opinions, first contact and photos

It is difficult to talk about the Omoda 5 without mentioning two basic aspects. The first, its price. The second, its reception in the market. With this first incentive as its flag and to continue pushing in the second aspect, the Omoda 5 adds a hybrid alternative that aspires to be one of the great references for those looking for an electric hybrid at a reasonable price.

And it is that he Omoda 5 has lived until now with an exclusively gasoline version. Despite this, registrations are being good, with more than 8,000 units sold so far this year, which places it above rivals such as the Seat Ateca (5,262 units so far this year) and which can make it aspire to catch up with cars like the Citroën C4 that still surpass it in sales (more than 12,000 units until October).

In fact, the company itself has confirmed to us that they expect the hybrid to far surpass the gasoline version in the sales mix. It is no coincidence that the RRP (we will talk about this later) of the hybrid is just 1,500 euros higher than the non-electrified version.

Omoda 5 SHS-H technical sheet

To eat the entry range

Until the month of October, Omoda has sold more than 10,000 units in our country. It has done so with three cars on the market and a proposal that is not the most ambitious when it comes to gaining sales.

We say this because the Omoda 5 has only been sold with an unelectrified gasoline engine. A technology in clear decline in our market, accumulating 24.54% of sales so far this year compared to 34.97% for hybrids (those that, at least, have an ECO sticker). All according to ANFAC data.

In addition, an electric version has been sold that has a high price (from 35,000 euros) for its 61 kWh battery and a Omoda 9 which, although it offers power and equipment superior to that of its rivals, already enters into prices (almost 50,000 euros) where Chinese options have a more difficult time competing. At least until now.

The hybrid version is, therefore, a catapult to assault the entry range to this ECO label, increasingly important to enter the center of some cities or receive certain advantages when parking. Especially because it is a electric hybrid and not a mild hybrid. That is, it promises substantial savings compared to a microhybrid that uses a small combustion engine to obtain the ECO sticker but barely saves on consumption.

And the first sensations are good. In our first contact we exceeded 100 kilometers in length, most of which were distributed between Madrid’s ring roads and secondary roads. Perhaps there was a lack of urban travel to deal with the regular use of these cars by the target customer, but given the volume of traffic and traffic jams, we can say that we were faced with situations similar to those seen inside a city.

Consumption remained below 5l/100 kilometers and in the most congested parts where we drive at a slower pace and regenerative braking works more, we approached 4l/100 km with specific situations below this figure. They are good fuel consumption, on par with hybrid systems such as those from Toyota or Renault.

Of course, the way to reach them is very different.

The Omoda 5 SHS-H mounts a complex systemwith a 1.5 turbocharged four-cylinder engine that delivers 143 HP. It has a transmission transmission with two electric motors (one acts as a propeller and the other as a generator) that take energy from a 1.83 kWh capacity battery.

The goal is for the car to run most of the time with its electric motor. That is, first of all, it is the electric motor that drives the battery and the combustion engine, which works at its optimal speed, acts as an electric generator to always keep the car powered by battery.

When both systems operate at full capacity, they generate up to 165 kW (224 HP) and 295 Nm. But the brand already warns that the discharge power of its battery, which can reach 85 kW (114 HP), is only available for 10 seconds and as long as the thermal and battery charging conditions allow it.

What does this translate into? The Omoda 5 SHS-H rides very smoothly and silently because, as we say, the combustion engine generally works at optimal load. In fact, its sound is only felt in the cabin when a much higher power delivery is required and, therefore, it is forced to leave that ideal rpm range.

Thus, it has some advantages and disadvantages that should be clarified. This smooth rolling is more evident when we accelerate from a standstill and gain speed. Here, we do not notice the presence of the combustion engine and, much less, the “whirly” sound of a Toyota combustion engine and torque converter transmission that some drivers do not like.

However, it has two obvious disadvantages that go hand in hand. The first is that the car prioritizes the work of the electric motor in all circumstances (to save consumption), which requires us to be insistent and have a powerful quickdown if we want the car to leave that state of “comfort” and deliver more power.

The second thing is that we miss that electric kick so characteristic of traditional electric hybrids. This makes accelerations smooth and sustained but the feeling is that the car is less powerful than the promised 224 HP. And to this is added that the maximum discharge power of the battery requires it to work in specific circumstances of temperature and load, so we do not always have the same power at our feet.

In most cases, this should not be a problem but it is something to take into consideration when we demand that extra power from the car to enter a highway in an acceleration lane.

Otherwise, the behavior of this Omoda 5 SHS-H is very similar to that of the gasoline version. The car moves smoothly and remains one of my favorite options among the Chinese options that have hit the market. Of course, the steering is very light and feels somewhat artificial.

As for what we said about its price, the Omoda 5 SHS-H arrives with a starting price of 29,990 euros, which places it about 1,500 euros above the gasoline version. It is an attractive price if we take into account that most options are smaller (Nissan Juke or Opel Moka) or, above all, less equipped.

The Omoda 5 SHS-H comes with a dual 12.3-inch screen, dual-zone climate control, wireless CarPlay and Android Auto, Full LED headlights or up to 19 ADAS systems. The superior package, for 3,000 euros more, adds a panoramic camera, heated steering wheel, 18-inch wheels compared to the standard 17, Sony sound system with eight speakers, 50 W wireless charger and electric, heated and ventilated seats.

But the company is selling the car with the introductory offer for 23,990 euros. It is a much tighter price than the competitors for a B-SUV that comes with very complete equipment from the start. It must be taken into account that Toyota is selling its starting Yaris for more than 22,000 euros.

The formula, therefore, is once again the one already known at Omoda: a lot of equipment and aggressive discount campaigns to gain market share by offering a car at a very attractive price.

Photos | Xataka

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