The Chery E5 is the battery-electric version of the C5 compact SUV, a model that first arrived in Australia wearing the Omoda badge before being folded into the main Chery range. For the 2026 model year it is offered as one flagship-grade specification priced at AU$37,990 drive-away — only about AU$3000 above an equivalently equipped C5 hybrid — making it one of the most affordable electric compact SUVs on the local market. It undercuts the Leapmotor B10 Style, BYD Atto 3 Evo and Geely EX5, while the Jaecoo J5 BEV and GWM Ora 5 Ultra come in marginally cheaper.
The reviewer counts the E5's angular, grille-free styling — a deliberate contrast with the curvier Tiggo models — among its strengths, along with a roomy cabin featuring twin 12.3-inch displays, heated outboard seats front and rear, a power tailgate and a 300-litre boot that, unusually for an EV, still houses a full-size spare wheel. The equipment list extends to an eight-speaker Sony audio system, a sunroof, extensive driver-assistance technology and seven airbags including a centre bag, supporting a five-star ANCAP score.
Motive power comes from a 155kW/288Nm front motor and a 58.9kWh lithium iron phosphate battery, giving up to 430km of WLTP range and 30-80 per cent DC charging in under half an hour at up to 130kW. On the move it is described as smooth and easy to live with, though the light, uncommunicative steering and noticeable road noise on coarse surfaces disappoint. Chery backs the car with a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty (the battery is covered a year longer) and capped-price servicing totalling just over $1900 across the first seven visits.