I am likely getting a new car this year and have the new Toyota Corolla at the top of the list. Yesterday, just for fun I searched for "New car Malaysia 2023" on the internet and one of the models caught my attention. Chery Omoda 5.

To cut a story short, why can't Japanese manufacturers come up with something as appealing as this. I'm not referring to the engine, reliability or performance but the overall exterior looks which look premium and classy, and the interior design beats all Corolla Cross and hrv to me. If the Omoda 5 has a Toyota badge on it, I'll buy it without hesitation.

The last I heard was the Omoda 5 will be priced around RM130k to 140k, launching next week or next month.

Yes, agreed. I've worked with Japanese before and they are surely conversative and don't adapt to changes too quickly, in other words evolution rather than revolution.

It will be interesting to look at the reception of this completely new model from Chery and also the comeback of the brand in Malaysia. People usually stick with established brands with long history in the country, so the new comers especially Chinese manufacturers will have a tough time to prove their worth since all their vehicles are new and untested thus without history of reliability, performance and after sales service and support which are the prerequisites to maintaining a healthy client base.

It is highly unlikely I'm going with the Chery. Right now it's only the new Toyota Corolla model that is due to launch anytime now. There are no other cars that interest me at the moment other than Toyota Corolla. My main priority first and foremost is reliability and problem-free. Other considerations such as comfort and quietness as well as looks both exterior and interior design come in next. Power, handling and performance used to be the top priorities for me 10 years ago but they are now at the bottom and are of least importance to me.

I don't think there are other brands that can do better than Toyota in the aspects that I value and if there is one, I would appreciate if you can offer some insight. May I know which Toyota model have you owned?

This post has been edited by SportyHandling: Jun 25 2023, 07:51 PM

I am aware Toyota vehicles are boring to drive but the Corolla sedan with tnga platform was said to have good handling while maintaining a comfortable drive, combining these 2 aspects that usually don't go well together. I watched the YouTube video by YS Khong and he was quite impressed. Did you test drive the Corolla before? Most SUVs are usually boring to drive even the Mazda CX5 due to higher centre of gravity but people who buy these vehicles have different priorities. I have colleagues and friends who own the Corolla cross hybrid model and one of them complained it lacks power.

By the way, when I went to a Toyota showroom last month, I viewed the Corolla Cross inside out. The interior does not appeal to me especially the handles of the door panel at the rear which looked too chunky.

Mazda 3 is appealing to me yes. It's the price that puts me away. The CKD old model used to sell around RM125k or slightly less but this new model now is priced much higher around 160k or higher if I'm not mistaken. Perhaps the quality of the CBU Japan is a factor. Ultimately it's above my budget as I'm looking at about 140k tops.

I drive a Ford Focus mk3 and in the first 3 years when it's still new, it drives like a dream. Approaching the 8th year I've fallen out of love with the car for reasons you may well know since you owned a Peugeot.

This post has been edited by SportyHandling: Jun 25 2023, 10:38 PM

Below RM120k? That's quite attractive. Yes I agree the interior of Toyota Corolla Cross does not look good to me especially the door panels and chunky handles. I haven't seen the interior of the new Corolla and hopefully it will look a bit better than the Cross.

The interior of the Omoda 5 surely looks good, the exterior of the car looks like a RM250k model.

Thanks for the information. I have expected Chinese vehicles to be lacking in areas of ride and handling but if tuned to a comfortable ride then it should be fine. For SUVs it's not too critical but the suspension should not be too soft. I test drove the Honda CRV several years ago and the suspension is too soft or bouncy for my preferences as well. If reviews of the Chery Omoda 5 are accurate, it's unfortunate the handling does not match the sporty elegant looks of the vehicle.

Yes. One thing that surprises me is there is hardly any information or leaks on the upcoming Corolla since it's about to be launched in 1 or 2 months time. Rumours on the Corolla thread are the vehicle may be CKD locally instead of CBU Thailand so Toyota might just plonk the existing hybrid engine in the Corolla Cross into the Corolla sedan.

It wouldn't make any sense if the upcoming new Corolla model only has changes such as some USB ports added here and there and then they market it as an all-new model.

What you say may very well be true, but the biggest question or perhaps nightmare is how long will the company or dealership last in Malaysia after a 2nd entry to the market with this all-new model? The survival of the company will largely depend on the reception of the people, ultimately the sales. If the sales are poor, imagine buying the vehicle but going into next year the company closes down and cease to exist with no more support to owners who have already bought the car...

This post has been edited by SportyHandling: Jun 26 2023, 01:25 PM

I've had a 2nd look at the Mazda 3. The 2.0 low spec model at RM150k may still be reachable. However, if I"m not mistaken the model is already near to its cycle as the new model with Skyactiv X may be replacing the current model soon. Since you are always up to date with the current trends and news in the automotive industry, do you know roughly when Mazda will bring in the new Mazda 3 model with Skyactiv X that will replace the current model?

The Mazda 3 was launched in 2019 or 2020 if I'm not mistaken. So it's about time since the replacement cycle with Japanese cars is around 4 years. Next year 2024?

Received the brochure of the Omoda 5 (PDF) via from a friend via Whatsapp today so attaching it here for those who are interested in this vehicle.














