Chinese automotive brands are on the rise in Australia with the latest to make its mark being Chery, which has just re-entered the local market with the five-star safety-rated Omoda 5 SUV.

The strong ANCAP safety rating is quite a turnaround for the state-owned Chinese car maker, which first entered the Australian market in 2011 only to retreat in 2015 after achieving limited success.

While its value equation was always strong, some of Chery’s early sales woes stemmed from the poor safety performance of its vehicles with the Chery J11 managing only a sub-standard two-star ANCAP rating, while the Chery J1 fared not much better with a three-star rating.

Now, Chery is back with the new Omoda 5, which has just landed an impressive five-star ANCAP safety rating for the 1.5-litre petrol-powered version of its small SUV.

The Omoda 5 headlined Chery’s return to the Australian market earlier this year sporting a five-star Euro ANCAP rating, but has only just received its 2022 ANCAP rating.

“This five-star ANCAP safety rating for the Omoda 5 is a marked improvement on the results seen by Chery’s original market entrants a decade ago,” ANCAP Chief Executive Officer Carla Hoorweg said.

“Chery has made significant strides to reach the five-star standard and we encourage them to continue to refine and improve the performance of their vehicles with future new models and model updates.”

Along with seven airbags, the Omoda 5 boasts a laundry list of smart driver-assist features including lane departure warning and prevention, blind-spot detection, adaptive cruise control, front collision warning, automatic emergency braking, speed limit information, speed control assist, emergency lane keeping, lane change assist, intelligent headlamp control, rear cross-traffic alert, rear cross-traffic braking, traffic sign recognition, and traffic jam assist.

The keenly priced Omoda 5 is available in two trim levels starting with the entry-level BX priced from $32,990 drive-away and moving up to the better-equipped EX priced from $35,990 drive-away.

Both variants are powered by a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that produces 108kW/210Nm and drives the front wheels via a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission).

Combined cycle fuel consumption is a claimed 6.9L/100km.

The Omoda 5 boasts plenty of road presence with flashes of red highlights on its distinctively styled angular body and black 18-inch alloy wheels, and bold futuristic grille featuring diamond-shaped cut-outs flanked by T-shaped running lights and LED headlights.

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Inside, a borderless 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system makes a dramatic statement, housing the instrument panel and infotainment system in a single slimline screen stretching halfway across the dash.

Shapely electrically operated leather-tec seats add a sporty touch to the interior, with other features including multi-colour ambient lighting, ‘Hello Chery’ voice control, wireless phone charging, a 360-degree panoramic camera, and remote engine start to cool or warm the interior before entering the cabin.  

Further enhancing the Omoda 5 value equation is a seven-year unlimited-kilometre warranty, seven years capped-price servicing and seven years of roadside assistance.