish, Volvo-esque L-shaped tail-light graphic probably connects most clearly with past CR-Vs, giving the latest version an elegant overall presence.

Compared to the old model, the latest version's wheelbase has been stretched by 40mm to 2700mm, while front and rear tracks are 10mm wider, coming in at 1611mm and 1627mm, respectively.

Note that the front-drive models' ground clearance is 198mm – 10mm less than on the (non-hybrid-only) AWD grades.

There’s plenty of space up front for the driver and co-pilot, the sleek, twin-screen dashtop array increasing the feeling of space and openness.

And when it comes to storage, there’s plenty with decent bins in the doors that have enough room for a medium-size bottle, a good-size glove box, two cupholders in the top of the centre console, a lidded (and cooled) storage box between the seats as well as a lower shelf under the upper ‘flying buttress’ part of the console unit.

For power and connectivity there are USB-A and -C inputs, located on the passenger side of the lower console, a USB-A plug in the mirror unit for a dashcam, a 12-volt socket and a wireless charging pad.

Move to the rear and at 183cm tall I have more than enough head and legroom behind the driver’s seat set to my position. That said, my legs sit up at a fairly steep angle, missing out on much support from the seat cushion.

Three full-size adults will be a short journey-only tight squeeze in the back, although a trio of up to mid-teenage kids will be fine.

For storage, again, there are bins in the doors with room for bottles, there’s a pair of cupholders in the fold-down centre armrest and map pockets in the front seat backs.

USB-A and -C jacks are onboard for power and adjustable ventilation for back-seaters is always a welcome addition.

Boot capacity with all seats up is 300 litres to the cargo cover which is appreciably less than its key competitors all of which hover around the 450-litre mark. 

That number rises to 1079 litres with the 60/40 split-folding second row backrest lowered and there’s a 19-litre frunk in the nose. And Chery deserves a big pat on the back for including a full-sized spare wheel because the Omoda E5 is the only EV on the market that does. 

And if you need to hook up that box trailer for a trip to the tip the E5 is rated to tow a 750kg unbraked trailer.

Little wonder the CR-V was the world's third most-bought SUV worldwide in 2023. It's big enough for most families' needs... and then some.

This is immediately apparent the moment the big doors are opened up nice and wide, revealing an airy, spacious and extremely user-friendly interior.

The Japanese brand has striven successfully for greater visual symmetry, harmony and operational simplicity in the dashboard's design and layout.

And, sure, the 9.0-inch touchscreen lacks the wow factor of vast buttonless displays as found in flashy alternatives such as the disappointing Chery Tiggo 7, but it works very effectively.

Hondas have always nailed the driving position bit down pat, and the RS is no exception, with ample seat and steering column adjustment, considered controls placements and unimpeded views of the instrumentation and road ahead due to the aforementioned thin pillars.

The instrumentation cluster is an electronic set-up offering the driver the choice of either super crisp and ultra-clear analogue dials, or somewhat fussier bar graphs, with a digital speedo augmenting both.

There's so much to enjoy and so little to criticise inside Honda's mid-sized SUV. Along with space to stretch, the front seats are notably comfortable and supportive, as several hundred kilometres sat ensconced in them proved. Both sides have electric adjustment at this price point, too.

Ventilation also rates highly, with the honeycomb full-dash-length grille and lovely toggle switches bringing aesthetic and tactile delight, respectively.

And, reflecting the CR-V's US focus, storage is on a large and helpful scale, offering bottle holders in the doors amongst other places to stash things in and on.

Moving to the rear seat area, entry/egress is ridiculously unimpeded, with a decently-shaped bench.

Families are also likely to appreciate series-best legroom, backed up by a handy amount of girth – always a good thing.

You're also met with occupant-facing air vents, overhead grab handles, even more door storage, the obligatory folding centre armrest with cupholders, front-seat-sited map pockets and a pair of USB-C outlets.

However, the standard sunroof does rob some headroom so people taller than about 180cm had better try before they ride, though the 60/40 backrest reclines to 16 positions and that's helpful here.

Being a hybrid, the RS e:HEV misses out on the sliding bench which adjusts by 190mm in other CR-Vs.

Vision out is exemplary back there, enhancing an already spacious and airy ambience. But if the front seat area majors on Japanese quality, the rear is hardly premium, with plenty of dreary cheap plastic trim, betraying the Honda SUV's focus on the price-driven American market. But nothing squeaked, rattled or broke, thankfully.

