Chery C5 Hybrid 2026 review: Urban | GWM Haval Jolion rival tested

Price and features – Does it represent good value for the price? What features does it come with?

8 / 10

If the C5 moniker is unfamiliar, this is a revised and renamed version of the car that relaunched the Chery brand in Australia in early 2023 - the Chery Omoda 5.

The C5 Hybrid is offered in two trim levels, sitting between the two petrol-powered C5 variants and the all-electric E5 in Chery’s local line-up.

We’re testing the mid-spec Urban, which comes with a sharp drive-away price of $31,990 and puts it squarely up against hybrid rivals like the GWM Haval Jolion Lux ($35,990 drive-away) and MG ZS Essence ($34,490 d/a).

But there’s an interesting decision to make here, because for just $3000 more you can step up to the C5 Hybrid Ultimate. That gets you quite a bit more kit, including a sunroof, 360-camera system, powered tailgate, powered front passenger seat, ventilated front seats, heated steering wheel, upgraded eight-speaker Sony sound system and a 50W wireless phone charger.

While the Urban looks like the obvious value play, the Ultimate makes a pretty compelling case if you can stretch the budget. For an extra $3000, you're getting a sizeable bump in equipment.

Having said that, the Urban still feels well-rounded for its spot in the market and includes:

• Keyless entry/start
• Reversing camera
• LED external lights
• Heated/power adjustable side mirrors
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Synthetic leather upholstery
• Powered driver's seat
• Heated front seats
• Dual-zone climate control
• 12.3-inch instrument cluster
• 12.3-inch multimedia display
• AM/FM/Digital radio
• Bluetooth
• Wired/wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
• 2 x USB-A
• 2 x USB-C
• 12-volt socket

Related cars for sale on CarsGuide

See more Chery C5s for sale View cars for sale

Design – Is there anything interesting about its design?

7 / 10

The Chery C5 Hybrid has plenty going for it when it comes to kerbside presence. It has a shapely silhouette with a coupe-like rear, while the 17-inch alloy wheels suit its crossover-SUV proportions nicely.

The front end looks a little bulbous from some angles, at least to my eye, but the diamond-pattern grille adds some much-needed pizzazz and helps give the C5 a distinctive face.

Inside, things are a little more restrained. The black synthetic leather upholstery gets contrasting white piping, while synthetic-woodgrain panels add some warmth to the cabin. It’s nicely styled overall, but it’s still fairly basic in terms of presentation, with few physical buttons, dials or other real focal points beyond the pair of 12.3-inch screens doing most of the heavy lifting.

It's inoffensive but lacks any real personality.

Practicality – How practical is its space and tech inside?

6 / 10

The C5 offers enough room across the front row that occupants aren’t constantly nudging elbows, and its relatively compact dimensions make getting in and out easy enough. The front seats are less impressive when it comes to comfort, though, with limited support and no lumbar adjustment, which can lead to some fatigue on longer journeys.

Storage is reasonably well catered for up front, with a decent glove box, a deep centre console with its own air vent, a shelf underneath the centre console, two cupholders and a drink bottle holder in each door.

Charging options are a little less convenient. The single USB-A and USB-C ports are positioned over on the passenger side rather than within easy reach of the driver, while there’s also a 12-volt socket up front.

The 12.3-inch multimedia touchscreen is laggy, which is particularly frustrating because so many functions, including climate control, are housed within it. The interface itself is relatively simple and there is some scope for customisation, while wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both included.

Unfortunately, the wireless CarPlay connection can be inconsistent, while Bluetooth also drops in and out during music playback and phone calls. It’s not the strongest multimedia system.

The rear row offers a decent amount of space, with enough legroom for an adult of my 168cm height sitting behind my usual driving position. The sloping roofline means taller passengers may need to watch their heads when getting in, but once seated, there’s a reasonable amount of room for adults.

Storage is fairly typical for the class, with door bins, two cupholders in the fold-down centre armrest and map pockets behind the front seats. Rear passengers also get directional air vents and their own USB-A and USB-C ports.

