Omoda E5 2024 review: a promising electric SUV newbie

Verdict

There’s a lot of promise to the Omoda E5. It’s decent to drive, performance is strong and the cabin looks more expensive than the price will have you believe. There are still some refinements that could be made to the powertrain, and a Hyundai Kona Electric offers better value for money on a finance deal, but beyond a slightly punchier bottom line it wouldn’t take much to make the E5 a credible alternative to the class best. 

There’s an influx of Chinese brands entering the UK right now, and naturally we predict that some have a better chance of sticking around than others. Based on our early encounter with Omoda’s first attempts to conquer the British market, there’s plenty to suggest that it’s a name that we might be coming more familiar with. 

When we drove a prototype of the petrol-powered Omoda 5, there were certainly some strong points, and now we have found similar promise during our drive of the 5’s all-electric twin, the E5. 

Measuring 4,424mm from front to back, the E5 straddles the dimensions of electric alternatives like the shorter Hyundai Kona and the marginally larger Renault Scenic E-Tech – indeed, it’s nearly identical to the petrol and hybrid-powered Nissan Qashqai. Its on-paper specs are a mixed bag when measured up against the two EVs; the single motor’s output of 183bhp and a healthy 340Nm of torque is impressive, but a maximum charging speed of 80kW is behind both the Kona (102kW) and the Scenic (130-150kW, depending on model). A 61.1kWh battery, which translates into an official range of 257 miles, is fine, but not mind-blowing given a £33,055 starting price.

That number grants buyers the keys to the base Comfort model, which comes with 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, wireless smartphone charging and a pair of 12.25-inch curved displays and a reversing camera. Spend an extra £1,500 and buyers step up to the Noble trim, adding a 360-degree parking camera, electrically adjustable front seats, a sunroof, a powered tailgate and a Sony eight-speaker audio system (which sounds rather weedy and not particularly clear). That’s a lot of kit for the money.

And those specs will need to draw in the potential customers, because its rather generic looks struggle to make it stand out in such a crowded market of similarly sized and priced family SUVs. The good news, however, is that a lot more effort has been put into the E5’s cabin. The modern, clean layout uses plenty of fabric-covered surfaces and metallic switchgear and the end result is that some buyers will be surprised that the E5 comes in at such a modest price point. While it looks smart, some materials, especially the faux leather, don’t quite live up to the same scrutiny when you touch them. 

The digital displays look very sharp and the loading times are quite quick. There is one big flaw, however; if you use wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto (both come as standard), the native system, including the on-screen climate controls, disappears completely behind it, which means you’ll need to fully exit out of the system just to adjust the temperature. It’s not the only car that suffers from the same ergonomic oversight, but it doesn’t make it any less irritating. 

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Those sitting in the back get a smidgen less knee room than a Qashqai offers, and headroom is tighter, too. The floor’s height relative to the seat base means that taller occupants will find themselves wishing for more thigh support – something that becomes tiring on longer journeys. At 380 litres, the boot space looks underwhelming on paper (it’s closer to a Volkswagen Golf’s volume instead of similarly-sized SUV alternatives), but when you consider that a space-saver spare wheel comes as standard – and rarely does in the E5’s rivals – then that number makes more sense.

On the road, it’s the E5’s performance which really stands out. Officially, it’ll sprint from 0-62mph in 7.2 seconds, which makes it quicker than the Kona, the Scenic and well ahead of any of the Stellantis-based EVs available for similar money. It’s not the most sophisticated at deploying that power, however, with a little torque steer wriggling through the steering wheel in the dry; in the wet, it’s quite easy to cause the front wheels to spin if you’re a little too clumsy with your right foot.

We found that the motor regeneration can be a little too keen to engage off the throttle, however, which means trying to drive at a constant speed can be trickier than it should be. Switching to Eco mode made the transition between acceleration and brake regeneration a little less abrupt, though.

That steering itself is fairly precise with two weight settings offering a light response for town driving and a slightly heavier response, which we preferred at higher speeds. Overall, there’s a decent balance between handling, comfort and refinement to be found here. It’s not class leading in any one area, but equally there aren’t any glaring flaws, either – it’s perfectly adequate for a family car like this.

Its efficiency looks promising, too. In cool weather conditions that aren’t the most flattering for an EV, we achieved around 3.8 miles per kilowatt-hour. That figure drops ever so slightly on a motorway, but our return translates into a real-world range of just over 230 miles – not far from that official 257-mile claim. 

Omoda is trying to draw buyers in with competitive finance deals, with zero per cent PCP plans available at the time of writing. Place a £5,000 deposit on a three-year agreement, and the top-spec Noble comes to £463 per month. That’s not bad, but it’s worth bearing in mind that the Hyundai Kona Electric Advance costs £468 per month on matching terms. That figure is for the larger 65kWh battery option, which means that the Kona’s overall range of up to 319 miles has the Omoda covered. The Hyundai is more spacious in the back, too, although as the Advance is the entry-level Kona, it isn’t as well equipped as the Chinese newcomer.