Further back, the tailgate rises remotely quickly enough, and there's quite a wide and long area to store things, but the electrification elements make for quite a high and uneven floor – though a deep bin area is also provided to hide stuff in.

There's also just a can of goo in lieu of a spare wheel.

Cargo capacity rises compared to the previous CR-V, ranging from 589 litres with the rear seats up, to 1636L, or 1072L if measured only to the window line.

At the time of writing, choosing the hybrid version over the regular petrol-turbo CR-V means forking out for the top-of-the-line RS. Less expensive (and luxurious) hybrid grades are expected soon.

Starting from $59,900 drive-away, it isn't cheap, especially as its two closest rivals – the RAV4 Cruiser Hybrid and Nissan X-Trail Ti e-Power e4orce – offer all-wheel drive (AWD) for around the same price, while the Honda is front-wheel drive only.

At least the RS e:HEV isn't short on equipment, especially safety, with 11 airbags, Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), blind-spot alert, lane-keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert and adaptive cruise control included. Check out our safety section below for more details.

Being the CR-V flagship, you'll also find adaptive LED headlights, a panoramic sunroof, dual-zone climate control, leather upholstery, powered and heated front seats, a 9.0-inch touchscreen, sat-nav, wireless Apple CarPlay/wired Android Auto, Bose premium audio with 12 speakers, digital radio, a wireless charger, privacy glass, hands-free powered tailgate, roof rails, front and rear parking sensors and 19-inch alloys.

Note, however, there is no spare wheel, just a tyre-repair kit. Not good enough. For why, please see the Cost of Ownership/Warranty section.

There's also five years' free subscription to 'Honda Connect', bringing remote-control operation for climate control, lights and locking/unlocking, trip log data, location status, geo-fencing and emergency callout.

What's missing? Along with the aforementioned AWD, some rivals at this price point include larger alloy wheels if that's your thing.

Otherwise, the RS e:HEV brings plenty of features to the table. Sadly, not of the picnic variety, however, unlike in the first two generations of CR-V (1997 and 2001).

The Omoda E5 is powered by a single permanent magnet synchronous electric motor in the nose driving the front wheels through a single-speed reduction gear transmission.

Outputs of 150kW/340Nm are solid without being spectacular for a car of this size and close to 1.8-tonne weight.

The CR-V hybrid is powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder direct-injection Atkinson Cycle petrol engine.

Married to a pair of electric motors that make a combined power output of 152kW, it delivers a system total of 135kW at between 5000rpm and 8000rpm, as well as an impressive 335Nm of torque from 0-2000rpm.

It sends drive to the front wheels via a single-speed electric continuously variable transmission (e-CVT), featuring deceleration paddles that help redirect regenerative braking energy back into the battery.

Tipping the scales at 1771kg (kerb), the power-to-weight ratio is 76.2kW/tonne. Not great, but the e:HEV's brawn lies in its hefty torque output.

The Omoda E5 is powered by a 61kWh lithium iron phosphate battery and it can accept an 80kW DC charge which translates to a 30-80 per cent charge time of around 28 minutes.

And the Type 2 port in the centre of the nose makes charging a breeze, allowing you to park in front of a charger without having to think about which side of the car the plug has to go into. 

Connect to AC at the E5’s maximum 9.9kW capacity and you’ll be looking at a 10-100 per cent charge time in excess of 30 hours.

Official energy consumption on the WLTP combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle is 15.5kWh/100km and claimed range is a handy 430km.

Over a mix of urban, suburban and freeway running on test we saw a real-world average of 16.8kWh/100km which is roughly what you’d expect for a reasonably rapid electric SUV of this size.

Like Toyota's hybrids, Honda's do not need to be plugged in; the small 1.06kWh lithium-ion battery fitted is charged by either the engine or via regenerative braking energy.

Honda says the e:HEV RS on the Urban, Extra Urban and Combined cycles should average 4.9, 5.8 and 5.5 litres per 100km, respectively. The latter figure equates to a carbon dioxide emissions rating average of 125 grams/km.

Fitted with a 57L fuel tank, that means the driver can expect to achieve about 1035km between refills – and on 91 RON regular unleaded petrol at that.

