The compact crossover C5 Omoda received a modification with four driving wheels. But there are other important changes.
Karelian paths are a paradise for lovers of fast driving. Especially in winter, when forest graders are covered with snow and ice and rolled to perfect condition. Of the traffic, there are only rare timber trucks, so these places are chosen by athletes, the stages of the Russian Rally Championship and Cup are held here. But I drive a crossover with the Chery inscription on the steering wheel and … I also enjoy it! What is this car?
If someone missed it, then last year a new brand Omoda appeared on the Russian market – a division of the Chinese Chery, which we have under a separate name. The first model was the Omoda C5 crossover – we tested it in November, but following only a few months, an all-wheel drive version appeared, which served as an excuse to go to Karelia for a test.
With an eye on Exeed
What does Exeed have to do with it? The fact is that in December the all-wheel drive Exeed LX went on sale (we also traveled on it), and technically it is similar to the Omoda C5 AWD. But if at that time we made our way on the Exide along a deep rut right into the field, wondering along the way that not everyone would poke their nose into it on the Land Cruiser, then in front of the predatory face of the C5 AWD lay tens of kilometers of rally special stages!
It is a pity that on 18-inch wheels there are Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3 non-studded tires. There were already thaws during the day, and at night the water turned into ice, so the coating was uneven and very slippery in places. Well, the more interesting – you can feel more nuances of the electronic systems and transmission.
However, I turned off the ESP almost immediately – it protects the car too much from the slightest slips. And we just give the opposite! In conditions of a weak “hold”, it is vital to load the front wheels, so the scenario for cornering in a skid is quite simple – a small counter-shift before entering, releasing the gas, the Omoda C5 starts to throw the “stern” and you need to immediately catch it once more by pressing the right pedal.
It is best to do this in sport mode (there are seven modes where the algorithms of the throttle and electronic systems change, three of which are off-road – “Snow”, “Mud” and “4×4”), when the responses to the actions of the right pedal are minimal. And look at the tall snowdrifts, behind which you can see a timber truck approaching the turn.
Of course, the lulled stabilization system will still intervene if the driver’s actions cease to be adequate – there is too much drift angle, a sharp brake application or a deep steering correction. But even with such settings, you get pleasure from managing Omoda on these tracks!
There are other changes
The front-wheel drive Omods are equipped with a 1.5-liter turbo engine and a CVT, but under the hood of the C5 AWD is a 1.6-liter engine and a seven-speed robot with two clutches. This bundle is also familiar from Exeed models.
The difference in power is only 3 “horses”, 150 instead of 147 for front-wheel drive options, while it is stated that the Omoda C5 AWD accelerates to hundreds in 8.6 seconds versus 9.9 for the C5. On occasion, we will definitely measure Omoda with the Racelogic GPS complex, but we mightn’t leave 9 by the stopwatch – a slight delay at the start interferes.
However, in winter conditions, front-wheel drive cars have zero chances – the C5 AWD electronics very competently distribute the torque and “strangle” the engine just enough so that the crossover accelerates as efficiently as possible with a slight slip. Unexpectedly, since often in Chinese cars the transmission is not optimally configured.
But in motion, the all-wheel drive car is clearly livelier – this engine has 65 Nm more torque (275 Nm), so overtaking is easier for her, despite the additional 154 kg of weight. But at high speeds, the acceleration rate is similar, and the “maximum speed” is completely the same – 195 km / h.
It is curious that such an increase in mass did not lead to an increase in fuel consumption – the Omoda C5 AWD turned out to be even more economical – 9.4 l / 100 km versus 9.5 (in the combined cycle). In addition, the crossover can officially be filled with “92” gasoline, which is also nice, considering how much fuel costs now.
All-wheel drive “Omods” also differ in the rear suspension – here is a multi-link instead of a semi-independent “beam” (in passing, this reduced the clearance to 180 mm). And the smoothness of the ride on “sharp” bumps has become better – front-wheel drive crossovers have passed all sorts of joints and well hatches more rigidly. Otherwise, the Omoda C5 still pleases with the absence of buildup on the waves and the elastic passage of any relief areas. But the rolls in corners are too big.
The salon has not changed much (except that the material of the “mats” for mobile devices on the central tunnel has become different), so all the pros and cons have not disappeared. In the cons, you can definitely write down the driving position – there is not enough adjustment range for the reach, and the “steering wheel” itself is set too sloping, I want to lower it down. And in the chairs, stylized as sports “buckets”, the back becomes numb on long trips.
On the plus side is a powerful Sony audio system, good-resolution displays, and easy smartphone connectivity via Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. And the rear passengers feel good – there is plenty of legroom, there are USB sockets for charging gadgets and heated seats. But at high speeds, the rumble of tires is clearly audible at the rear – the front is noticeably quieter (double side windows are installed).
How much does Omoda C5 AWD cost?
Unlike the same Exeed LX crossover, which with all-wheel drive is available only in the highest Premium Plus version, the Omoda C5 AWD offers a more democratic approach. There is already a choice of two trim levels Active and Supreme, which are similar in terms of equipment to the Lifestyle and Ultimate versions of the front-wheel drive C5.
C5 AWD Lifestyle costs 2,789,900 rubles (excluding discounts). And the set of options is quite rich – 18-inch wheels, all-round cameras, six airbags, a full set of driver assistants (adaptive cruise, lane keeping, blind spot monitoring, automatic braking), front seat ventilation, wireless charging, winter package (heating of all seats, steering wheel and windshield), two 10-inch screens, dual-zone climate control and an electric handbrake with AutoHold function.
The Supreme version is priced at 3,049,900 rubles, adding a panoramic roof, power passenger seat (in Lifestyle – only for the driver), an electrochromic rear-view mirror, voice control and brown leather upholstery. That is, the surcharge for all-wheel drive, a different power unit and a multi-link suspension is a little more than 300 thousand rubles. And considering that the Omoda C5 AWD is becoming one of the cheapest four-wheel drive crossovers that you can still “fire” in the winter, this increase does not seem like too much.