The boot offers up to 372 litres of capacity, which is enough for a decent load of groceries, and the flat floor makes it easy to make use of the available space. There’s a small storage pocket underneath for the tyre repair kit. Which means there's no spare wheel of any kind.

The Urban misses out on a powered tailgate, which is reserved for the Ultimate, and the manual boot lid feels quite heavy to close.

Under the bonnet – What are the key stats for its engine and transmission?

7 / 10

The C5 Hybrid is front-wheel drive and combines a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine with a single electric motor for a combined 165kW and 295Nm.

That puts it broadly on par with its closest hybrid rivals, and there’s plenty of punch available for both urban driving and getting up to speed on the open road.

Efficiency – What is its fuel consumption? What is its driving range?

7 / 10

The C5 Hybrid has a claimed combined fuel consumption of 4.9L/100km, which is certainly respectable for a small SUV, but it’s not segment-leading. For comparison, the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid is claimed to use as little as 4.2L/100km, so there are more efficient options if fuel economy is the priority.

That said, the C5’s relatively frugal fuel use and 51L fuel tank means its theoretical driving range stretches beyond 1000km, which should appeal to urban drivers who don’t want to be making regular trips to the fuel pump.

My real-world consumption after a mix of city and open-road driving has come out at 5.7L/100km and I’m pretty happy with that result given how the C5 has been driven over the past week.

Driving – What's it like to drive?

6 / 10

The C5 Hybrid delivers its power quickly, and there’s enough punch on tap that overtaking doesn’t feel like you’re scraping the bottom of the power barrel, even when tackling an incline. It’s not what you'd call fun, per se, but it’s certainly capable and has enough grunt for everyday driving.

The handling becomes less convincing when the road gets twisty. The C5 isn’t particularly settled through corners, with more body movement than expected, so it pays to back off your speed a little when tackling bends. It feels more at home around town, where its easy-going nature suits the urban environment.

There are three levels of regenerative braking, and none feel particularly intrusive, which should make the transition to a hybrid relatively easy for newbies.

Around town, the cabin is reasonably comfortable from a noise perspective, but things change once the C5 hits the open road. Road and tyre noise become much more noticeable at higher speeds, and after a long highway drive, the cabin can leave your senses feeling a little battered.

Parking is straightforward enough, with good visibility from the reversing camera. There is an oddity with the parking sensor display, though as the static graphic behind the sensors looks like asphalt and tricks you into thinking it's a 360-view! Until you get used to it, it can be distracting when manoeuvring.

Safety – What safety equipment is fitted? What is its safety rating?

6 / 10

The Chery C5 carries a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing conducted under the less demanding 2022 ANCAP protocols. There are seven airbags, but the overall safety offering feels less comprehensive than some newer rivals, missing features such as emergency call capability and front cross-traffic alert.

There are some welcome concessions to driver preference, too. A number of the safety alerts can essentially be muted, which is handy for features such as traffic-sign recognition if you find their warnings irritating. However, the ability to turn off the indicator sound feels like a step too far. That’s not an alert that should really be considered unnecessary noise.

The driver-attention monitoring is another weak point. It can be intrusive, adding another layer of nagging intervention rather than quietly doing its job in the background.

Overall, the C5’s safety equipment is adequate and includes:

• Seatbelt reminder (all seats)
• Child safety locks (rear doors)
• 2 x ISOFIX
• 3 x top-tether anchor points
• Front/rear parking sensors (2/4)
• Reversing camera
• Forward collision warning
• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
• Lane departure warning
• Lane keeping aid
• Adaptive cruise control
• Blind spot monitor
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Driver monitoring

Ownership – What warranty is offered? What are its service intervals? What are its running costs?

7 / 10

The C5 comes with a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, which is a good offering in this segment. Servicing through Chery also comes with complimentary roadside assistance.

There’s a seven-year capped-price servicing program, with services averaging around $420. That’s not particularly cheap, but it’s certainly not unreasonable for the class, and the service intervals are nicely spaced at every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.

Getting your Chery serviced shouldn't be too difficult as there are around 85 Chery service centres nationwide.

Verdict