Out in the real world, we managed a still-laudable 6.5L/100km during our time with the RS e:HEV, achieved through a mixture of inner-urban and open-road driving.

Chery says the Omoda E5 will accelerate from 0-100km/h in 7.6 seconds which is pretty rapid and there’s plenty of thrust from a standing start and for dodgem car-style city manoeuvring. There’s also ample oomph for safe highway cruising and overtaking.

There are three powertrain modes - Eco / Normal / Sport - with the latter adding some extra urgency but there’s not a dramatic difference between the three. 

The column-mounted gear selector is in the style of a Mercedes lever rather than a rotary controller and it initially takes conscious effort to avoid flicking it like an oversize indicator stalk.

Once settled in, though, it becomes second-nature and its location frees up extra space for storage in the console between the front seats.  

Chery says it spent eight months on local testing and development of the suspension tune, powertrain integration and safety assistance systems and we believe the car could be better in aspects of all three.

The Omoda 5 rides on a platform designed to accommodate combustion and electric propulsion from day one and the front-wheel-drive E5 is suspended by struts at the front and multi-links at the rear.

It takes a lot to manage close to 1.8 tonnes of mass in a relatively small car. Walking the tightrope between body control and ride comfort is tricky with a beefy battery onboard and the E5’s around town ride is best described as jittery, upset by even moderately rough surfaces, although things improve as road speed rises.

The 18-inch rims are shod with 215/55 Kumho PS71 EV rubber and despite its relatively stubby sidewall we’ve driven this tyre on other cars without issue, so it’s likely not the culprit.

Steering weight can be adjusted but road feel is modest and quick cornering isn’t the E5’s forte. But it’s not that kind of car. Urban duties rather than slicing through a favourite set of corners will be its more likely primary purpose, and for that, the steering’s fine. 

Then, no matter which drive mode you’ve selected, or the level of regen braking, it’s hard to be 100 per cent smooth with accelerator and brake inputs. They can be sharp on application and lift-off.

And when it comes to assist systems, lane-keeping intervention when using cruise control is abrupt and annoying. The centring function can be switched off but, ideally, you shouldn’t have to.

And likewise, the driver attention warning is intrusive. To the point where it fired an alert at times where I was looking directly at the road ahead. Again, it can be turned off (which is what I’d do 100 per cent of the time) but the calibration could be better.

Physical braking is by vented discs at the front and solid rotors at the rear and three levels of regen braking are available. Snag is you have to work through multiple screen options to get to the point where you can adjust it. Wheel-mounted paddles would be far more effective but the bean counters must have won the arm wrestle with engineering.

Once you apply the most aggressive regen level, even it is relatively low-key, so no i-Pedal-style single-pedal driving here.

In terms of miscellaneous observations, strategic inclusion of acoustic glass on the EX grade seems worthwhile as the mild highway wind noise we noticed on the BX wasn’t apparent in the top-spec model.

And the lack of a conventional dial for audio volume control is a miss. Far safer to quickly adjust a dial than sliders or buttons (even on the steering wheel).

Interesting to note Euro NCAP is lining up to make inclusion of physical controls for things like audio volume, turn signals, hazard lights, wipers and the horn mandatory for a maximum five-star safety assessment from 2026 onwards. 

If the good-looking e:HEV RS's compelling value and great interior don't convince, then the driving experience might.

Building on five generations of gradual evolution, the latest CR-V uses an updated version of the previous model's all-new architecture – a very solid foundation to build an SUV upon.

Pairing that with Honda's latest hybrid electrification tech is the automotive equivalent of putting together peaches and cream. Even to a vegan.

From the first push of the starter button, the driving experience is seamless, elevating the e:HEV to the premium realm.

As it's in EV mode for much of the time at lower speeds, the SUV powers forward quickly and effortlessly, gliding along with a determined hum.

When the petrol engine eventually engages, it does so smoothly and quietly, yet the electric motor's influence and effects are far from done; the driver can sense all that torque (335Nm, remember) just from the immediacy of the throttle response.

Result? The CR-V's mid-range thrust makes it a deceptively rapid vehicle, accelerating instantly and surging strongly in almost no time at all. Keep an eye on that speedo, too, because the powertrain delivery is silken.

Furthermore, and going against type, the brakes thankfully avoid the wooden feel of many rival hybrids, and instead pull up immediately and with normal and natural pedal pressure.

