The Omoda marque may be new to the Singapore market, but they sure have hit the ground running with their E5 crossover.

Typically, it takes new entrants several tries to come up with a truly compelling package that appeals to the Singaporean car buyer. But Omoda, along with its parent company Chery, appears to have bucked that trend.

Then again, it isn’t that far-fetched to expect that, considering Omoda isn’t technically new to the Singapore market (Chery cars were officially sold locally in the past too, also via Vertex Motors). And also, the petrol version of the car has already been sold in various right-hand driver markets in the region, so they’d have data to further refine the car before its official launch in Singapore.

Not Just Another Chinese EV

There’s a convergence in the design of many electric crossover offerings. And logically too, considering there’s really only one general way to increase an EV’s overall efficiency. Smooth surfaces and subtle body lines aid in creating a more aerodynamic shape, and is the lowest-hanging fruit in the world of chasing greater range.

But Omoda didn’t feel the need to do that. At least, not for its front fascia anyways. No gradual crease in the metalwork here – each body line is crisp, sharp and very distinct. As is the case with a growing number of cars, the DRLs and the main headlight clusters are not a singular unit.

The Chinese manufacturer opted to integrate the DRLs into a contrast trim panel up front, which then also houses the “OMODA” emblem and the charge port. The headlights are located lower down. Only the lower portion of the front bumper has perforations, necessary for the air-conditioning and motor/battery cooling.

Omoda played it very safe with the rest of the design. The rear-end styling is fairly conservative, and has all of the standard-issue items that you’d expect from a car manufactured in 2024.

Surprisingly Pleasant Cabin

Minimalism appears to be the overarching theme in the design of the Omoda E5’s interior. There are no complex organic curves in the cabin, their designers choosing to embrace simplicity and quality materials over fussy design cues.

This approach also extends to the physical buttons in the interior. There are switches for the aircon and for the demisters, hazard lights and the drive mode select. However, I’d have preferred a hardware button that allows me to rapidly access the home menu on the infotainment screen. Also, it’d be good to have a centrally-located volume toggle, as the current capacitive touch buttons are located on the far right of the cluster, and is only accessible to the driver.

The steering wheel feels high quality, and the dual screen set-up, reminiscent of a Kia EV6’s cluster, disseminates info in an easy-to-read manner. Cabin space is great up front, the overall usability further complemented by a plethora of cubby and storage options.

Whilst knee room is acceptable in the rear, the small window aperture coupled with the black seats mean you can feel quite claustrophobic. Omoda needs to offer a model with a panoramic sunroof, which would alleviate these issues and make the cabin an all-round pleasant place to be in.

There’s Decent Power Too

Expectedly, being a Category B electric car, the Omoda E5 feels very punchy off-the-line. A contributing factor is Chery’s inclusion of several powertrain engineering smarts, further reducing motor noise whilst increasing torque and efficiency.

The aforementioned motor develops 200 bhp, and is front-mounted. It sends its drive to the front axle, and draws its current from a 61 kWh LFP battery. Chinese EVs often have inflated range figures, a result of optimistic CLTC test cycles. But the Omoda E5 would do the range quoted in the brochure – I managed to return an efficiency figure that’d translate to the 430 kilometres the brand claims it’d do.

Despite its 1.8 ton kerb weight, the Omoda E5 feels surprisingly agile in the corners. The front end turns in with a shocking amount of enthusiasm, though the rear end is its weakest link – it would benefit from a set of stiffer springs in the rear. Though in all fairness, the car does strike a good overall balance between confidence and compliance as it is.

However, there are still several minor negatives. The throttle pedal is overly sensitive, making it difficult to modulate the amount of regenerative braking. As a result, you’d leave the car in the lowest regen setting, meaning sacrificing range for comfort. And the brake pedal is on the stiffer side, especially considering it has been fitted to a family crossover.

Hitting The Ground Running

For a first attempt, the Omoda E5 is a compelling alternative to the Chinese electric crossover incumbents. Distinctive looks, a capable powertrain and actually decent build quality make it a legitimate car buying proposition.

Vertex currently doesn’t have a price on the car just yet, though you can expect it to be priced similarly to the other Chinese EVs currently on sale!

You May Be Interested In: 2023 MG ZS EV Review – Nipped and Tucked