2025 Chery Omoda 5 FX review

When Chinese automaker Chery rejoined the Australian market in 2023, the Omoda 5 was the striking model used to grab attention for the brand.

Since then, the line-up has expanded with higher-performance versions topping the range, and now the Chery Omoda 5 FX as a price-leading model to get the attention of buyers.

But where low-priced models of the past were often used as a lure to get attention before steering purchasers to more expensive models, the Omoda 5 FX carries a robust equipment list.

At first glance, the cheapest model doesn't look much like an entry-level model at all. With a drive-away price below $30,000 and a full suite of worthwhile equipment, is the Chery Omoda 5 FX the smart choice for style-conscious buyers on a budget.

With the introduction of the Omoda 5 FX, the range now starts from $27,990 drive-away, making it one of the most affordable small SUVs in Australia, though not the outright cheapest.

To move up a grade to the Omoda 5 BX requires a $33,990 spend, while at the more expensive end of the range, the Omoda 5 GT comes with a more powerful engine and all-wheel drive for $40,990 – all drive-away.

From the outside there's little to set the Omoda 5 FX apart from more expensive models. It rides on smaller 17-inch alloy wheels (instead of 18s on other models), has halogen headlights in place of LEDs, and goes without puddle lamps, tail-light animations when unlocked, gloss black window trim, noise insulation acoustic front glass, and a powered tailgate.

Other changes include cloth trim instead of faux leather, manual air conditioning in place of dual-zone climate control, and no ambient interior lighting, no wireless phone charger, and a six-speaker stereo in place of an eight-speaker system.

So yes, there is some missing equipment, but you still get automatic walkway locking, push-button start, an electrically adjustable driver's seat, rear seat air vents, auto up-down power windows, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a pair of 10.25-inch displays for infotainment and instruments.

The Omoda 5 FX is powered by a 1.5-litre turbo petrol four-cylinder engine rated at 108kW and 210Nm, sending power to the front wheels via a CVT automatic.

One of the biggest threats looming large in the Omoda 5's rear-view mirror is the related Chery Tiggo 4 Pro. Instead of the Omoda 5's swoopy profile, the Tiggo 4 is a more traditional SUV shape. It runs the same engine and transmission, is only slightly shorter, a little taller, and rides on the same wheelbase, but with a slightly bigger boot.

Much of the equipment is shared between the two, but the Tiggo 4 Pro leads with a $23,990 drive-away price that is sure to appeal to buyers on a tighter budget.

The updated GWM Haval Jolion range starts from an attractive $26,990 drive-away, although special offers push that lower still. Like the Omoda 5, the Haval Jolion is powered by a 1.5-litre turbo engine, but with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.

Budget-savvy buyers have also traditionally looked to the MG ZS, though at the time of writing the model is launching with a new generation. Starting as a hybrid model, pricing is slightly higher from $33,990 drive-way, though a cheaper non-hybrid model is expected to join it soon.

Styled more like a fastback than a traditional upright SUV, the Omoda 5 looks a little lower than your typical small SUV. Its 1588mm height is fairly typical (a Haval Jolion is 7mm lower, but a Tiggo 4 Pro is 43mm taller). It measures 4374mm nose-to-tail, a more noticeable 98mm shorter than the Haval Jolion.

The interior does a great job of looking upmarket when you first open the door. The seats are cloth trimmed, but it's a sturdy-feeling fabric with a muted fleck for a more prestigious feel, bordered by faux leather at the sides of the seat.

Woodgrain elements on the dash and doors, and metallic trim highlights all look more substantial than you'd probably expect for a model at this price point. Once you start poking around you'll notice some differences. The Omoda 5 FX lacks the soft-touch door cards of the other grades, there's no interior ambient lighting, and the interior mirror is manual, rather than auto-dimming.

Still, the base Omoda 5 packs in a leather-look steering wheel and shift knob, an electrically adjustable driver's seat (but manual passenger adjust), tilt and reach adjustable steering, illuminated vanity mirrors in the sun visors (with dual-tone lighting), auto up-down power windows on all doors, a cooled centre console, seatback map pockets, and a rear seat folding armrest. All small touches, but often the kinds of features stripped out of base models to lower the price.

