Another day, another stylish new crossover. This time I’d like to introduce you to the fairly fresh Omoda C5 GT…
You should know: Omoda is part of the Chery automotive group which, together with a hundredweight of other swish newcomers, is setting the Crossover / SUV market segment on fire. The C5 is the more compact of their city SUV offerings (you’ll find our C9 report elsewhere on this platform) and this GT is the top model of the C5 range.
All other C5’s are powered by a power plant format which has become a Chinese trademark: 1.5L turbo-petrol 4-cylinder with comparably humble power and torque outputs. Our best guess is that these reduced numbers (and redlines) are a purposeful attempt to prolong engine lifespan; while also avoiding warranty burns.
More info: For the record, each new Omoda C5 is sold with a fairly standard 5-year/150,000km vehicle warranty, decidedly non-standard 10-year/1 million km engine warranty and sub-standard 5-year/70,000km service plan. You also get the choice of seven exterior colours, plus three each with red or dual-tone contrast paint.
What else? This GT model got a little injection of sportiness and firepower with its 1.6L motor: 30kW and 60Nm over the 1.5L. At the same time, the manufacturer also installed a 7-speed DCT (instead of CVT’s used in other C5 versions) and quite a few tasty exterior features to differentiate your GT from the lesser C5 models in the range.
Why you shouldn’t: Although it’s a criticism I also apply to other brands, I’m simply not a fan of these jerky multi-clutch transmissions. Unlike the permanently slushy response of a traditional automatic’s torque converter, most DCT’s automated clutch mechanism have a hard time telling what you’re about to do next. This one is no exception.
Why you should: Glossing over its high fuel consumption around town, the rest of this sporty C5 can easily be palette by most modern motorists. It’s got firm but supportive furniture, 378 to 1,075L of luggage space, and every media / safety / luxury item that are currently en vogue. We also matched the 0-100km/h time of 7.8 seconds with a best attempt of 7.78.
Now factor in those sporty low-profile wheels, extra fins and spoilers, plus a rather low ride height of just 139mm to end up with something that most buyers are dreaming of: an affordable, spacious, clever and sporty city SUV which doesn’t cost a fortune and offers you incredible warranties too.
| Engine: | 1,598cc i-4 Turbo-petrol |
| Transmission: | 7-speed DCT, AWD |
| Max. Power: | 145kW @ 5,500rpm |
| Max. Torque: | 290Nm @ 1,750rpm |
| Avg. cons.: | Claimed 6.8L/100km |
| 0-100km/h: | 7.78s (claimed 7.8) |
| Top Speed: | No claim |
| List Price: | From R589,990 |