Additionally, the paddle shifters provide variable off-throttle braking, though not quite down to a full stop.

Honda's chassis engineers have earned their keep when it comes to the CR-V's dynamics, too.

Light and easy around town for painless parking, the steering weights up nicely at higher speeds, allowing the driver to get into a linear rhythm with the machine, and without it feeling nervous or top-heavy when corners get tight – a rarity in an electrified SUV of this size.

And while it lacks the intimate connection of sportier SUVs like the Mazda CX-5 (given the RS badges), most people will appreciate the Honda's calm and controlled handling and road holding.

For the record, suspension in the CR-V consists of MacPherson-style struts up front and a multi-link rear end. However, a bit more suppleness would transform the e:HEV.

Wearing 235/55 R19 tyres, its ride around town is fine over larger bumps, absorbing them smoothly and without fuss, while overall tyre/road noise intrusion is pretty good, too.

Yet smaller-frequency surface irregularities, like joins and rail tracks, are not so easily dealt with, resulting in some sudden harshness.

Driven over exactly the same roads as the ZR-V e:HEV equivalent, it's clear there isn't quite the polish or sophistication that makes the smaller Honda SUV a highly-convincing dynamic and refined alternative to luxury German alternatives.

Other than the occasionally fidgety suspension, the CR-V hybrid makes for a dynamically impressive family SUV.

Honda has yet to publish ANCAP crash-test results for the latest CR-V. For what it's worth, the previous two generation models achieved a maximum five-star assessment.

Today's CR-V comes with 11 airbags, including two dual front, dual side, dual front knee, front-centre, dual rear side and full-length curtains.

On the active-safety front, there is AEB with pedestrian and cyclist detection, low-speed braking control front and rear, road departure mitigation (RDM), forward-collision warning, blind-spot alert, lane-departure warning/keep, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control (with full stop-go), low-speed follow and traffic-jam assist, traffic-sign recognition, driver-fatigue warning, adaptive driving beam and auto high beams.

You'll also find front/rear parking sensors, anti-lock braking with brake assist, 'Electronic Brake-force Distribution', hill-start assist, stability control, traction control, an intelligent speed limiter, trailer stability assist, tyre-pressure monitors and something called 'Straight Driving Steering Assist'.

An ISOFIX child-seat latch is fitted to each outboard rear seat position, while a trio of anchorage points for straps are included either on or behind, as well.

Honda says its AEB system is operational from 5.0km/h, the RDM from 30km/h, the lane support systems from 72km/h and the traffic-jam assist tech works between 0-72km/h. Top speed is 186km/h.

Chery covers the Omoda E5 with a seven-year/unlimited km warranty, which is ahead of the mainstream market norm, with a separate eight-year/unlimited km warranty for the drive battery; again, ahead of the pack.

You’ll also pick up seven years roadside assist (if you service the car at a Chery dealership) and the brand’s seven-year capped-price servicing program is super-competitive. 

The scheduled service interval is 12 months/20,000km, which is shorter in terms of time than many EVs which stretch the interval to two years. But each workshop visit averages around $227 and that’s sharp.

Honda offers a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty that also includes roadside assistance.

At the time of publication until the end of March, there is a special offer that extends those to seven years.

Additionally, there is a six-year rust perforation warranty and an eight-year hybrid-battery module warranty.

There's also five years' free subscription to 'Honda Connect', bringing remote-control operation for climate control, lights and locking/unlocking, as well as trip log data, location status, geo-fencing and emergency callout access.

The CR-V's servicing intervals are every 12 months or 10,000km or when the engine oil monitor light illuminates, with capped price servicing pegged at an annual flat fee of $199 for the first five years.

That's under $1000 over that period of time. Nothing extraordinary here unless you remember the old days of how expensive it was to service new Hondas.

Note, however, that the e:HEV's lack of a spare wheel does bring additional costs – namely in the cost of replacing the expensive tyre-repair kit, as well as the substantial time, inconvenience and flow-on issues of a more-severe puncture that can render the CR-V undriveable if the tyre-repair kit is unable to plug the hole.

Honda is not alone in not offering a spare wheel in its hybrid SUV range, but there are real consequences in being stranded with an unfixable flat tyre that needs to be factored in. Family holidays can be made or ruined in such circumstances.