The driver's seat is positioned a touch lower than you might expect for an SUV, but it's still not one you have to haul yourself out of. The seats are fairly flat on the base, but they do offer decent side bolstering on the backrest. Taller drivers may find the seat base lacking in under-thigh support, but shorter drivers will gel with the proportional relationship of the seat and controls.

One gripe I had was that the steering wheel feels a touch low in relation to the instruments, but no key info is cut off. Another is that the front USB ports (1x USB-A, 1x USB-C) face the passenger, not the driver – a little fiddly to first plug into, but fine if you leave a cable in your car. With no wireless charging, you'll probably want to keep a cable handy too.

The felted tray in the console is simply storage in this trim level, but in higher grades, you get a wireless charger here. For dash cam users there's also a USB-A power port up near the rear-view mirror, which is handy.

Into the rear seats, and they are positioned much higher. This means younger passengers may have a bit of a leap up into the seat, while taller passengers will need to stoop under the door aperture. Once in, the roof is quite close and the seat backrest is very upright, with no recline function.

The rear seats get access to air vents through the console, a single USB-A port, map pockets on the back of the front seats, and a fold-down centre armrest with two cupholders. All handy to have, but the rear seat dimensions make it better suited to occasional use rather than a full-time adult transport solution.

The boot is a relatively simple space, lacking bag hooks and tie-down points, though there is an LED light. At 360 litres space is decent, and there's a shallow foam tray under the floor that could be used for keeping your shopping bags or a pack-flat crate under. Beneath that, you'll find a space-saver spare tyre.

There's no penalty for opting for the cheapest model on the infotainment front. As with other models in the range, the Omoda 5 FX comes with a dual 10.25-inch display, one for the media system and the other for the instrument display.

The Omoda 5 infotainment system has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto access, Bluetooth connectivity, and AM/FM/digital radio. Inbuilt navigation is not available, so you'll need your smartphone connection for this.

The screens look good beneath their single panel, but the large borders aren't cutting-edge, though at this price the system is still decent.

Voice commands via a 'hello Chery' prompt allow you to make adjustments to cabin climate and demister turn on or off vehicle functions like the cruise control, or access the owner's manual onscreen. It's slow, and often misses inputs, so it's often better to just run through the touchscreen for controls.

The menu layout is fairly simple, so making adjustments is no chore. The air conditioning is controlled via a touch panel below the screen, but can be opened to a full-screen display to give a clearer indication of what you have set. There's no auto climate control, just manual adjustments for temp, fan, vent level, etc.

The Chery Omoda 5 was awarded a five-star ANCAP safety rating based on 2022 testing. The rating has not yet been extended to the FX shown here, but all other front-wheel-drive variants of the Omoda 5 range are included, so crash performance and safety tech for other models apply here.

The car achieved an 87 per cent score for adult occupant protection, 88 per cent for child occupant protection and 83 per cent for its safety assistance features. The Omoda 5 only achieved a lower 68 per cent score for vulnerable road user (pedestrian) protection.

There are seven airbags including dual front, front-seat side, full-length curtain, and a centre airbag between front occupants.

Chery has made tweaks to the driver assistance suite to make it less intrusive. Systems like the adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist have been improved, although the lane-centring function as part of the 'integrated cruise assist' (ICA) feature still feels twitchy and a little too overbearing.

A clear layout of steering wheel controls make the system easy to use, and switching between ICA and regular adaptive cruise control is as simple as a long press on the steering wheel icon on the steering wheel.

The driver monitoring camera gives a little leeway for head checks or keeping an eye on navigation, though it is perhaps a little too early to flag driver distraction.

The speed limit information displayed in the cluster seems accurate. It didn't misrepresent speed signs, and is able to pick up both painted and illuminated signs from the roadside or overhead.

A little more fine-tuning is needed here. The twitchy lane centring could do with improvement, and the blind-spot monitoring didn't always pick up cars or bikes in hard-to-see spots, but most of the driver assist tech is helpful.