Attached File(s)
 Omoda_5__broucher.pdf ( 2.4mb ) Number of downloads: 170

No idea where is the showroom as I just received all this via Whatsapp from a friend. Forgot to mention, in the Whatsapp message, it was mentioned that the Chery Omoda 5 is retailing below RM120k with 5 years warranty and free service parts & labour, 10 years warranty on engine.

Didn't view this vehicle although initially I had the interest after looking at the futuristic elegant looks both interior and exterior. Unknown reliability and after-sales support combined with claimed below par handling (light steering) of the vehicle are the main factors that prevent me from considering the car. If on design alone both interior and exterior looks, I would give the nod to the Omoda 5. Price was claimed to be below RM120k, so if it's RM11x,000 for high spec model, the overall package can be considered to be good.

Similarly, I feel the red stripes ruined the elegant looks of the vehicle. Without it looks more elegant. Having said that, it's a matter of taste and perhaps the younger generation like the looks of the added red stripe. They have the vehicle without the red stripe but those models are the low-spec without the added features. The vehicle with red stripe is the high-spec model.

This post has been edited by SportyHandling: Jul 6 2023, 11:16 AM

This Chery Omoda would appeal to people who just want a nice futuristic design and low price and nothing else. At RM11x,000 for the high spec, seems like a bargain if one can look past its shortcomings since most comparable SUVS in the same class are selling at around RM140k or higher, all mostly with duller or less elegant interior (or exterior) design. Quality of fitting, no comment as haven't viewed the actual thing or fiddled with the buttons and switches.

Perhaps those who have too much money may consider this as their 2nd or 3rd backup vehicle to run around or going to wet market or pasar malam mainly for the relatively low price (considering it looks like a RM200k+ model and cheaper than the competition).

I'd rather have old technology that's reliable rather than new technology that has potential to break down. Perhaps that may be the reason most Japanese vehicles especially Toyota rarely have breakdowns or major failure in parts and components. Most car manufacturers have offered turbocharged engines as an option to natural aspirated engines but Toyota have stuck with NA and hybrid without any turbocharged option. Everything from engine to gearbox transmission (with Toyota) may be old or ancient technology but it works, and it's quite a refined drive. At least they have dropped the 4-speed transmission for a CVT that had contributed to a more refined acceleration. The power and quick throttle response at low to moderate speeds in real world driving, it's rather good without much to complain.

Chinese vehicles are packed with the latest technology and they are spearheading electric vehicles all over the world. It's all new technology so reliability wise no one can tell but over time it will surely improve, just like NA engines when it all first started back in the day. Someone has to start it and get the ball rolling first, and the Chinese are ahead in this area when compared to conservative Japanese. I believe NA, turbocharged and hybrid engines are currently at the final few stages before they are completely replaced by electric vehicles in the next couple of years so manufacturers may have stopped their R&D on the current(old) tech and start concentrating or advancing the new electric technology which appears to be the global trend now.

Back to the Cherry Omoda 5. It's surely looking good and hopefully it will give the Japanese a run for the money. As I've said earlier it's only after-sales and reliability that are the main concerns but looking at the wonderful early reception with 3000 bookings after few days, looks like the confidence of the people are sky high. Or perhaps the vehicle offers unbeatable value when compared to the competition.

I somewhat agree. However, the message I'm trying to convey particularly on "old technology" with NA engines is they may have reached a plateau since electric driven vehicles will be taking over soon. The technology of NA engine is already matured and in my view, not much to improve upon. With regards to other new tech or fancy features that are available in other cars that are not available in Toyota, that I'm not sure but I don't look at those things too much. As far as I things are concerned, it's already complete in terms of driving aids and safety features. I didn't check on the sales figures but the higher sales of Honda and Mazda vs low sales of Toyota may be due to other factors such as interior or exterior design of the vehicle, more powerful engines and different handling characteristics etc. rather than features or new technology. I'm not sure what features and technology are you referring to though.

It's considered to be fairly cheap already. The maintenance of Proton Preve Turbo is even higher. The major service is RM1.6k, the minor service all around the same price or slightly higher than the one published. Can't really see clearly as the text are in low resolution but if I read it correctly it's all in the range of few hundred ringgit only RM300 to 700 which is quite low.

I presume Perodua has the cheapest maintenance, possibly followed by Proton as the 2nd lowest. However, it may depend on the vehicle model also though but having owned the Proton Preve Turbo, this Chery Omoda 5's maintenance looks cheaper than the Proton Preve Turbo if following the table as posted above. Cars with turbo engines may have slightly higher maintenance than those with NA engines. The cost of major maintenance of the Preve Turbo was RM1.6k+ while with the Omoda 5, it's only RM1194 which is the highest at the moment.

Thanks for the tip. Didn't try clicking on the picture previously as I clicked on the table but it didn't load.

I see. RM4k to 6k seems to be quite damaging. If that's the case the minor service would be around RM1k to 2k which is quite a lot. Certainly not cheap to maintain even when it's new! When it gets older and out of warranty, it gets even more expensive to maintain I guess. Much worse than Fords I guess.

I presume it's 15,000 km or 6 months whichever comes first? I don't think many people will use up 15k km within 6 months. For me, the longest mileage I've clocked for 6 months is probably 2500 km, surely below 3000km.