Chery's Australian-delivered range is covered by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, putting it at the longer end of the warranty spectrum, which could be a handy consideration. For vehicles used at any stage as a ride share, delivery, or similar commercial role, a 150,000km distance cap applies.

New cars come with 12 months' roadside assistance, which is extended for a further 12 months with each service carried out by a Chery dealer for up to seven years.

Service intervals are set every 12 months or 10,000km – a little under the 15,000km distance usually seen. Chery has a capped-price servicing program with an affordable $280 price point for the first five services and even the most expensive sixth service is only $391.

A comparative insurance quote came to $2384 per year based on the details of a 35-year-old male living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

The same driver details saw a $1996 quote for a GWM Haval Jolion Premium and a similar $2304 quote for the Chery Tiggo 4 Pro Urban.

The 1.5-litre versions of the Chery Omoda 5 aren't equipped with fuel-saving tech starting to filter into the segment. There's no idle-stop system and now mild-hybrid assistance, for instance.

The fuel consumption rating is 6.9 litres per 100 kilometres, itself not too bad and the trip computer showed a 7.9L/100km rating. Others in the segment do better, but this is far from the thirstiest small SUV available.

The Omoda 5 is tuned to run on regular 91-octane unleaded with no need for premium.

The included equipment and design of the Chery Omoda 5 provide plenty of wow-factor, but the driving experience is less of a highlight.

Certainly, no one expects a low-priced small SUV to offer the finest of driving experiences, but it does feel like there's room for improvement all the same.

By the numbers, the 108kW/210Nm 1.5-litre turbo engine sits respectably within its class. In practice there's a noticeable lag from the turbocharged engine, an effect that's amplified by the slow-reacting continuously variable automatic transmission.

Smooth, linear acceleration can be hard to achieve. The Omoda 5 sets off with a leisurely attitude, but then a rush of turbo boost and some re-thinking by the transmission sees it surge ahead, lurching occupants in the process.

Asking for a burst of speed when rolling does the same thing, except the results become less predictable. At times the Omoda 5 is quick to respond, but can be a little over-eager, and at other times the transmission is reluctant to kick down and acceleration is left lagging.

Controls like the steering and brakes have a similarly detached feeling. The steering is very light, but not particularly direct, and the brakes have a soft feel with a long pedal throw, meaning you need to step on the pedal hard to wash off speed.

There are Eco and Sport driving modes. The latter makes the accelerator a little more responsive, most noticeable when already rolling. The bigger change is the steering, which becomes much heavier in Sport mode, or can be set to the heavier mode by itself.

The suspension is soft, allowing it to round out most hits and bumps in the road's surface. It will take a moment to recover, so bigger bumps result in some secondary movement as the car settles back down, and there's very pronounced pitch and roll under acceleration or through bends. Out of town, at higher speeds, there's some jiggling – it's minor, but it still stands out.

If value is a priority for you, but you don't want to sacrifice style in the process, the dramatic styling and fastback profile of the Chery Omoda really stand out.

While there is some equipment from higher up in the range that might be nice to have, no key equipment is absent on this base model. The same goes for the interior, which looks and feels pleasant and has been decontented without obvious indicators that anything is missing.

The on-road behaviours still need work, and Chery could benefit from a greater focus on the drivetrain and suspension. They're certainly not terrible, but in a competitive landscape with plenty of rivals, Chery has obviously elected to grab attention with styling and features over driving competence.

The base-model Chery Omoda 5 FX is very compelling, and with its sub-$30,000 price tag, it's hard not to recommend. If you're after extras like wireless charging, dual-zone climate control, and interior ambient lighting, the one-grade-higher BX might be for you. It's a $6000 more expensive step up, although discount offers on model-year clearance stock may bring this down.

While the brand is still in its expansion phase, there's no shortage of product and offer updates all the time. Be sure to keep up on all the latest Chery news here.

Kez Casey migrated from behind spare parts counters to writing about cars over ten years ago. Raised by a family of automotive workers, Kez grew up in workshops and panel shops before making the switch to reviews and road tests for The Motor Report, Drive and CarAdvice.

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